Water Daily

5-2-22 - A Winter's Tale

You can listen to this reflection here. Sunday's gospel reading is here.

Alas, we have to leave the morning beach and its breakfast cookout and head to Jerusalem in the dead of winter. Why? Because the Lectionary says so. The fourth Sunday in Easter always has as the appointed Gospel reading one of Jesus’ Good Shepherd discourses. One might think these comforting stories, but they have a rather dark and dangerous cast, showing Jesus at his most contentious. (If you want a more cuddly good shepherd story, read Jesus’ parable about the shepherd who leaves the 99 sheep to go find the one who’s lost. That’s very comforting – unless, perhaps, you happen to be among the 99 left behind…)

Why can’t we just stay with resurrection appearances for the whole seven weeks of Eastertide, or at least the 50 days that mark Jesus’ resurrection sojourn in this world? More time to wrap our minds around resurrection life we might help us be more God-centered in this life. Or maybe not – just as we proclaim life in the midst of death, it remains true that, this side of glory, we must contend with death the midst of life. So we go back, back to before Jesus’ arrest and passion, death and glorious resurrection, to Jerusalem in winter.

At that time the festival of the Dedication took place in Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the portico of Solomon.

What is the Feast of Dedication, you ask? I had to look it up – it is the eight-day remembrance of the Maccabean revolt that regained the temple from the defiling Seleucid rulers. Part of that festival recalls the miracle of the small quantity of unprofaned oil found in the temple that somehow lit the lamps for eight days until they could bless more. This is the festival we now know as Hanukkah. So that’s the “when” in this week’s story – a festival of light, a festival recalling the victory of God’s people over evil. Hmmm....

The “where” has significance as well – we are in Solomon’s Portico, “a many-pillared, three-aisled portico that ran the length of the eastern boundary of the court of Gentiles.” Perhaps I am making too much of this proximity to the area of the Temple where Gentiles were permitted – but we will see in this encounter Jesus setting a clear distinction between those who “know my voice,” and those who do not. In the end, this definition will lead to the Good News being proclaimed not only to Jews but to Gentiles as well. This is the sacred geography in which Jesus proclaims his message of eternal life for all who believe in him.

This message has life for us as well, even if we have to leave our stories of happy discovery of the Risen Christ for a time. We now see all stories – those we find in the Bible, and those we experience in our own lives – from the vantage point of Jesus’ resurrection.

Where are you being challenged to find new life in what seems like a sad story? Because Jesus rose, we can find new life in any story, especially our own. As we watch spring unfurl from winter’s firm grip, maybe this winter’s tale will renew our faith in new life.

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4-29-22 - Feed My Lambs

You can listen to this reflection here. Sunday's gospel reading is here.

Sunday mornings could be a lot messier in our churches had Jesus added the words, “Do this in remembrance of me” after serving his disciples breakfast on the beach.“Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish.” That action no doubt had some resonance for the disciples, reminding them not only of their last supper with Jesus a few weeks’ prior, but also that picnic on a hillside, when five loaves and two fish fed thousands.

Jesus does get serious after the fish-fry: 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.”

Jesus asks this question of Peter three times, and each time Peter answers, with increasing frustration, “You know I love you.” Jesus addresses him not by the nickname he had given him, “Petros,” but by his given name, “Simon bar Jonah.” Perhaps Jesus doesn't want to resume the familiar appellation until they’ve dealt with the business of Peter’s denying him the night he was arrested. That would account for the triple interrogation, inviting Peter to affirm his love as many times as he had denied knowing his Lord.

But Jesus has more on his mind than reconciliation. With each “Do you love me?” “Yes, you know I love you,” he adds a command: “Feed my lambs.” “Tend my sheep.” “Feed my sheep.” He predicts a martyr’s death for his beloved friend, and ends the conversation the way he began it by the Sea of Galilee three years earlier, “Follow me.” At that time, Peter and the others followed with excitement and anticipation borne of ignorance and hope. Now they know so much better what it means to follow Christ, to the cross and beyond. Yet their job description is simpler too: Feed my lambs.

