Feeding Others

Have you heard joke about the classroom of kindergarteners who were asked to bring in a symbol of their faith?  One Jewish child brought in a menorah, and a Catholic child brought in a rosary.  When it came time for the Methodist child, she pulled out her parent’s corningware dish complete with a snack for the class.  We often jokingly say that Methodists like to feed people.  And it’s true.  Christians are called to feed people, and we take that seriously.

We have good reason to take feeding people seriously; we learned it from Jesus.  Our gospel lesson today picks up the second half of the story (we began from last week) in John 21 this morning.  After Jesus appears to a collection of the disciples from the beach, he feeds them breakfast.  Over breakfast, Jesus initiates this uncomfortable conversation with Peter.  Three times, Jesus asks Peter if he loves him.  Three times, Peter responds in the affirmative.  And each time, Jesus reacts with the directive to feed or tend his sheep.  We hear Peter’s frustration at this line of questioning and Jesus’ razor sharp focus on feeding.  We could certainly refer back to the original languages and notice that Jesus and Peter are not using the same word for love until the last exchange.  But I want to raise the question this morning:  How do we feed Jesus’ sheep?

First of all, it is important to give context, throughout the Bible, people are alluded and referred to as sheep.  Memorably in Psalm 23, if the Lord is my shepherd, then, I (and you as well) are sheep.  In Jeremiah and Ezekiel, the people are sheep.  In parables and in illustrations, the people are illustrated as sheep.  Now, sheep are not always regarded as the most intelligent of creatures.  “Left alone, they wander off, get into tight spots, tumble over cliffs, and fall to predators. After centuries of human-directed selection and husbandry, whatever survival skills wild sheep began with have long since been bred out of their descendants. To be called “the sheep of his flock” is no compliment.”1  And yet, all people are God’s people.  Sheep refer to all of us!  Those of us who are confident that we have never wandered off or fallen prey alongside those of us who could certainly regale crowds with stories with how our lives have gone astray.

Feed my sheep, Jesus says to Peter.  Over particularly the last two hundred years, as an larger church, we have struggled with how we respond to this specific question:  Should we feed people physically or spiritually?  A portion of our larger Church has determined that the most important work that we do is to feed people here and now in this world, to make sure that each person has their daily bread.  To feed the body is to feed the soul.  Hungry bellies can no hear the hope of the Word of God, some parts of our Church have said.  A different portion of the larger Church has declared that feeding the hungry is a temporal issue and the eternal issue is the feeding of the soul.  To teach people about the salvific power of Jesus is to look beyond the here and now and embrace the eternal.  With the hope of Jesus, one can sustain ultimate hope that lasts beyond any daily nourishment.  These two perspectives have often been at odds with one another.

Here, Church, I think we have gotten it wrong.  The answer is not feed bodies OR feed souls.  The answer is BOTH! We are a people who are called to care intimately for the physical needs and concerns of our own bodies and the bodies of others.  We need to feed people physically.  There are hungry and food insecure in our world who need our care and compassion, our commitment to justice and solidarity.  We must do this alongside feeding one another in spiritual and redemptive ways.  Our souls cannot be forgotten in the caring of our bodies.  God does not call us to care for one over the other, but reminds that the two are wrapped up together in the way that our body and soul are intertwined.  Jesus came in the flesh as an infant, grew in human ways and lived out his life with humanity.  After his death, Jesus was resurrected as fully human, eating fish on the beach.  We are reminded that our physical needs do not supersede our spiritual ones.  God calls us to follow as bodies, minds, and spirits, all together serving and seeking the Risen One!

As a church, we regularly feed people through our emergency food pantry.  Each week, in the bulletin, you see alongside the monetary giving, the number of bags of food that we have shared with those in need in our community.  This food comes from your generous and consistent donations.  Each week, Karen Hruz, our emergency food cupboard coordinator makes up a shopping list of what we need most and makes copies on the shopping cart in the lobby.  Many of you pick up the list and add items alongside your own grocery shopping to care for others.  We add in Giant gift cards to encourage and assist those we serve with fresh produce and proteins.  Additionally, we contribute to the Bridge, our Ministerium food distribution center.  The Bridge offers more sustainable resources for families over time.  With grants and connections to fresh and frozen items, they are able to serve additional persons in our community.

