A Fish Story: Delight and Thanksgiving!

Summer Greetings Beloved CTK Community!

Does your family tell and retell any legendary fish stories?  Maybe you were out deep see fishing and you were absolutely sure you were reeling in Leviathon before the line broke?  Our CTK Summer Road Trip Principle #2 is grounded with scripture from John 21:9-12, a fish story where Simon Peter hauls ashore a net filled with 153 large fish.  And then Jesus and the disciples sit down together to share a breakfast of fished cooked over a charcoal fire.  

This story reminds us that "God Meets us in Bread, Wine, and Water," which is our Principal-of-focus these next two weeks.  Each Sunday, we gather around a table, sharing bread and wine, the body and blood of Christ.  God meets us there, reminds us of the love shown for us in Christ's death on the cross, and we are sent having ingested Christ's body as the body of Christ out into the world around us.

We call this sacrament the Eucharist, which comes from a Greek word meaning "thanksgiving" and which has its own roots in "grace."  God's generous and selfless grace is brings us delight and thanksgiving.

Written in the fall of 1533, Martin Luther shared a fish story that was recorded in this way:

Dr. Luther went out with his wife into the garden to fish in the pond and on the bank of the river.  There they caught pike, loach, trout, blacktail, carp.  Some of them we ate at the table with great delight and thanksgiving.  The doctor said, "Katy, you are more pleased over these few fish than many a nobleman when he fishes in several large ponds and catches thousands of fish."  Alas, greed and ambition prevent us from enjoying things.

At this point in the summer, you may have met together with friends to share a meal or maybe even to go fishing.  How did God meet you and remain present with you in the midst of your experience?

May our hearts and minds be opened to notice God in our midst, the One who offers us abundant grace.  May we delight and give thanks and may we share our delight with others.  Amen

Grace and peace, and even more hope!
Pastor Jennifer

Luther Quote Reference: Luther's Works, Vol 54 "Table Talk" Fall, 1533 No. 3390b