There can be no following Jesus, no loving Jesus without some outward manifestation of that love. Sometimes that involves physically feeding those who hunger, and the world has no shortage of people who need food. Yet I don’t think Jesus was talking only about physical hunger. He was talking about tending the spiritually hungry, the weak, confused, misguided, vulnerable – all of us, at some time or other. He was inviting us – commanding us – to join him in taking care of humanity, one human at a time.

Who are the lambs for whom you’ve been given oversight? Do you feel called to tend some whom you don’t know yet? And are you letting Jesus feed you? Through whom? A hungry shepherd will be tempted to eat the sheep…

We are all sheep in Christ’s flock, and we are all shepherds who join him in caring for other sheep. The feasting with Jesus on the beach (or wherever our latest feast with Jesus took place…) is of a piece with the feeding of others. Who are they and where do we find them? Well, Jesus made that easy too. “Follow me,” he said.

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4-28-22 - Bring Some of Your Catch

You can listen to this reflection here. Sunday's gospel reading is here.

Are there sweeter words in the New Testament than these, “Come and have breakfast?” The disciples’ encounter with the risen Christ kept getting better and better. First, they made an enormous catch of fish. Then they realized Jesus himself was on the shore. And when they landed, they found another delightful surprise:

When they had gone ashore, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish on it, and bread. Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.” 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. Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.”

What an invitation after a sleepless, fish-less night. What a reversal of circumstances in just a short time. Why did Jesus wait until morning to help them out? Why does God allow us to endure waiting or suffering or not knowing? Could it be that it strengthens or softens us, or makes us readier to receive the gift when it comes? A mystery for another time.

What matters now is that the fish have swarmed, the nets have filled, the Lord has come, and these hot and hungry fisherman are invited to a feast, right there on the beach. And they're not only passive guests – they are invited to help make the feast. Perhaps the most important words in this passage are “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.” God provided the catch, allowed them to participate in gathering it, and then asked them to bring some to Jesus for the celebration. Jesus provided the bread; they were invited to offer some of the fish.

So it is in our lives – God provides the feast and invites us to participate in gathering it, and then to bring some of it together for the celebration. That's what our weekly offering is, and our gathering at the eucharistic feast (of which the offering is the first part). That's our whole life in God – a life of participation in God’s mission in which the Spirit leads us to the fields, allows us to help gather the harvest, and then to bring some of that harvest together to celebrate.

What are the “big catches,” or areas of abundance in your life? And where do you feel Jesus inviting you to breakfast? And what might you bring to that feast?

We don’t see a “mighty catch of fish” every day. But what if it’s there, unnoticed? Might we say, by faith, “Yes! The fish have swarmed, my nets have filled, the Lord is here, and I am invited to a feast, right here.” Then we might have to look around, all around, and ask, “Okay, where are the filled nets?” I bet each of us could name at least one area of life where our nets are filled. That’s a good start.

And then, “Where do I bring my fish? Where is the feast Jesus is inviting me to contribute to today?” We can trust that he has brought the Bread of Life, his own self. He invites us to bring some of our fish.

4-27-22 - Who Is That Guy?

You can listen to this reflection here. Sunday's gospel reading is here.

We don’t always recognize God’s activity in our lives until after the fact – after an accident has been avoided, “coincidental” timing confirmed, an unexpected encounter opened into new opportunities. And we rarely experience God where we expect God to be. Jesus’ disciples certainly didn’t expect him to show up on a beach by the Sea of Tiberias. So they didn’t recognize him – until they saw his handiwork, which they had witnessed (in Luke’s account) at the beginning of their story with Jesus.

So they cast the net, and now they were not able to haul it in because there were so many fish. 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. 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.

It's amusing that the naked Peter puts on clothes to jump into the water – it just wouldn’t do to greet his risen Lord and Savior in his birthday suit. And once they realize it is Jesus on the shore, all of them hurry to get there, though it must have taken a lot of muscle to pull those heavy nets. And then someone ignored the crucified and risen Lord in order to count the fish, for John records there were 153 of them (fishermen, like baseball fans, do love their stats…) John also mentions that, “though there were so many, the net was not torn,” perhaps to emphasize that God’s work is always to make things whole.

