Sunday 25th April 2021

 

BURTON JOYCE 

COMMUNITY CHURCH

Sunday 25 April 2021 

Led by Rev Yanyan Case and Carol Henderson, worship leader at Arnold Methodist Church, Nottingham North East Circuit (edited)

Call to worship. Psalm 95 v1-7 

Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD 

Response

Lord, help us to concentrate on you 

As we put aside the things that distract us 

As we leave behind the things that worry us 

As we forget about ourselves 

As we worship you with songs of praise 

As we hear your teaching

As we listen to stories from your Word 

Lord, help us to concentrate on you 

Hymn: SoF 935 

My Jesus My Saviour 

Let's pray 

My God, you are so wonderful. We cannot understand your glory, but we want to praise you and glorify your name. 

Thank you, Lord, that you care for each one of us. Help us to notice the small things and thank you for all our many blessings day by day. 

Thank you for walking with us daily through our lives and, through dark and difficult times, we are held safely in your arms. 

Lord Jesus we come aware of our need to be healed and restored. 

We pray for forgiveness for things, thought, word and deed, that are not pleasing or acceptable. 

We are often unaware, so we come now in the quiet to ponder in our hearts, the things you bring to our mind and to seek forgiveness. 

Hear the words of Jesus: 

“You are forgiven, go and sin no more.” 

Hymn: SoF 308 

Jesus, the very thought of thee

Bible Reading: John 21 v1-14 

The miraculous catch of fish 

Hymn: SoF 557 

Thou whose almighty word

Reflection “Come and dine with me!”

I loved to watch the TV program “Come and Dine with Me”. But the first episode of “Come and Dine with Me” is recorded here in the last chapter of John’s gospel. Jesus hosts a BBQ breakfast on the beach. He has seven guests. Six come in the boat and one, called Peter, rushes in with very wet shirt! 

This episode happened after the resurrection but before his ascension, also before Pentecost. After a fruitless night of fishing, they hear someone telling them to cast their net to the right side of the boat. When they catch a large school of fish, they recognise that it is Jesus and head for shore. Jesus already has breakfast underway and serves them a meal of bread and fish. 

First of all, I found it interesting that the disciples do not catch a single fish all night. Some of them were professional fishmen. How frustrating it must have been for them! Perhaps the nets speak of empty hearts. They thought they knew what they were doing but ended up with nothing. It’s like when they were following Jesus and thought Jesus was the Messiah who was going to defeat the Roman Empire. But now their efforts and expectations all seemed futile. 

But now, gazing on the resurrected Jesus, their thoughts are oceans’ deep: “Here he is again. He is not a ghost. He is alive. His promises come true. He calmed the storm, walked on water, turned water into wine, multiplied bread and fish to feed five thousand, was crucified. He created Lake Galilee; he created the fish. Everything. His breath is in the fire, the charcoal, the beach; sustains the very life of me...” 

At the crack of dawn, they heard a voice and followed it. They had nothing to lose. It’s just another random throw. However, this throw was like no other! They caught fish but most importantly, they recognised Jesus. “It is the Lord!” 

From scarcity, emptiness, futility, toils, exhaustion, darkness, fear and loss, now the disciples enter into a place of abundance, warmth, cordialness, provision, rest, love and overwhelming joy. Jesus served them, not out of obligation or duty, but out of true love, like a mother serving her children and providing all their needs. Not only did he meet the disciples’ physical needs, but also their spiritual needs. 

The disciples needed forgiveness for their abandonment, denial and failure. Jesus takes the initiative to find them and offer reconciliation and healing. 

Secondly, what Jesus said to the disciples, “throw your net to the right side of the boat and you will catch some”, is not a tentative suggestion, but a promise. He did not say “try over here and see whether you will find any”. He gave them a firm promise. Most commentators see these fish as symbolic of the missionary work of the disciples, similar to Jesus' original call, "Come, follow me . . . and I will make you fishers of men" in Matthew (4:19) and Mark (1:17). 

But the point for us is that we need to obey the words of the Lord for any labour to be fruitful. Jesus said “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). His words are not simply suggestions but promises for a true, blessed and abundant life. He is not simply pointing out the way for us, but he is the Way.

What if Jesus invited us today saying, “Come and have breakfast”? Imagine him serving us, not with bread and fish, but with a muffin and coffee! Consider how often we labour and toil in vain or with little result; how often we see ourselves drifting on a dark edgeless ocean without knowing what is lying ahead; how often we face scarcity of support and understanding, or barrenness of hope and inspiration; how often that we just need to keep going, one throw after another, because life is pressing in on us?

“Come and have breakfast with me.” Jesus is inviting us today. He knows our needs and hunger, physically, emotionally and spiritually. He knows our weaknesses, our fears and failures. Our very breath relies on him. He wants to come and have intimate communion with us. He wants to heal our deepest wounds. 

Thirdly, the resurrected Jesus did not change his character, divine and human, lord and servant. He instructed the disciples with divine guidance, but he also cooked and served them. Around the charcoal fire, there is the end of barrenness and futility, but the beginning of abundance, rest, promise and hope. 

Every morning when we get up, may we find the true Light dawning upon us. As we have breakfast, may we hear the resurrected Jesus inviting us by name, “Come and dine with me”. May we find time and space to be nourished by his words, and warmed by the fire of his unfailing love. 

Amen.

Hymn SoF 1120 

Will you come and follow me

Prayers of Intercession 

Lord, thank you for your word, we are in need of feeding and care.

Thank you that we can bring our prayers to you and know that you will act and move even when we are unaware of what you do. 

We bring to you our world and its difficulties: 

·  for world leaders making decisions; political unrest 

·  suffering caused by the treatment of the planet, famine & war

·  those suffering with Covid concerns and not seeing a way out.

In your mercy Lord- hear the cries of our hearts 

We bring you our neighbourhood: 

·  for teachers, TAs, admin, children, students and their parents

·  for doctors, nurses, porters, chaplains, all with care of patients

· for the local elections, honesty, truth and the good of all. 

In your mercy Lord- hear the cries of our hearts 

We bring you our church family and friends: 

·  for the lonely, afraid, depressed, sick, grieving, dying

·  for those anxious about finance and work

·  for those joyful and full of celebration 

In your mercy Lord- hear the cries of our hearts 

We pray for ourselves, for the strength to face the choices and temptations of the day and wisdom to discern your will and your way

In your mercy Lord- hear the cries of our hearts 

The Lord’s Prayer 

Let's sing a final hymn of God's faithfulness to each of us. 

Hymn: SoF 147 

Great is Thy Faithfulness 

Blessing 

O let the Son of God enfold you with His Spirit and His love, let Him fill your heart and satisfy your soul. O let Him have the things that hold you and His Spirit like a dove will descend and make you whole. 

Go in peace, to love & serve the Lord, in the name of Christ. Amen.