Feaster Sunday

Easter Sunday: Feaster Day!

John 21:1-14

After these things Jesus showed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias; and he showed himself in this way. 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. 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.

 Just after daybreak, Jesus stood on the beach; but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to them, ‘Children, you have no fish, have you?’ They answered him, ‘No.’ 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. 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 lake. 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.

 When they had gone ashore, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish on it, and bread. Jesus said to them, ‘Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.’ So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, a hundred and fifty-three of them; and though there were so many, the net was not torn. 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. Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. This was now the third time that Jesus appeared to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.

Jesus taught about the Kin-dom of God around the table. It was there, eating as equals and family, that a radical new vision of the world was enacted. And it appears that after Jesus’ crucifixion it was around the table that the Followers of the Way experienced the presence of Christ. In Acts we are told that the reputation of the early Christians was: “All who believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need. Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having the goodwill of all the people.” It is completely appropriate that we celebrate the resurrection around the table. Hence, a “Feaster Celebration!” Besides watching a game and stuffing ourselves silly, the table can be the place where we experience a love and a life that continues to transform the world.(I understand resurrections as that transformation that is greater and more persistent than death. Resurrection is the process of being transformed into a new life.)

Our worship could be a menu: Appetizer, a salty bruschetta of broken dreams (coming to the tomb to finish the burial rituals – facing death); First Course, a salad of hope (empty tombs, confusions, questions); Second Course, a refreshing gazpacho soup of shared experience (each disciple has a different experience of meeting the risen Christ, and so do we); Entrée, a hearty breakfast [great term, to break our fast, breaking our fast of despair, violence, hatred, etc.] of Christ-grilled fish and warm bread (communion in its best sense, the meal where Christ shows up and makes us all equal, healed, and renewed). Dessert is fresh fruit, the fruit of carrying this good news in to the world, the fruit of our works and engaging the world with transformative, resurrecting love.

Again, my thought on communion is that particularly this communion is all about abundance. I kind of think that especially on this day we do not have the option of taking a measly crumb of bread to represent all of Christ’s love and grace for us. Donuts! Brioche! Lavosh! Sourdough! Farm bread! Hot Cross Buns! Cinnamon sticky buns! All sorts of bread and far more than we need or think we do: that is the grace we encounter in a resurrection feast.

Good News: Christ is Alive! Death loses, life wins!

Subject: Even in a troubled world, there is reason to celebrate and feast.

Anchor: The Feast of Love

Experiential Field: We experience the love and presence of Christ when our celebrations include all, embody the Kin-dom, and extend the invitation all Creation.