Easter 3 C Energized Instructed Eucharist at Camp Cross
Easter 3 C Energized Instructed Eucharist at Camp Cross
May 3, 1992
By Rev. Ernest F. Campbell
As I read and re-read today’s Gospel I began to pick up on the excitement and energy it portrays.
Now, the apostles were still in shock, still not sure of any specific new direction for their lives, return to something they do know… fishing. On the lake of Galilee, it was common to fish at night; working by torch light. Unfortunately, like many fishing expeditions, their night of hard work had yielded nothing. For professionals, that was like a day without pay. Towards dawn they decided to head in…tired and most likely a little dejected. Then in dawns early light, when shades of gray make distant objects hard to distinguish, they hear a voice from the shore, “Have you caught any fish?”
How many times have fishermen heard that question? It’s the moment of truth. The sound of the stranger’s voice skips with bell-tone clarity over the calm water. Their reply came skipping back…. “No.”
“Throw your net out on the right side and you’ll find a catch.”
The disciples gave each other that look that experts give when they know that any further effort will be useless, but what’s the harm in trying one more cast… so …. out went the net. It had no sooner sunk beneath the water when it began filling with fish…. filling to the breaking point! They had fished all night and had caught nothing, now their backs were straining to pull the catch into their small boat.
There’s John pulling on the net while at the same time trying to get a better look at the man on the shore whose word had changed their “shut-out” into a fabulous hall! Then (and here the author blends the difficulty of seeing in the grays of dawn and the mystery of intuitively knowing the truth…. without seeing), THEN John knows that the stranger on the beach is the Lord! He blurts it out…. “It’s the Lord!”
On at least two other occasions the apostle John had seen Jesus produce large quantities of fish miraculously. Now, as he gazed at their net…. teaming with fish…he knew. Without really seeing…he could…see. With the inner eye of intuition he could see it was Jesus that had called from the beach.
We all know what it is like when we have experienced a close association with another person. There are times when a remembrance of something they did or something they said is so strong it’s as though they were “really present” with us. My dad died when I was sixteen, but I still find myself quoting one of his many nuggets of wisdom. I can remember many of the things he said and did. Sometimes these memories just pop into my consciousness. Regarding manners he would say, “It doesn’t cost anything to be polite.” In response to the question of “how late can I stay up at night?” …my dad would say, “As long as you can get up and do an honest day’s work, it doesn’t matter how late you stay up.” Our son David never knew my dad, but there are times when my dad is “with” Dave. My dad is present when I hear Dave say to his children, that “I” gave him the guideline for how late is too late for staying up at night.
At the Last Supper Jesus said to his disciples, “This is my body and this is my blood…remember!” You and I did not hear those words coming from Our Lord’s lips, and even though over 2000 years have passed, we still have a powerful sense of his presence.
Remember in last week’s Gospel, when Jesus said to Thomas, “You believe because you can see… blessed be those who do not see and yet… believe.
Through John’s “faith-insight” the other apostles “seeing” is focused. First there was the excitement of the huge catch of fish, then John’s “It is the Lord!” Then they all realized it was Jesus who had called. Peter was so excited that he dove into the water and swam to shore. (I don’t know how you feel about a swim at the break of dawn, but I usually find that I am lacking in sufficient motivation). Peter (obviously) was highly motivated and characteristically, he plunged in.
What happened when they reached the shore was gloriously simple. A fish fry. However, the power of that simple breakfast would energize the apostles like no other worldly happening. These ordinary sinful men were breaking bread with the Son of God. When they had walked with him, they had seen His power. They were witnesses of His compassion, forgiveness, healings and miracles, and now again, they were breaking the bread of acceptance with Him.
It may have looked like a simple meal (a picnic on the beach), but to the apostles it was a holy feast. They were with the Lord. The bodily presence of the risen Christ. The Bread of Heaven.
Each Sunday we are privileged to join them in a holy fellowship for Communion. What we do here is by no means a strange practice. Listen to this explanation from a commentary on The Book of Common Prayer.
How many times have fishermen heard that question? It’s the moment of truth. The sound of the stranger’s voice skips with bell-tone clarity over the calm water. Their reply came skipping back…. “No.”
“Throw your net out on the right side and you’ll find a catch.”
The disciples gave each other that look that experts give when they know that any further effort will be useless, but what’s the harm in trying one more cast… so …. out went the net. It had no sooner sunk beneath the water when it began filling with fish…. filling to the breaking point! They had fished all night and had caught nothing, now their backs were straining to pull the catch into their small boat.
