John 21
15When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?"
"Yes, Lord," he said, "you know that I love you."
Jesus said, "Feed my lambs."
16Again Jesus said, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me?"
He answered, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you."
Jesus said, "Take care of my sheep."
17The third time he said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?"
Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, "Do you love me?" He said, "Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you."
18Jesus said, "Feed my sheep.
Remember the good old days when we would have a single-issue election? Remember 1988 and the stark choice set before us? The 1988 election was the first time (and I'm embarrassed to say the last time) I attended an election rally. It might be more accurate to say protest, because the thing that gathered a crowd was a visit from the Prime Minister.
In the spirit of a single-issue election, my daughter, then five, quickly learned the chant of the day. "Free Canada, Trade Mulroney!" she shouted, and being five, she continued to shout it for days afterward: in the supermarket, in the daycare yard, even at bedtime. Sadly for Hazel, her social action failed, and we got five more years and the very agreement she opposed.
This is not an election sermon. I suspect that along with most Canadians you have made your choice and will sit with it until some time tomorrow. Then you will head off to vote, and you will make your mark, and if you are like me, you will shake your head at one of the most unfocused and convoluted campaigns in memory. What were the key issues? Who made a strong case? When did the campaign even begin?
There seems to be fairly persistent desire for simplicity. I think that's why 1988 stands out. We like to see things reduced to their simplest form. Surrounded as we are by increasing complexity, we crave simplicity like water from an oasis. I don't think it's an accident that Amazon lists 17,000 books with the word "simple" in the title. We crave it, and it seems harder and harder to find.
***
When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?"
"Yes, Lord," he said, "you know that I love you."
Jesus said, "Feed my lambs."
Again Jesus said, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me?"
He answered, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you."
Jesus said, "Take care of my sheep."
The third time he said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?"
Peter said, "Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you."
Jesus said, "Feed my sheep.
I'm not sure I could argue that Jesus invented simplicity, but he certainly added to the cause. Much of his ministry was dedicated to explaining the core of his Jewish faith and defining it in simple terms. The first and best example that springs to mind is a test that Jesus faced. One of the Sadducees, a lawyer, asked him a question: "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?" His answer, found in Matthew 22, was this:
"'You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: 'Love your neighbour as yourself.'"
Imagine that he took the whole of the law, 613 individual laws recorded over a thousand pages, and distilled it into two commandments. I think at times we forget the revolution in thinking this brought about, and at times imagine that Christianity is a more complex religion than need be.
Jesus made it simple. He spoke in aphorisms and simple commandments, he taught and healed and loved the broken and dispossessed and urged us to do likewise. He saw a hurting world and a well-equipped band of followers and he said, "feed my sheep." Perhaps this is another distillation, taking a command to love God and serve others and reducing it further: feed my sheep.
Hold on to that for a minute, while I tell you about my friend Ross.
***
The Bull Dog Cafe is on Granby Street, and looking out the window you can see Maple Leaf Gardens. Ross, the proprietor, is a latte artist and the winner of the Central Region Canadian Barista Championship. If you like coffee, see Ross. He makes latte, cappuccino, espresso, and his specialty, the "The Bull Dog," a cappuccino latte hybrid. Basically this is his menu, and having tasted the coffee and read the reviews, you can't go wrong.
I share is recommendation because I hate to know anyone is deprived of good coffee, and also to share a rather telling story of one visit. A group of teenage girls came in one day while I was there and asked for coffee. Regular coffee. They asked very politely and Ross said "no, you'll need to go somewhere else." They quietly retreated and I asked Ross the very obvious question "why?" It turns out Ross doesn't serve brewed coffee, the kind that every other coffee shop in the world serves. Again, why? "Well, he said, "first, I don't like it. If don't drink it, I don't want to sell it." The second reason is that he wants to focus on what he does well and what he enjoys: espresso-based coffees made very carefully, one at a time.
***
There has been a lot of talk lately about different models of church. Here in York Presbytery there is an experiment underway with what is known as a "regional destination church." Just as the name suggests, a centrally located facility will provide a variety of services and allow varied expressions of the United Church to exist under one roof. With a new building and an accessible location, it will serve eastern Markham and western parts of Durham.
The contrasting model of church, the one that reflects the congregation I serve, is called the "boutique" model. Like the Bull Dog Cafe, the congregation at Birchcliff Bluffs decided to specialize and do one or two things really well. We are a small congregation, but with the help of volunteers from some neighbouring churches, we serve two thousand people a month through our food bank. We have an active program for children and youth (they number about 30) and we are in the midst of a renovation project. And that is pretty much what we do. Kids are everywhere on Sunday morning, the food bank always get a mention, and a building in need of TLC is never far from our minds.
There are, of course, no rules around being this or that style of congregation. There are lots models, to be sure, but some of the best congregations simply invent their own. What appeals to me about the boutique model is the simplicity. Do one or two things well. Don't feel you can be all things to all people. Decide on a focus and don't feel badly when you have to say 'no' to an initiative that comes along. Take the Great Commandment (Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind -- Love your neighbour as yourself.) and decide how to make this a reality in Mount Albert. Love God really well and serve others really well. Keep it simple. Feed my sheep.
***
Rabbi Abraham Heschel said "God is hiding in the world. Our task is to let the divine emerge from our deeds." (Straight from the Heart, p. 120) Today you covenant with Elizabeth and with York Presbytery to find God hiding in the world: To love and serve others, to help a pastoral relationship grow and thrive and to feed sheep where ever they may be found. May you continue to be a blessing to each other, and may you find together the God that loves us, forgives us, and urges us on. Amen.
posted by michael jacob kooiman @ 6:20 AM
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