Because we don’t expect to see Jesus around and about in our lives, we don't always notice where he is. But we can learn to notice. Becoming attuned to where Jesus is, where the Holy Spirit is moving and shaking things up, is essential for those who want to be part of the Jesus movement. We are called to join him where he is already working, or to prepare the place where he wants to come next. We don’t have to do anything on our own. So we need to learn to recognize him, even before the “evidence” appears.

This is a habit of the heart we can cultivate as we do any other important activity or attitude. After a while, our spiritual sense becomes more acute, but at first we may have to work at it. Perhaps at the beginning of each day we can review our plans and pray about where we plan to join Jesus or want him to join us. And at the end of the day review where we’ve been, and write down where we realize in retrospect – or knew at the time – that he was present in some way.

How might he be present? He might have spoken through someone or we might have found our attention drawn to something life-giving. We might have felt a peace or a holy urgency, or found ourselves compelled to draw near someone because of a gift they had or a need they manifested. Sometime we know he was there because he’s now gone, as happened to the disciples in Emmaus.

Notice. Name it. Write it down. Review it at the end of the week. In time, we will become so accustomed to Jesus being around, we won’t need miracles to get our attention.

4-26-22 - God On the Sidelines

You can listen to this reflection here. Sunday's gospel reading is here.

Simon Peter was a professional fisherman before Jesus called him from his nets. He knew his way around a boat, a net, a lake, a school of fish. He knew how to do this – except that night, nothing. All night, no fish. And then some yahoo on the shore tries to tell him how do to it.

Just after daybreak, Jesus stood on the beach; but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to them, “Children, you have no fish, have you?” They answered him, “No.” 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.

I can imagine the language in that boat at this suggestion. “We’ve cast the nets on every *&@#%* side of the boat! Who is this guy?” And then perhaps more colorful language yet as their nets inexplicably become so full they could hardly move the boat.

Many of us have areas of our lives in which we don’t think we need God’s assistance. I often hear people say, “I don’t need to bother God with that!” or “We’re not at the point of needing prayer yet…” as though we're to deploy the “big guns” only as a last resort.

But God doesn’t want to be on the sidelines of our lives – God wants to be right smack dab in the middle of our work, rest, relationships, joys, frustrations, questions, convictions. Indeed, God wants to be working with us and through us. And could it be that the One who made all universes knows a thing or two about teaching, medicine, tax preparation, fundraising, marketing, finance, law, or whatever it is we do for a living? What if we invited God’s presence at regular intervals into our work days? Someone I know was facing a tense work meeting – and remembered to invite Jesus. The meeting went better than she could have imagined, and the relationship with that co-worker is prospering.

The Holy Spirit can help us in all our relationships, our stresses, our habits. And – surprise! – God can help us in our churches and ministries. We don’t have to put prayer and worship on one side and the “work of the church” on the other. It’s all of a piece. It’s all holy work, as we allow the Holy Spirit into it.

What is most frustrating to you in your life right now? Where do you feel stuck, jammed, not moving, not growing, in the dark, out to sea? Could it be that Jesus is nearby? Might he have a word to you? Have you asked his guidance? That can be scary – what if he doesn’t answer? Then we ask again.

Jesus said something about wanting us to be fruitful, so I’m guessing he will have a word to guide us. Maybe he’s already speaking it through someone we don’t want to listen to – and that might include our own deepest selves.

What if he’s already given us the answer? What “expertise” do we need to let go of in order to hear it?

4-25-22 - No Turning Back

You can listen to this reflection here. Sunday's gospel reading is here.

This week we get to explore the most fun of all of Jesus’ recorded resurrection appearances – his beach-side fishing lesson/breakfast combo. It starts out low-key – Peter decides to go fishing, and six of his fellow disciples join him (two unnamed… I don’t know why the evangelist John, who later tells us exactly how many fish were in the nets, couldn’t be bothered to find out who those two were...)

After these things Jesus showed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias; and he showed himself in this way. 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. 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.

