Calvary Presbyterian Church
The Rev. Debra May Cerra
April 18, 2010

Revelation 5:11-14 (NRSV) Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels surrounding the throne and the living creatures and the elders; they numbered myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, 12 singing with full voice, "Worthy is the Lamb that was slaughtered to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!" 13 Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, singing, "To the one seated on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!" 14 And the four living creatures said, "Amen!" And the elders fell down and worshiped.

John 21:1-19 (NRSV) After these things Jesus showed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias; and he showed himself in this way. 2 Gathered there together were Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples. 3 Simon Peter said to them, "I am going fishing." They said to him, "We will go with you." They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. 4 Just after daybreak, Jesus stood on the beach; but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. 5 Jesus said to them, "Children, you have no fish, have you?" They answered him, "No." 6 He said to them, "Cast the net to the right side of the boat, and you will find some." So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in because there were so many fish. 7 That disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on some clothes, for he was naked, and jumped into the sea. 8 But the other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, only about a hundred yards off. 9 When they had gone ashore, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish on it, and bread. 10 Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish that you have just caught." 11 So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, a hundred fifty-three of them; and though there were so many, the net was not torn. 12 Jesus said to them, "Come and have breakfast." Now none of the disciples dared to ask him, "Who are you?" because they knew it was the Lord. 13 Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. 14 This was now the third time that Jesus appeared to the disciples after he was raised from the dead. 15 When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Feed my lambs." 16 A second time he said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Tend my sheep." 17 He said to him the third time, "Simon son of John, do you love me?" Peter felt hurt because he said to him the third time, "Do you love me?" And he said to him, "Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Feed my sheep. 18 Very truly, I tell you, when you were younger, you used to fasten your own belt and to go wherever you wished. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will fasten a belt around you and take you where you do not wish to go." 19 (He said this to indicate the kind of death by which he would glorify God.) After this he said to him, "Follow me."
To Be and To Do