As a congregation, we feed people through the community café.  Once a month, we invite persons of the community to join us here for a meal and fellowship.  Good food is shared, pleasant atmosphere, relationships and connections are nurtured.  Feeding others:  One could easily check this instruction off the list and feel as though they had completed their obligation.   Friends, I have to share that I think that God is calling us to a ministry of more feeding.  To rethink how we are feeding others and to remind us of the needs of feeding others.  Can we imagine that God might be calling us to feed others in the community?  What would it look like to prepare food in our kitchen and then gather people where they are to feed them?  What would it look like to feed our friends at Luther House in the buildings at Luther House?  What would it look like to feed our neighbors in the Borough down at the Garage?  God continues to call us and move among us.  While we, like Peter, might first want to respond with frustration that we are already following and listening to God, perhaps, we might spend some time in prayer, observation of our community, and listening to the heart of God.

Listening to the heart of God who calls us to feed others physically and spiritually.  As a church, we have sought to feed people spiritually.  We have taught Sunday School and Bible Studies, special series and Vacation Bible School.  We have encouraged people to go deeper with United Methodist Women’s studies and all church focuses.  I celebrate Sunday School classes who find room for new members while retaining connection with those who have been there a while.  I give thanks to God for teachers and students who come regularly expecting to learn, expecting to grow, expecting God to move them.   Over years, we have sought spiritual growth in our community.  And yet, we find ourselves in a season in the life of this church in which there is a deep hunger for wisdom and study, a Christian worldview to understand the changing world around us.  We find ourselves hungry for spiritual food that satisfies.  We find that we are no longer satisfied by prepackaged faith and warmed up cultural half-truths about Jesus.

In the coming weeks, we will be discussing and discerning where is God calling us to go deeper in our faith, to grow spiritually, to be fed spiritually and to feed others spiritually.  We are remiss if we begin to believe that we only need to be fed physically and the rest will fall into place.   We need to feed and develop our leaders so that they can feed and develop the faith of others.  What would it look like if we offered small groups that supported and walked together across time in the midst of challenge and joy?  A groups who gets to know each other and is fed by the scripture alongside knowing the names and stories of children and grandchildren.  What would it look like if we offered book groups and movie groups where folks who weren’t sure about the CHURCH could explore faith at their own pace?  What would it look like to have short term studies in addition to our Sunday School classes to address some of the faith questions that most of us haven’t even set words to yet?  I think this might look like the people of God living out the Kingdom of God.

Join me over the next couple months in a time of prayer and discernment.  Where is God calling and equipping us, West Grove Church, for such a time as this?  How is God challenging us to move from the place of comfort and resting on the legacy of our laurels in to the specific needs of the current moment?  As we discern which shape the path will take, let us give thanks to God that God feeds us, physically and spiritually and then equips and empowers us to feed others!

This is the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, thanks be to God, Amen.

1http://www.ekklesiaproject.org/blog/2016/04/learning-to-be-sheep/

New Testament Lesson:  Revelation 21:1-6

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.  And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying,

“See, the home of God is among mortals.

He will dwell with them;

they will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them;

he will wipe every tear from their eyes.

Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more,

for the first things have passed away.”

And the one who was seated on the throne said, “See, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true.”  Then he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give water as a gift from the spring of the water of life.

Gospel Lesson:  John 21:15-19

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.” 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.” 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. 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.” (He said this to indicate the kind of death by which he would glorify God.) After this he said to him, “Follow me.”

Meditations For Your Week

Sunday, April 17 ~ Saturday, April 23

Sunday: “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.’” John 21: 15.  Loving God is more than a belief, it is about action.  What is God calling you to do because you love God?

Monday:  “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.’” John 21: 16.  Prayerfully ask God to uncover for you how you might tend God’s sheep.

Tuesday: “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.” John 21: 17.  We often want to love God once and be set for life.  How is God calling you to keep feeding the sheep?

Wednesday: “After this he said to him, ‘Follow me.’” John 21: 19.  Give thanks to God for the clarity of purpose in folding Jesus.  Then prayerfully consider how are you following Jesus now.

Thursday:  “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.” Revelation 21:1.  The vision of the future is God’s way.  Everything changes to reflect God.  How can you change to reflect God?

Friday: “God will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the first things have passed away.’” Revelation 21: 4.  God’s way does not include pain and sorrow.  Pray the God’s way come on earth as it is in heaven.

Saturday:   And the one who was seated on the throne said, ‘See, I am making all things new.’ Also he said, ‘Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true.’ Then he said to me, ‘It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give water as a gift from the spring of the water of life.” Revelation 21: 5-6.  God makes us new, too!  God gifts us, too.  How is God making you new, even now?