Breakfast of Champions

Mark John 21: 12 – 13
Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” None of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish.

A few years ago when I was Moderator of my then Presbytery of Melrose and Peebles, we started a “Good News” item on the regular Agenda, where each Charge would take it in turns to do a five minute report on something good that had occurred in their particular Parish recently.  As luck would have it, the numbers broke down so two Charges could report each meeting and each would have to report once a year. It first of all filled everyone with dread, as they could not think of any good news, but as time went on we all realised there was something good to report. A new regular coffee morning, a Youth Group BBQ, a weekday lunch club, a Harvest Supper, for example.
Virtually all the good news items centred on fellowship events and had two things in common, namely they attracted in people who had not much contact with the Church and involved eating food!
As today’s scripture shows, this is not new.  When Jesus went to meet the Disciples after their night’s fishing he met them having prepared breakfast, when he said goodbye before his arrest it was over supper, he ate at Martha and Mary’s house, with Zaccheus, at the house of Levi with all the other outcasts, when the time came for him to start his Ministry he did so with a miracle at a wedding reception.
It is good to meet and eat together except of course at the present. When this danger passes though, we will be able to join and share again, then we will share the good news of what’s going on in our lives together again.
Until then, we can remember that with Jesus we can always enjoy a good time.

Prayer
Lord God, our loving Father in Heaven, when we share food together may you be there, when we eat alone may you be there. When we celebrate together may you be there, when we cower in fear alone may you be there.
Whenever and wherever we are, be with us, we pray, to fulfil our joy in the good times and bear our sorrows in the bad times.
In your Mercy hear our prayer,
Amen