Why did Simon Peter decide to go fishing? Let’s review the tape: Jesus has risen from the dead. He has appeared at least twice in the locked room where the disciples have been holing up. He has spoken peace to them, breathed the Spirit upon them, and commissioned and sent them to bring forgiveness and release to the world. Only, they haven’t gone. He did all that on his first visit, and a week later they are still in the same room. He has also appeared to a few on the road to Emmaus, and in Galilee, and a few other times not spelled out in the gospels. But no one seems to know what to do next.

From what we know of Peter, he did not do well with inaction. He is a man of strength and impulse. Thomas is shown in the story of Lazarus to be action-oriented and brave. Yet they don’t seem to know how to move forward in the climate in which they find themselves. Jesus is risen; that’s incomprehensible and wonderful, all at once. It also raises the risk levels –the authorities who executed Jesus might well want to stamp out his following. It’s not safe outside, yet they can’t stay in that room forever.

So Peter and his buddies go back to what they know. At least they can get out of Jerusalem, get out on the water they know and love, maybe even make a few bucks if they get a good catch. But they don’t catch a damn thing. Jesus had promised to make them fishers of men, and now they don't seem to know how to catch fish anymore! The movement of God is always forward, not back.

Have you ever tried going back to an old pastime, habit, relationship, milieu? It never works. The pull of the familiar is strong, but we worship the One who said, “I am making all things new.” (Rev. 21:5) We do need to get out of the locked rooms of our fear and distress, but before we go back to the last place we felt comfortable, it is good to ask God, “Where are you inviting me to join you next?” We can look around to see where God is at work, doing the things we know God does – healing, feeding, restoring, renewing, reconciling – and join God there. We can discern where our energy seems to rise, where we feel the winds of the Spirit blowing us.

Peter and his friends thought they were killing time, waiting for God to summon them. Little did they know that God was right there, inviting them to see the familiar in a whole new light. God is always up to something new – what is it in your neighborhood?

4-22-22 - The New Earth

You can listen to this reflection here.

One of the passages assigned for Easter Sunday is Isaiah’s prophetic vision of the new heavens and the new earth God is bringing into being, a promise which came irrevocably into view when Jesus walked out of that tomb Easter morning. It is a fitting vision to explore on this Earth Day 2022.

God speaks through the prophet: I am about to create new heavens and a new earth; the former things shall not be remembered or come to mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in what I am creating…

He says of the people of Israel, They shall build houses and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit. They shall not build and another inhabit; they shall not plant and another eat; for like the days of a tree shall the days of my people be, and my chosen shall long enjoy the work of their hands.

This is a vision of a humanity in harmony with the created order, of people growing enough food for their own harvest, not laboring on factory farms for low wages. It suggests a community with low rates of infant mortality, and longevity for the aged – and for trees! Even predator-prey relationships are brought into harmony: The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, the lion shall eat straw like the ox.

The promise of Easter is that this vision is already coming to pass, and comes the more quickly the more we engage in the faithful work of bringing it into being. That means faith as much as work – believing that God is in the business of reclaiming, restoring and renewing all of creation to wholeness in Christ, and participating in that mission wherever and whenever we feel the Spirit’s nudges.

Does this mean that, because God is bringing this new thing into being, we need not fear the ravages of climate change? No, it does not mean that, any more than God’s promise of healing means that we stop worrying about cancer or Covid, as though people had stopped dying. God still asks us to participate in bringing God’s power to bear on situations. That means exercising faith in prayer and exercising grace in how we live. God’s gift of free will continues to mean that we live with the consequences of our choices and those of others. AND God’s gift of faith and the Holy Spirit’s power mean that we become better able to make choices that bring healing and restoration rather than continued degradation to this earth and its plants and trees and birds and animals.

Where do you want your grandchildren to live? In an earth increasing ransacked for its resources, with rising sea levels and extreme weather, floods and drought, fires and famine? Or in that new earth where there is plenty as people share their resources, and mutual thriving among populations and the natural world?

We can start by cultivating a spirit of gratitude and respect for the life around us, ALL the life around us, and living in sacred relationship with all of it. As we do that, we become far less willing to see it ravaged and wasted, and much more eager to help bring that New Earth into view. Then may this prophecy come to pass: They shall not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain, says the Lord.