There’s John pulling on the net while at the same time trying to get a better look at the man on the shore whose word had changed their “shut-out” into a fabulous hall! Then (and here the author blends the difficulty of seeing in the grays of dawn and the mystery of intuitively knowing the truth…. without seeing), THEN John knows that the stranger on the beach is the Lord! He blurts it out…. “It’s the Lord!”
On at least two other occasions the apostle John had seen Jesus produce large quantities of fish miraculously. Now, as he gazed at their net…. teaming with fish…he knew. Without really seeing…he could…see. With the inner eye of intuition he could see it was Jesus that had called from the beach.
We all know what it is like when we have experienced a close association with another person. There are times when a remembrance of something they did or something they said is so strong it’s as though they were “really present” with us. My dad died when I was sixteen, but I still find myself quoting one of his many nuggets of wisdom. I can remember many of the things he said and did. Sometimes these memories just pop into my consciousness. Regarding manners he would say, “It doesn’t cost anything to be polite.” In response to the question of “how late can I stay up at night?” …my dad would say, “As long as you can get up and do an honest day’s work, it doesn’t matter how late you stay up.” Our son David never knew my dad, but there are times when my dad is “with” Dave. My dad is present when I hear Dave say to his children, that “I” gave him the guideline for how late is too late for staying up at night.
At the Last Supper Jesus said to his disciples, “This is my body and this is my blood…remember!” You and I did not hear those words coming from Our Lord’s lips, and even though over 2000 years have passed, we still have a powerful sense of his presence.
Remember in last week’s Gospel, when Jesus said to Thomas, “You believe because you can see… blessed be those who do not see and yet… believe.
Through John’s “faith-insight” the other apostles “seeing” is focused. First there was the excitement of the huge catch of fish, then John’s “It is the Lord!” Then they all realized it was Jesus who had called. Peter was so excited that he dove into the water and swam to shore. (I don’t know how you feel about a swim at the break of dawn, but I usually find that I am lacking in sufficient motivation). Peter (obviously) was highly motivated and characteristically, he plunged in.
What happened when they reached the shore was gloriously simple. A fish fry. However, the power of that simple breakfast would energize the apostles like no other worldly happening. These ordinary sinful men were breaking bread with the Son of God. When they had walked with him, they had seen His power. They were witnesses of His compassion, forgiveness, healings and miracles, and now again, they were breaking the bread of acceptance with Him.
It may have looked like a simple meal (a picnic on the beach), but to the apostles it was a holy feast. They were with the Lord. The bodily presence of the risen Christ. The Bread of Heaven.
Each Sunday we are privileged to join them in a holy fellowship for Communion. What we do here is by no means a strange practice. Listen to this explanation from a commentary on The Book of Common Prayer.
“The common meal, shared by the community at certain intervals, is a part of every culture, even the most primitive. Such sharing reinforces the cohesion of family and community. Those who eat together share ideas, values, actions, beliefs, and loyalties as well as traditions and sacred history.”
Breaking bread together is one of the expectations in our Baptismal Covenant.
“Will you continue in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of the bread, and in the prayers?”
Why does the Church place such importance on this simple act of breaking bread together? Because there is something in the action of the Eucharist that energizes us to be extensions of the incarnation.
The four actions of the Eucharist are food for thought; The Lord, takes, blesses, breaks, and then gives. In confirmation classes the church teaches that three things happen when we present ourselves for communion.
- We experience a closer relationship with Jesus Christ.
- We experience a closer relationship with our Christian brothers and sisters.
- We experience new motivation, power and energy to serve God’s will.
It is not surprising that in three of Our Lord’s resurrection appearances a meal was shared. It was through that common meal and the experience of being cared for and loved that the disciples experienced the real compassion, the real power, the real joy…the real presence of the Lord.
I have always wanted to make this announcement at the end of a service, “The liturgy will continue at the coffee hour.”
One young attendee at coffee hour was asked, “What does Fr. Campbell do?”
They answered, “I think he runs a restaurant.”
Our families Thanksgiving tradition includes; the ritual of turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes and gravy, string beans, tomato aspic and cranberry jelly. That is our family, sitting down to the Thanksgiving feast. I knew that I belonged, but there was one special Thanksgiving when I really knew that I KNEW that I belonged.
There is something about this simple Eucharistic meal that energizes us to love, to trust, to remain steadfast, even when the going gets tough. What is ultimately important about our Sunday Eucharist is that it is not an end-in-itself. It is a meeting place, like a simple breakfast, that allows us to meet the risen living Christ. In His presence we are healed and made whole. When we have received the bread and the wine, we pray…
“Send us now into the world in peace, and grant us strength and courage to love and serve you with gladness and singleness of heart through Christ Our Lord.
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