St. Matthew's Evangelical Lutheran Church, Welland, Ontario, Canada

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FIFTH SUNDAY OF EASTER May 18, 2025

Prayer of the Day O Lord God, you teach us that without love, our actions gain nothing. Pour into our hearts your most excellent gift of love, that, made alive by your Spirit, we may know goodness and peace, through your Son, Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Gospel: John 13:31-35 31 When he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. 32 If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once. 33 Little children, I am with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and as I said to the Jews (religious leaders) so now I say to you, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come.’ 34 I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Pastor’s Reflection’s on the Gospel Reading These Sundays of Easter feel a bit like channel surfing —-or in more modern parlance—scrolling bits of John’s Gospel. Dr. Karoline Lewis being a ‘go-to’ authority on the Gospel John invites us to put pieces back together.

Maundy Thursday’s Gospel reading takes us to the upper room—-where Jesus having loved his people to the very end washes their feet before they eat a Passover meal and he is betrayed to the religious and civic authorities. Jesus’ words about loving one another might resonate in a way that’s minor key; foreboding knowing some real evil is about to be unleashed.

How do the same words sound during the Easter season? Minor key? Major key? something else? John’s Gospel contains a very lengthy passage in which Jesus prepares his followers for what is to come—the scholars call this the “farewell discourse” and it begins in John chapter 13 and continues through the 17th chapter. Along the way Jesus speaks about being the way, truth and life and likens himself to the life giving vine that sustains the branches (us). The vital force from vine to branches is love; and Jesus invites, beckons and even commands that we remain connected (or if you like one of John’s favourite words, we ‘abide’).

Extolling the virtue of love is one thing. Loving is quite another. Love is doing what needs to be done so that the one we love can thrive. Sometimes we can do that. Sometimes we fail. Imagine Jesus stepping out of a customary role to serve his followers…they’re embarrassed and awkward. The foot washing is necessary for the moment and Jesus’ action teaches his followers what love sometimes looks like; not glamourous. Not many Hallmark greeting cards sold on mother’s day contain verse about colicky babies, choosing between paying rent and buying diapers, or about 3 am phone calls from a kid who is at a party yet has the common sense to call home for a ride. That might be what love looks like.

Paul’s letter to the Corinthians pre-dates John’s Gospel. Remember the famous words he writes about love? We often read them at weddings and the words do speak to how difficult love can be sometimes. At weddings we don’t often peel back the layer to reveal the context of words about love being patient and kind, not keeping score of sleights and infractions. The context is that a faith community is deeply divided over a great many things. The mission and purpose of the church have been almost completely obscured by multiple deeply divisive controversies. Paul’s intervention is to remind people that the only way through is by loving in the same ways God loved us first and in the same self-giving way Jesus embodied during his life on earth.

It may have been the writer and preacher Dianna Butler Bass who says that ‘proof’ of the resurrection can be found in the ways Jesus’ followers continue to live as he lived. The resurrection might be real for the world in moments when Christians (and their churches) live and love in ways that make them distinct from the rest of society. Here’s a snapshot of what that love in action looks like….

Tomorrow the ELCIC and other churches join in an international event where people will pray and speak to advocate for the queer community and against the transphobia that makes life unsafe for many.

Our own denomination has written to the Canadian Prime Minister Government humanitarian aid for people in the Holy Land.

One of our neighbours in Ridgeway participated in a bicycle trek as part of the synod’s climate justice action.

This past week, the U.S. State Department unsuccessfully attempted to abuse an agreement with the Episcopal Church in which asylum seekers receive assistance from the church. In this instance the U.S. government aimed to grant asylum to white South Africans who supported and benefited from the previous system of apartheid. The church responded they could not in good conscience go along with the scheme.

These expressions are not popular, not easy and far from quick fixes. They are about long-haul commitment to love. So as many of us are tired and discouraged we might remember the final lines from Paul’s words about love—-in the end, three things remain: faith, hope and love. The greatest of these is love (1 Corinthians 13:13).

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FOURTH SUNDAY OF EASTER May 11, 2025

Prayer of the Day
O God of peace, you brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ, the great shepherd of the sheep. By the blood of your eternal covenant, make us complete in everything good that we may do your will, and work among us all that is well-pleasing in your sight, through Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Gospel: John 10:22-30 22 At that time the Festival of the Dedication took place in Jerusalem. It was winter, 23 and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the portico of Solomon. 24 So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.” 25 Jesus answered, “I have told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name testify to me, 26 but you do not believe because you do not belong to my sheep. 27 My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, in regard to what he has given me, is greater than all, and no one can snatch them out of the Father’s hand. 30 The Father and I are one.”

