Today’s gospel text will always hold a special place in my heart. The first time I really remember hearing it was at the ELCA Churchwide Assembly in 1999. I was there serving as an adult mentor for the youth convocation meeting in conjunction with the assembly. All week, one of the other adults helping with the youth had been asking me, “Why don’t you go to seminary?”

            I pulled from my list of excuses. As some of you know, I never wanted to be a pastor. By the end of the week, I was out of excuses. At the last worship service, I was gathered with about 1500 Lutherans and the preacher for the day used this gospel text from John (John 21:1-19). In his sermon, he began to repeatedly highlight Jesus’ call to Peter. “Feed my lambs. Tend my sheep. Feed my sheep.”

            Suddenly, I found myself crying uncontrollably. I felt like he was preaching at me. It seemed that God was speaking through him to address my situation and questions about seminary. I began to realize that regardless of what I wanted, or thought I wanted, that God had amazing way of throwing curve balls into our lives; and that perhaps I was being called to seminary. Now, when I hear this text, I have very vivid memories of that day. The sights, sounds and smells of worship come rushing back, as does the voice of the preacher saying, “Feed my sheep”.

            It strikes me that Peter and I aren’t the only ones God calls through these words. When Jesus speaks to Peter in this text from John, the call is for every single one of us. Each one of us is called to feed God’s lambs, tend God’s sheep, and feed God’s sheep. We may have other plans. We may think we know what is best for our lives. Even the disciples show that they think they know what is best in this gospel.

            In the previous chapter, Mary Magdalene has told them she has seen the risen Lord. Jesus has appeared to them twice after his resurrection, spoken a word of peace to them, breathed the Holy Spirit on them, and sent them to tell the news. What do they do? They go fishing. They return to their old jobs as fishermen, going back to the boats and nets.

            So, Jesus comes to them again. Once more, he reorients them for mission and ministry. The same is true for you and me. God, in Christ, shows up repeatedly in our lives and calls to us, reminding us that, above all else, we are to do the work of tending and feeding. It is a theme Martin Luther himself picked up on when he talked about the priesthood of all believers. Luther said that each of us, each of our vocations, is equally important. No one is higher than anyone else on the chain. All of us are priests, because within daily lives, God calls all to love and serve God and neighbor.

            So, sisters and brothers in Christ; so, fellow priests; how is God tugging on our hearts to be about the work of tending and feeding? I’ve got to be honest. God is most certainly doing it, whether we want to or not! No matter how young or how old we are, God calls us to the work of tending and feeding. The ways we respond to that call are, at times, simple and at times profound.

            When I am teaching first communion classes, I ask the kids, “What is something you’re really good at?” I often get responses like, “Soccer, football, or art.” I then ask them, “How can you use that talent to love and serve God and neighbor?” The children give great answers. They say things like, “Play fair. Teach those who don’t know how to do something the way to do it. Be kind to teammates. Draw pictures for someone who is sad.” Indeed, they quickly identify ways to be about the work of tending and feeding God’s flock.

            As we consider the ways God calls us to tend and feed, we have a wonderful opportunity. It is our new faith and ministry booklet. Each of you have received one, or will receive one in the mail. We can pray about it. God might be calling us to feed His lambs by helping with education ministries and feeding minds and faith. Maybe God is calling us to actually feed people through Feed Your Neighbor, sharing food from the Community Garden, or bringing in canned goods for the Mount Healthy Alliance. Perhaps God is calling us to tend by caring for others in this place as hospital visitor or funeral meal preparer. Maybe we will ten by helping with committees like worship planning, financial gifts or properties. Maybe God is calling us to feed and tend by participating in a Habitat build, coming to a small group Bible study, or singing in a musical group.

            Whatever the case may be, there are 107 opportunities to tend and feed in this booklet alone. Maybe you look over this list and nothing catches your eye. Who knows? God might be calling you to tend and feed with a new ministry idea. If so, share it so that we can bless it, get it off the ground and start it in this place, bringing our list to 108 or 109! Remember, fellow priests, God calls each of us to feed His lambs, tend His flock and feed His sheep.

            I know how challenging this can be at times. The old way of doing things, our old habits and the calls of world distract us and tempt us. We even touched on this at the Men’s Bible Study on Thursday morning. It is hard to let our light shine! There are days we will fall short and focus more on tending and feeding ourselves than God’s flock. There are times we will cling tightly to our time, talents and treasures because we’d rather use them for ourselves.

            Yet, there is good news for us in this gospel text.  Jesus asks Peter three times, “Do you love me?”  Wasn’t there something Peter did three times in the gospel of John? Oh that’s right! He denied Jesus three times on night of Jesus’ betrayal. Yet Jesus comes to Peter, Peter the denier, and three times asks, “Do you love me” and three times calls Peter to action. It seems like a reversal of Peter’s denial and a grace filled way of Jesus saying, “You denied me three times; but I still intend to involve you in working with the flock”.

            So, too, when we fall short, Jesus comes to us with abundant grace and forgiveness. Jesus graciously reminds us that he still intends to use us in working in this world. He speaks to us in the Holy Word and fills us with the Holy Spirit. He meets us at the table, giving us his very body and blood, which strengthens us to serve. He reminds us that indeed, God calls us to feed the lambs, tend the sheep, and feed the sheep.

            You know, there’s a lot of hungry lambs and sheep out there. There’s a number of sheep that are wandering aimlessly. These are the sheep and lambs that are part of God’s flock as well. These are the ones to whom God sends us to share good news that Christ is risen and to proclaim the Easter story; to reach out our arms with love, compassion, and joy. We go, not asking “Do you love Jesus?”, but instead, saying, “Listen to how much Jesus loves you!”

            What are we waiting for? It’s time to get to work! We are able to do so, for God feeds us. God tends us. God calls us to follow, and God graciously empowers us, enabling us to tend and feed our Lord’s flock. What are we waiting for? It’s time to get to work!

Amen.

© 2010 Rev. Todd A. Cutter. Please do not reproduce or distribute without permission.