A Barbecue on the Beach

Good morning, Cornerstone Friends, on this cold but promising Friday
at the end of the week when we began slowly coming out of lockdown.
A walk round the shops just to look in the windows
and a professional haircut have been highlights for me.
Let’s give thanks for the day:

God of Light and Life, thank you for bringing us to this new morning, yet to be tasted, yet to be tested, but always to be enjoyed with you.

As their lives went on after Easter the disciples were at a loose end –
yes, they’d met the living Jesus but what do they do now, still without his daily leadership?
How should they live their lives?
They went back to what they knew, put their skills to use and went night fishing.
The physical labour of casting and hauling nets was activity to soothe the soul
as well as to exhaust the body!

Here’s how it went:

Afterwards Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Galilee. It happened this way: Simon Peter, Thomas, Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. ‘I’m going out to fish,’ Simon Peter told them, and they said, ‘We’ll go with you.’ So, they went out and got into the boat but that night they caught nothing.

Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realise that it was Jesus.

He called out to them, ‘Friends, haven’t you any fish?’

‘No,’ they answered.

He said, ‘Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.’ When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.

Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, ‘It is the Lord!’ As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, ‘It is the Lord,’ he wrapped his outer garment round him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water. The other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish, for they were not far from shore, about a hundred metres. When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it and some bread.

Jesus said to them, ‘Bring some of the fish you have just caught.’ So, Simon Peter climbed back into the boat and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, ‘Come and have breakfast.’ None of the disciples dared ask him, ‘Who are you?’ They knew it was the Lord.  Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them and did the same with the fish. This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead.

John 21: 1–14

How wonderful! Jesus had organised a barbecue on the beach – a breakfast fire to welcome them.
John’s description is so vivid – whoever he was, he must have been there.
After a time of lockdown here was Jesus, helping his followers to do something ordinary
just as he is about to commission them for lives extraordinary.

Blessed Jesus, as you offered refreshment to your friends through ordinary actions,
help us to meet our return to society with a refreshed commitment to service:
if work is among the unknown public, keep us cheerful, keep us safe and top up our store of patience;
if we have been shielding or fearful, give us courage to venture into society
and smile again from behind the mask;
if work’s in a classroom or tied to a screen, renew our imagination and spark creativity
so we may inspire everyone we meet.
Keep us all today safely in your bubble of love and care that we may go and do likewise.

Amen

After breakfast, the men are all sitting round the fire, having a chat.
You can read how the rest of the story plays out, but the image, again, is food-related:
‘Feed my lambs, feed my sheep.’
Simon, John and the others are becoming a movement,
a group with individual talents pooled to support them all in a single mission
to spread the good news of forgiveness and resurrection.

Risen Lord we pray for our friends in need: comfort the suffering with a calm spirit and blessed relief.
We pray for our city: give wisdom to those who practise politics that they may do so with integrity;
bless the workers with optimism and a can-do spirit.
We pray for our country: unify our purpose, Lord, that we may strive
for equity and justice and a wide sharing of our great wealth.

We pray for our world, that all may know the hospitality of Jesus’ barbecue on the beach
and enjoy a life free from fear and want.
Give us all a large measure of joyful hope.

Amen

Hopefully, you’re ready to face the day with optimism –
something to look forward to, plans to make, friendships to renew in chilly parks and gardens.
We can confidently join in with Julian of Norwich to proclaim:

All shall be well and all shall be well and all manner of things shall be well …
For there is a Force of Love moving through the universe That holds us fast and will never let us go.

Cheryl Montgomery