Pastor’s Commentary: You might find it useful to read a bit more about the Gospel reading before you hear sermons preached; whether from First and St. Matthew’s or other churches. I’d love to hear from you via text or email about which parts of today’s commentary gave you something to ponder and informed your worship and hearing of the scriptures for this Sunday.

Today we give thanks for the guiding influences in our lives and those who have been mothers and mother figures for us. We also pray for our synod’s newest rostered pastor, Rev. Adam McComb, ordained yesterday at Mount Zion Lutheran Church. Pastor McComb has been called to Specialized Ministry at Thornhill Lutheran and St. Paul’s Lutheran, Richmond Hills, ON.

The fourth Sunday of Easter is traditionally “Good Shepherd Sunday” and we read Psalm 23, paired with sections of John’s Gospel (chapter 10) where Jesus speaks of being the Good Shepherd. Here are a few connections to think about as you read the scriptures for this Sunday. Location,

Location, Location (and occasion, occasion, occasion)- Solomon’s portico was a prominent feature in the new temple, dedicated about 165 years before Jesus’ birth. The Feast of Dedication of the New Temple was part of a great homecoming for Jewish people, who had been dispersed for generations. The former temple (of Solomon’s building) had been desecrated and then destroyed before the children of Israel were expelled from their homeland. The portico was often associated with God’s presence and as a place of teaching. More than that, the Portico was a place where everyone was welcome—even at a time when there were places on the temple grounds off limits for women or for people of other faiths (at the time called “Gentiles”). What does shepherding look like?

Jesus remarks about being a Good Shepherd are far from random. In John chapter 9, Jesus gives sight to someone born blind. Such a person likely begged for a living and was marginalized in many ways. Even the disciples think the man or his parents must have offended God that he would not have eyesight. The act of healing does more than give this man vision for the first time—it allows him to reconnect meaningfully with his family. Jesus heals this man near the temple and the event generates such controversy over who Jesus is and by what authority he can heal people. Jesus’ words interpret his actions; particularly giving sight to someone who has never seen before. His words also foreshadow what happens in John chapter 11….. Jesus isn’t present in Bethany when his friend Lazarus dies. When he arrives he weeps for his friend, consoles those who grieve, and proclaims the promise of resurrection. Jesus’ “I AM” statements have included “I AM Bread of Life” and “I AM the gate” “I AM the good shepherd”. To Martha, Jesus declares, “I AM the resurrection and the life.” At the tomb, Jesus calls Lazarus by name and back to the land of the living (perhaps we’re meant to remember that Jesus says his sheep hear his voice and that his voice carries to everywhere in life and even beyond).

Connections to Psalm 23: We know that this psalm is read at almost every funeral. For good reason. The beginning of the psalm speaks about God’s care. Words about God become words toward God in an affirmation of trust when the psalmist says, “Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, you are with me.” The psalm concludes in a way that surprises us because the translation into English dilutes its ‘zing’. The sense of the words sounds more like: “Ultimately, goodness and mercy shall pursue —yea hound me—-all the days of my life.”. The Good Shepherd is certainly as persistent as God’s steadfast love (“chesed”, in Hebrew).

The final words spoken before a funeral service processes to the cemetery are words of commendation for the person who has died. “Into your hands, O merciful Saviour, we commend your servant. . . Acknowledge we humbly beseech you a sheep of your own fold, a lamb of your own flock, a sinner of your own redeeming. Receive them into the arms of your mercy, into the blessed rest of everlasting peace, and into the glorious company of the saints in light” (Funeral service, commendation—ELW page 283

Connections to our time and place: People in King David’s time liked the analogy drawn between a shepherd and a ruler who truly cares for people. Some of us wonder if our elected (and unelected) political leaders or the CEO’s of companies whose work affects our lives even care about us beyond what they can ‘get’ from us (the modern phrase is ‘transactional’). Few in power seem to regard us as people possessing inborn, inherent, made-in-the-image-of-God dignity. The Gospels draw stunning and vivid contrasts between the overlords of the empire and Jesus as a Good Shepherd willing to give his life for those he cares for.

