Readings:
Acts 9: 1-6,(7-20);
Psalm 30;
Revelation 5: 11-14;
John 21: 1-19

Collect:
Risen Christ,
you filled your disciples with boldness and fresh hope:
strengthen us to proclaim your risen life and fill us with your peace,
to the glory of God the Father.  Amen.

Reflection

Like many of you we spent some time during the nice Easter weather in the garden getting it ready for the summer.  We planted out some bedding plants, pulled up some weeds and generally gave it a bit of a tidy up.  Now in are garden we have a pot with a spindly tree/bush in it, neither of us knows what the tree is and apart from having some leaves it really doesn’t do very much.  Each year around this time we have a similar discussion about whether we should get rid of it or not and each year we say we’ll give it another chance and move it to a different spot in the garden.  I think it needs some TLC and has some potential to be beautiful, Liz isn’t convinced.  Each of us, when we are gardening, must make a decision about what to remove and what to nurture and as ever there is always that phrase going around in my head that a weed is a plant in the wrong place.  

As I reflect on this week’s readings I can’t help thinking about our tree and how we make judgements about it and then wonder about the judgements we make about ourselves, which are often much harder than we ever would make about someone else.  I wonder if you’ve ever been in a situation where you have doubted yourself and your own ability.  Maybe, because of a comment from someone or maybe because of something you’ve done or failed to do.  I know that I often doubt myself and am self-critical, not feeling confident and I guess ultimately not feeling worthy.  It is in this context that I reflect on the conversation between Jesus and Peter about whether or not Peter loves him. 

Jesus asks Peter three times ‘Do you love me?’  This is often seen as a reflection on the three times when Peter denied Jesus.  My guess is that Peter spent a great deal of time following Jesus’ arrest and crucifixion thinking about what he could have done.  The ‘What if’ questions we often ask ourselves after something has happened.  I’m sure that Peter would have been feeling very critical of himself and wishing he’d done things differently.  He would have felt that he’d let his friend down and maybe even question whether he could continue to be a disciple. These self-doubts would have held him back from doing anything other than what he was used to, fishing.  But in this conversation with Jesus, we see Jesus restoring Peter, building him up and preparing him for the work that Jesus wanted him to do.  It isn’t about Jesus chastising him but about giving Peter the belief that he can do this, that he can go and tend his sheep.  This conversation was a moment of healing for Peter and restoring hope.  Peter’s declarations of faith become the rock on which the church is built giving hope and encouragement to us all that where there is failure we will find forgiveness and where mistakes are made this can be mended.

So, I wonder do you see yourself as Jesus sees you? or do your failures and mistakes cloud your understanding?

I believe that Jesus sees the potential in each and every one of us, and wants us to live our lives to that full potential, healing those parts where we are filled with self-doubt.  As a church, as a community of people we should be about encouraging each and every one to see themselves as God see them and setting them free to be the people God created them to be.  

I began with the discussions we have each year about this spindly tree – I like to think that in those discussions we see the potential this tree has and maybe with a little more care and attention our plant will reach that potential and we will be glad we have kept it in our garden.

So, what can you do to build someone up, to give them the confidence they need to reach their full potential and live life to the max.  Above all have confidence in yourself and see yourself as God sees you – a beautiful, amazing child of God that can have life in all its fullness.

 Mike Morris