Date Posted: 2025-05-02 01:19:48 | Video Duration: 00:18:02
At Preston Hollow Presbyterian Church, the sermon this week invites us into a reflective journey through the post-resurrection appearance of Jesus in John 21. As the congregation sat in anticipation, they were reminded of the fresh aroma of Easter that still lingered, and yet the challenge of returning to ‘normal’ life loomed. It is in this in-between space of the Easter Tide that we explore the profound lessons of the Resurrection Way.
The sermon opens with a scene familiar to many, as the pastor recounts the story from John 21:1-14. Jesus makes a surprising appearance on the shores of the Sea of Galilee, where the disciples, having returned to their old craft of fishing, find themselves unsuccessful. “Just after daybreak, Jesus stood on the beach; but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus,” the pastor reads. In this poignant narrative, we find Jesus calling out to them, asking if they have caught any fish. When they respond with a disheartened ‘no,’ Jesus advises, “Cast your net to the right side of the boat, and you will find some” (John 21:6). The result is a miraculous catch, a powerful symbol of abundance and recognition.
The essence of the sermon is captured in three transformative steps that the pastor outlines: listening, following, and being with Jesus. It’s a call to move beyond the ordinary, to embrace a sacramental life where the divine and the mundane coexist. The pastor emphasizes, “Jesus invites the disciples from their ordinary life to a deeper life, a sacramental life where the holy and the ordinary coexist together.”
Listening is the first step, and perhaps the most challenging. The pastor urges the congregation to adopt a beginner’s mind, to be open to hearing God’s voice, especially in moments of failure and need. As Richard Rohr reminds us, sometimes we must be led to the edge of our resources to truly surrender control and listen for the divine guidance. The pastor reflects on their own struggles with chronic health issues, illustrating how vulnerability can lead to a deeper dependence on God.
Following is the next step, a leap of faith that requires trust in Jesus’ guidance. The pastor shares, “It would have been easy for the disciples to dismiss that faint voice… Instead, they admit that they need help.” It’s a call to action, to trust that God’s love will lead us through life’s uncertainties and to embrace our identity as beloved children of God, as articulated by Henri Nouwen.
The final step is to be with Jesus, to accept His invitation to “come and have breakfast” (John 21:12). It’s an invitation to communion, to be nourished by His presence in the simple and ordinary. The pastor encourages the congregation to see the world as “holy and overflowing with [God’s] presence,” a reminder that transformation happens in the presence of the divine.
This sermon is a call to action for the congregation to reflect on their own lives and identify those barren places that need new life and hope. The pastor leaves them with a powerful reminder that in those moments of emptiness and powerlessness, “an abundant life awaits through the transforming power of Jesus.” It’s an invitation to a sacramental life, to listen, follow, and be with Jesus, and to find hope in His resurrection. Amen.
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