As the Roman Catholic Church has selected a new pope, a shepherd for catholics throughout the world, many among us pray that Pope Leo XIV will continue to speak on behalf of the poor and will inspire the church to imitate Jesus as a Good Shepherd. Though there are many churches and denominations now, may we be drawn together in hope and in the call to be the hands and feet of Jesus, Good Shepherd and risen Christ in the world.

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Prayer of the Day
Eternal and all-merciful God, with all the angels and all the saints we laud your majesty and might. By the resurrection of your Son, show yourself to us and inspire us to follow Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Gospel: John 21:1-19
1 After [he appeared to his followers in Jerusalem,] 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 his outer garment, for he had taken it off, 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. 10 Jesus 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. 18 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.” 19 (He said this to indicate the kind of death by which he would glorify God.) After this he said to him, “Follow me.”

SERMON
One hundred fifty three fish? Who counted? What if there were only 152 or maybe 159? St. Augustine and Jerome after him gave it the old college try hoping interpret the meaning of the number. Frankly it was a stretch and I don’t think adds much to John’s account of Jesus and what Jesus means to the New testament Church or to us for that matter. Hope that wasn’t a red herring and yes that’s the last fish pun in today’s sermon.

Consider though a super abundance of fish that came from casting on the other side of the boat. The trip up to that point was a complete bust—no fish after fishing all night. We go from the despair of nothing to the amazement of unimaginable abundance.

You’d be forgiven should your mind flash back to a wedding where the wine ran out and then Jesus intervenes and joy overflows (and again we get numerical data about that best of show vintage). Your mind might have drifted over to Matthew’s Gospel (John read it too, you know) to an amazing haul of fish when Jesus tells his followers that they will soon fish for people—not to trap but to liberate.

John’s love of multiple meanings likely comes to play here. God deals in abundance for the sake of humanity—people are fed, healed, and restored to community. It’s safe to assume that a great haul of fish would feed a lot of people besides Peter and those who fished along with him. From God’s abundance, lives are changed and transformed. The funeral rituals for Jesus are transformed when the tomb is found empty and messengers direct Mary and her companions to carry out Jesus’ message and his work.

You might sense deja vu as Jesus invites; just as he invited his disciples years before to come and see where he lives and what he’s about—kind of fun that at this post resurrection fish breakfast John name drops to include Nathaniel of Cana (you know where wine flows nonstop?) who wonders what good could possibly come from Nazareth!

The invitation to an abundant feast is just for openers-Jesus calls his followers too follow—as before the starting place is abundance. Now, things are different too because the disciples embody Jesus’ mission doing God’s work. On Good Friday we heard John’s version of events where Peter three times denies being a follower or disciple—Now, Jesus renews the call to Simon and to the rest of us to follow and proclaim Christ. Jesus renews the call for us to be what Mother Theresa called the hands and feet of the risen Christ in the world. The community of followers is what Dr. James Childs called a contrast society—the contrast is designed to be compelling and an invitation to join. Living as we do waiting for the other shoe to drop and pausing because we’re not sure it’s safe to put a foot forward because of the instability in the world, imagine being invited into abundance in spite of all of that. Imagine being invited to embody a word of hope even as we feel our lives and world are precarious. Jesus invites us to imagine and invites us to follow.

This Sunday is also “Red Dress Day” in which we remember our missing and murdered indigenous siblings. Consider wearing the colour red to the worship service.

THE MOVIE – The Red Dress
Produced by the NFB, in cooperation with the English Program, Prairie Centre, CBC, ATEC Canada, Alberta Education Communications Corporation, and Access Alberta for the National Museum of Man.

Renowned Métis author and screenwriter Maria Campbell explores themes of cultural identity, sexual assault, and the familial impact of colonialism in The Red Dress , echoing the themes of her seminal memoir, Halfbreed. 

Kelly is a Métis man without treaty or hunting rights, struggling to sustain his traditional life. His daughter Theresa longs for a red dress from France that she believes will give her power and strength, as the bear claw once did for her great-grandfather Muskwa. When Theresa escapes an assault and Kelly turns his back on his daughter, he realizes that he must reconnect with his culture in order to make things right. Today, the red dress is a powerful symbol recognizing the more than 1,000 missing and murdered Indigenous women in Canada.

You can view The Red Dress movie HERE

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