          How do you deal with everyday stress? Give me a big piece of dark chocolate or a pile of peanut butter and jelly crackers or a brisk walk down 4th Avenue to Garfield then to Bank and back Lippincott and my stress level can be significantly reduced – at least temporarily!
          In today’s society, many people deal with sensory and emotional overload  - we are bombarded on TV and in motion pictures, while watching DVD’s and listening to CD’s, when we surf internet sites and check out our “apps” for just about everything. This excess stimulation can add significantly to the stress in our lives. There isn’t much that is left to the imagination any more. Re-runs of fatal car crashes and the ongoing devastation of earthquakes, details of bloody murders and child abductions, the particulars of marriage infidelity and financial scams – are portrayed in vivid color with explicit commentary. We hear more about others’ lives and problems nowadays than we care to know. Talk about overload and stress…
          Sometimes it seems as if all of this information numbs our spirits – we become desensitized and unaffected by crime and scandal; violence and vulgarity. It’s as if we are insulated from the dregs of society.
          And then – we get punched! We receive a grave medical diagnosis or a family member dies suddenly or our boss gives us notice of termination or our spouse walks out on us and we crumble. Our thick skin no longer protects us and we are overwhelmed with emotion.
          How do we cope then? Sometimes we curl into a fetal position and wish the bad away. Sometimes we stay up late or wake up early. Other times we seek comfort in mindless familiar activities – like walking the shopping malls or weeding the garden or purging the house of what seems like excess stuff. Then there are times that, when escape seems impossible, we turn to alcohol or drugs to buffer the storm.
          In today’s Gospel reading, we find the disciples at the end of an overwhelmingly emotionally charged week. “The tension-filled, emotional high of their entry into Jerusalem was followed by extraordinary events in the temple, a Passover meal unlike any other, an intense experience in the garden of Gethsemane, an unexpected betray, an armed arrest, a series of denials, a mock trial, a jeering mob, and a bloody execution.” The disciples were crushed and numb. Then they experienced another shock – the empty tomb and the resurrection of Jesus. These men were on sensory and emotional overload. Their lives and the world had been changed forever.
          In the immediate aftermath of these events, the disciples needed some time to process and regroup. So they took their lead from Peter. When he announced: "I'm going fishing," the rest of them replied, "We're going with you.” (3) Like other human beings act on overload, these disciples were coping by returning to their former livelihood – fishing.
          Like many of us who find ourselves on overload, these men withdrew from the frenzy of the week. Yet even as they retreated, trying to escape the stresses of life, the disciples were not outside of the love and care of Jesus. The psalmist, in a heartrending cry to God, reminds us of God’s provision and omnipresence: “Is there anyplace I can go to avoid your Spirit? to be out of your sight?” It made no difference that the disciples didn’t recognize Jesus. Jesus was there with them.
          We can learn from this situation. No matter what we face, no matter where we are, no matter how far we retreat – Jesus is with us. Even when we don’t recognize Him, Jesus recognizes us. We are never outside of the love and care of our Savior. We are never out of His sight!
          The next section of this story focuses on the two disciples that we met a couple of weeks ago in the garden of Gethsemane: the disciple that Jesus loved and Simon Peter. Listen again to the story, this time from The Message: “When the sun came up, Jesus was standing on the beach, but they didn't recognize him. Jesus spoke to them: ‘Good morning! Did you catch anything for breakfast?’ They answered, ‘No.’ He said, ‘Throw the net off the right side of the boat and see what happens.’ They did what he said. All of a sudden there were so many fish in it, they weren't strong enough to pull it in. Then the disciple Jesus loved said to Peter, ‘It's the Master!’ When Simon Peter realized that it was the Master, he threw on some clothes, for he was stripped for work, and dove into the sea. The other disciples came in by boat for they weren't far from land, a hundred yards or so, pulling along the net full of fish.” (4-8)
          These two men, the disciple that Jesus loved and Simon Peter, are the antithesis of one another. One chose to be with the Lord; the other chose to do for the Lord. It was the disciple that Jesus loved who recognized Jesus. He was the same one who always responded to Jesus with respect and care; he was the one who Jesus appointed to care for Mary, Jesus’ mother; he was the one who ran to the garden to see the empty tomb alongside Peter. The Beloved Disciple was also the one who reclined next to Jesus at the Last Supper when Jesus talked of His betrayal. This disciple found satisfaction in knowing he could “be” in the presence of his Lord.
          We can learn from this disciple. There is great merit and value in spending tender time in the company of our Lord. Immersing ourselves in the presence of Jesus Christ is the key to recognizing Him in our daily lives and ordinary routines. For when we can embrace Jesus in the good times of life, we will trust that He is with us in the difficult times as well. When the tough times hit, when we lose our way, when we seem to be unable to recognize Jesus, we will believe that Jesus is still with us – leading and guiding us; protecting and loving us.
          Now Simon Peter, the other disciple in this story, was all about action. When Peter realized it was Jesus on the beach, he threw himself into the water to get to Jesus. It was Peter that cut off the ear of the high priest’s slave and it was also Peter that denied Jesus three times before the cock crowed. Peter had to act, he had to do something.
          We can learn from Peter. Peter, impulsive and a bit reckless, put his faith into action. Though there were times that he reacted inappropriately, Peter loved Jesus and wanted nothing more than to serve Him. Knowing this, Jesus challenged Peter’s faith.
“After breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?’ ‘Yes, Master, you know I love you.’ Jesus said, ‘Feed my lambs.’ He then asked a second time, ‘Simon, son of John, do you love me?’ ‘Yes, Master, you know I love you.’ Jesus said, ‘Shepherd my sheep.’ Then he said it a third time: ‘Simon, son of John, do you love me?’ Peter was upset that he asked for the third time, ‘Do you love me?’ so he answered, ‘Master, you know everything there is to know. You've got to know that I love you.’ Jesus said, ‘Feed my sheep.’” (15-17)
Jesus offered Peter an opportunity to live out his love. “Feed my people. Care for them. Look after them as I look after you,” Jesus urged Peter.
Jesus’ words to Simon Peter are words for us as well. “Love me and love your neighbor. Serve me by serving others,” Jesus says.  Like Peter, we can be impulsive and a bit reckless. Sometimes we make great decisions for ministry and sometimes we mess things up. Yet, just as Jesus was there for Peter, Jesus is here for us.
Friends, there is a Beloved Disciple and an overactive Peter in each of us. As we ponder this passage from John we realize that there are ways to survive and even overcome circumstances that threaten to overwhelm us. “Reclining at the breast of Jesus in prayer, periodically resting in the Lord’s heart – this sharpens our spiritual vision and helps us recognize the nurturing presence of the Lord, even in the most routine and familiar circumstances of our over-busy lives. Feeding the Lord’s sheep is a tangible way of staying in relationship with the Lord, as well as the surest way to express our love for Him.”
Brothers and sisters, we are called to love and serve the Lord. Let’s take our lead from these two men, the Beloved Disciple and Simon Peter. Remembering that Jesus is with us in the best of times – those time when everything seems to be perfect – and the worst of times – when or stress level prohibits us from functioning – let’s find time to be with the Lord and make time to do for the Lord each and every day. Let’s serve the Lord with our lips and our lives! Amen and amen.