Do we really have to be in danger of losing something to appreciate it? How about we practice counting blessings, without having to lose them first? Maybe there are people who just grow up with an awareness and trust of the sacred, a sense of gratitude, but I’m guessing most of us will have to cultivate it. Process theology claims that God is acting in each moment and through all things to bring forth life and beauty and goodness…blessing. Our job is to accept God’s invitations to enjoy, to learn, to to co-create with God. But first we have to remember God’s presence. to notice it, to find the blessings that are all around us, waiting to be received.
We can cultivate memory, counting the blessings that have happened in the past. That’s what John invites us to do with the signs he reports in his gospel. With my modern scientific eye, those kinds of miraculous signs in the Gospel of John are not compelling to me. I can’t suspend my disbelief. But there have been times in my own life that have felt truly sacred; so when I am feeling discouraged or scared, there they are, touchstones that remind me: God is here, inviting us into abundant life. And there are plenty of biographies and bible stories that inspire me. What are your special memories of inspiration and sacred encounter, your touchstones?
****
Brea Congregational United Church of Christ
May 5, 2019
Counting Our Blessings
John 21:1-17 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. 10Jesus 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.
One hundred and fifty three-fish. Big fish. Work all night, and have nothing to show for it. Listen to a hint from Jesus (whether you recognize him or not), and prepare to be amazed. The gospel writer John wants us to be amazed. He wants us to know exactly how many fish the disciples caught that morning. So much of John’s Gospel is philosophical and abstract and repetitive, but not this passage. This passage contains a hundred and fifty-three big fish. Enough to feed everyone’s family, and still have enough to seel and pay everyone well, and maybe even pay off some debts or fix the boat. This the last of those “signs” John loves to share in his gospel, to show us that God acts powerfully through Jesus. These signs do not fix everything. The next time the disciples went fishing, their catch was probably nothing special. But signs did expand peoples’ ideas of what was possible.
Catching 153 fish was John’s bonus sign. he had already written an ending for his gospel in the previous chapter, with these lines: Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may come to trust that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through trusting you may have life in his name. But then, John couldn’t resist adding one more sign, or 153 if you count each fish.
What functions as a sign for you? What reminds you that God is active in the world? What brings you life and trust that the sacred is acting for good in our world? Different things work for different people. Whatever works for you, remember it. Cultivate it. And share it.
Let’s call this practice “counting our blessings,” whether they be fish, or other things. “Blessings” might not be your favorite term; if so, bear with me. What I mean is that, in spite of whatever struggles and fears and losses you face, keep lifting up your connection with the sacred, the things that delight you and inspire you, the special experiences, large and small. Count your blessings.
Some people hesitate to claim blessings because they don’t want to be smug, or “better than,” or celebrate that they have something that others need and lack. But if you recognize that blessings are not prizes to be competed for or hoarded but rather gifts to empower, be enjoyed and shared, then there’s no problem.
So how shall we count our blessings?
I have talked to people who got one blessing that was enough for a lifetime. One stunning experience transformed them. All else is seen in the light of that experience. They have encountered the sacred in a most powerful way. You can’t schedule that kind of experience. Which is just as well, because it often involves nearly dying first.
But many things bless us that we take for granted. Sometimes it takes losing them, or nearly losing them, to wake us up. A trivial example: I used to go camping in Joshua Tree every spring and fall. Lots of rocks, beautiful starry skies, meteors, and no showers. When I returned home, that first warm shower was such a gift! That I usually totally take for granted. A more serious case: in 2015, my husband Scott came close to dying of a pulmonary embolism. So every day I wake up beside him is a blessing, and I know it. It always was. I just wasn’t paying attention. Funny how that works.
Do we really have to be in danger of losing something to appreciate it? How about we practice counting blessings, without having to lose them first? Maybe there are people who just grow up with an awareness and trust of the sacred, a sense of gratitude, but I’m guessing most of us will have to cultivate it. Process theology claims that God is acting in each moment and through all things to bring forth life and beauty and goodness…blessing. Our job is to accept God’s invitations to enjoy, to learn, to to co-create with God. But first we have to remember God’s presence. to notice it, to find the blessings that are all around us, waiting to be received.
