John 21:1-3
21 After these things Jesus showed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias; and he showed himself in this way. 2 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. 3 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.
Times were changing for the followers of Jesus after Easter Sunday. They had built their lives around their “leader” whom they thought was the Messiah and whom they thought would eliminate Roman occupation and set up a new way of life. But he had been crucified and they were living into what resurrection meant. We know about transition times like that. I joke and say, “I forgot to read the fine print under the I-do of marriage vows.” I was handed my college degree and suddenly I was in an unstructured time frame looking for work. My husband passed last Fall and I am now learning what it means to be a widow. Transition times are spiritual growth challenges as we learn new ways of organizing our spiritual disciplines and as we learn to recognize the voice of God in new ways.
Time has passed and the disciples have gone north to the Sea of Tiberias (the Sea of Galilee) to wait, to meet Jesus as he had instructed. The disciples are in this transition period from having Jesus present, being the leader, setting the agenda and focus of attention, but now they do not have that daily structure to frame their lives to life not seeing him physically. They decided to structure their time with the familiar. Peter suggests they go fishing. We too can bide time watching TV, job hunting, cruising the Internet for explanations of medical diagnoses, or chatting on the phone.
What helps us structure our time during those liminal times. It might be focusing on getting our wardrobe organized for the upcoming season. We might focus on preparing our gardens as we sense spring coming. Holidays provide some structure as we see stores start advertising Christmas earlier and earlier and shopping for that right present occupies our thoughts. Rituals like weddings, baptisms, and confirmation give celebrate these transitions and give rhythm to life. The disciples went out fishing because that was what they knew how to do. It was their comfort zone.
Spiritual disciplines also give structure to our lives. Journaling in the morning or in the evening is a way to bring closure to yesterday, a way to park events in a book and process a bit. Daily devotional readings are ways to start the day on a positive note rather than starting with a list of to-dos that can feel overwhelming before the day even starts. Many find times of prayer or meditation help to focus minds on the presence of God in the midst of the flurry of life. Exercise is important.
Mountain-top experiences are spiritually exhilarating and are fun but eventually we come down to everyday life. This week we will look at how the risen Christ reached out to his disciples during this transition time. Take time to think about ways that help you remember the God who walks with you daily even when you cannot see him. He’s there and he has gone ahead to meet you!
On the Way to Wonder 