{"id":17516,"date":"2019-05-06T12:11:16","date_gmt":"2019-05-06T17:11:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.anglicandioceseja.org\/?p=17516"},"modified":"2019-05-06T12:11:23","modified_gmt":"2019-05-06T17:11:23","slug":"mandated-to-oversee-the-flock","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.anglicandioceseja.org\/copy\/mandated-to-oversee-the-flock\/","title":{"rendered":"Mandated to oversee the flock"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

<\/a>John 21:1-19 <\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

After these things Jesus showed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias; and he showed himself in this way. 2\u00a0<\/sup>Gathered there together were Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin,[<\/sup>\u00a0Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples.\u00a03\u00a0<\/sup>Simon Peter said to them, \u201cI am going fishing.\u201d They said to him, \u201cWe will go with you.\u201d They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing…. (Read the passage Click here)<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Moment to Ponder<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

In our Gospel reading this Sunday (John 21:1-19), we see some disciples after the death of Jesus reverting to what they know best \u2013 fishing. They had learned a new way of life with Jesus, but with the tragedy of his death, they go back to their routine. The disciples I think are still in a state of flux. They recognize that Jesus has been raised from the dead, but they are not certain what to do about it.\u00a0 They are still afraid for their lives as followers of Jesus, so they go back into their comfort zone. Jesus visits one more time, and speaks directly to Peter, on whom He had said He would build His Church (Matt 16:18). In verses 15-19, He gives instructions to Peter, to feed His sheep and lambs, to tend them. Feeding and tending means overseeing the welfare of the flock, keeping them on the right path, and nurturing them as well. Jesus tells Peter to do this out of love for him.\u00a0 John here also speaks to us as members of God\u2019s church to see to its welfare: to feed, nurture, and to ensure its wellbeing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Take Action<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

We complain bitterly as members, and lament all the faults of our Church. Like Peter and the other disciples, we recognize that something is happening in our Church, but are not quite understanding how to respond. We remain in our comfort zone, keeping our faith to ourselves and not seeking a deeper understanding of the way we ought to be.\u00a0 As Jesus tells Peter He tells us. It is our task to ensure we all stay on the straight and narrow way. We have a job; to nurture all believers including ourselves: to remain seekers; to have a faith that constantly seeks understanding; to journey with others as they seek their own understanding.\u00a0 Just as the disciples were not a homogenous group, we should not expect all members of our faith to be alike. We are all at different stages of our journey. It is the job of each of us to bear up the rest of us in the love and oneness of Christ, using the faith foundations that we all agree on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


\u00a0Feed my sheep<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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