We can cultivate memory, counting the blessings that have happened in the past. That’s what John invites us to do with the signs he reports in his gospel. With my modern scientific eye, those kinds of miraculous signs in the Gospel of John are not compelling to me. I can’t suspend my disbelief. But there have been times in my own life that have felt truly sacred; so when I am feeling discouraged or scared, there they are, touchstones that remind me: God is here, inviting us into abundant life. And there are plenty of biographies and bible stories that inspire me. What are your special memories of inspiration and sacred encounter, your touchstones?
We can seek blessing in the present moment. It might be a devotional reading, an insight or a connection from scripture, or just a little mantra that reminds us who we are, and whose we are. We can seek blessing through activities we love. Creating. Moving our bodies. Exploring nature. Nurturing. You know what blesses you. Make a little time for it. And serving. When you serve, you are like our ancestor Abraham, who was blessed to be a blessing.
We can cultivate blessing in our relationships. I knew a couple who married late in life. They were both cancer survivors, living on borrowed time, caring for one another through bouts of chemo. “I don’t know what I do without her; I am the lucky one in this relationship.” “No, I am the lucky one. Every day you take care of me.” That kind of attitude makes for one good marriage. They blessed each other, and they blessed everyone who witnessed their love for each other.
Jesus had some wacky weird blessings; we call them the beatitudes. They challenge our idea of what a blessing even is. They invite us to look for blessing in the middle of suffering, because God is there too. And they invite us to be a blessing to people who are struggling.
Counting troubles is easier than counting blessings, have you noticed? It’s kind of the default of our human nature. There is plenty of trouble around us. Some of it is whipped up by a news industry that knows that outrage sells. And some of it is quite real. Still, most of us here have lived pretty charmed lives compared to people of other times and places.
Our ancestors figured out how to keep their faith, in the face of wars and disease and dire poverty. I want to know how they did it. I suspect one way they held onto faith in a good God in horrid circumstances was to lift up and remember whatever blessings brightened their existence, however modest. They knew how to do some life-giving math that goes like this: you add up all the blessings, and subtract out your expectations of how things could have gone, should have gone, and the despair and resentment that comes with those should haves. My shorthand for this kind of math is simply: love wins in the end. If love hasn’t won, it’s no the end. People faithful in hardship also knew how to borrow the blessings of their friends, their church, their history, their faith. When you watch someone else’s eyes sparkle as they share their joy and gratitude, that’s a blessing right there.
The point is: be intentional. Don’t wait for blessings to hit you over the head. Seek them out. Do your best to let go of the thinking that weighs you down, and lift up the blessings. I do this by making my list of five gratitudes a day. That process makes me look over my day, and remember, and appreciate. It always brings me joy, especially on the days when I can’t stop at five.
There is one final blessing in today’s gospel reading. “Peter, do you love me?” says Jesus. “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” “Feed my sheep.” This call and response is repeated three times. It is a ritual of reconciliation. On the night before Jesus died, Peter denied even knowing him, three times. Peter was crushed by his own failure. Now Peter is allowed to declare his love for Jesus, three times, and Jesus in turn gives him a job to do. This job was far from easy or trouble-free. We didn’t read the part where Jesus predicts Peter’s future suffering. But the job comes with forgiveness, belonging and purpose. There is nothing like the blessing of acceptance when you don’t think you belong, a second chance when you think you’ve failed, a purpose when you think you don’t matter. Peter needed these things, and we do too. Jesus is good blessing us in this way. He’s still doing it. When we rely on this deep truth, we can share these blessings with others when we make them welcome, or offer them another chance, or affirm the value of who they are and what they do. May you count your blessings, and share them. May you be blessed to be a blessing. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment