Circling Towards Food Justice

“Circling Toward Food Justice”

May 4, 2025 Cobleskill United Methodist Church, Pastor Anna Blinn Cole

John 21:1-19

Third Sunday of Easter

Jesus Appears to Seven Disciples

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,[a] 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.

4 Just after daybreak, Jesus stood on the beach, but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. 5 Jesus said to them, “Children, you have no fish, have you?” They answered him, “No.” 6 He said to them, “Cast the net to the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in because there were so many fish. 7 That disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment, for he had taken it off, and jumped into the sea. 8 But the other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, only about a hundred yards off.

9 When they had gone ashore, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish on it, and bread. 10 Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.” 11 So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, a hundred fifty-three of them, and though there were so many, the net was not torn. 12 Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?” because they knew it was the Lord. 13 Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them and did the same with the fish. 14 This was now the third time that Jesus appeared to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.

15 When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my lambs.” 16 A second time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Tend my sheep.” 17 He said to him the third time, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter felt hurt because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” And he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. 18 Very truly, I tell you, when you were younger, you used to fasten your own belt and to go wherever you wished. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will fasten a belt around you and take you where you do not wish to go.” 19 (He said this to indicate the kind of death by which he would glorify God.) After this he said to him, “Follow me.”

We like to eat here at Cobleskill United Methodist Church.  

We have this thing called Social Hour after worship where we ostensibly like to get together and visit after the church service.  But let’s be honest, it’s about the snacks.  Not to brag or anything but this church does a mighty fine “snack” spread. 

But it’s not just the snack spread during Social Hour after worship is over.  It’s the Third Thursday Potlucks where we often have to add tables to the buffet line to hold all the amazing foods you make.  From Margaret Herrala’s scalloped pineapple to John Price’s baked ham to Natasha Foote’s curry chicken to the sourdough loaves that have been multiplying behind closed doors in your homes.  Y’all know how to cook.  The food doesn’t end there, though.  We meet for Fellowship Groups around dinner tables in our homes.  We gather our youth together for Friday night dinners.  We have combined dinners with our sister churches in the Mosaic, sometimes out on the lawn, sometimes down at the fairgrounds.  Always in good company. 

But that’s not all.  This is a church that loves to eat together so much that we feel it’s part of our core value to make sure our neighborhood also has food to put on the table.  We believe in long tables where there are always enough seats for whoever else comes next.  That’s why every summer weekend day we work with the Joshua Project to serve a hot lunch at no charge for our neighbors.  We take breaks from our schedules and we meet new friends around tables.  That’s also why every single Friday of the year you will find this church humming with the sound of shopping carts rolling and food pantry orders being filled.  We strive that every table should have food and not just a little, but enough.  This afternoon rain or shine, we’ll raise money for hunger relief world-wide with the annual Crop Walk.  We like to eat, yes.  But most importantly, we like for there to be enough for all.  

This is who we are because this is who Jesus was.  

We’re in the Easter season still (Happy Easter!).  Jesus, who was dead but is now alive, is appearing to his disciples at surprising times and in surprising ways.  Today’s reading from John 21 finds his disciples back in their fishing boats.  There is kind of a poetry here because this is where Jesus first found these followers… casting their nets, looking for fish.  Now after their years of following Jesus around the countryside and the anguish of watching him suffer at the hands of the powerful, they are probably still in a state of shock.  They have returned to their former trade.  What they know best.  

Maybe it’s the grief.  Maybe it’s the confusion.  Maybe it was the trauma.  All of it combined, but something is not working for them in the boat.  What they used to be able to do no problem, was suddenly not working.  No fish in their nets.  Then a man appears on the beach.  It’s too far to tell who it is. This man was calling to them: “You have no fish, do you?  Put your nets on the right side of the boat instead.”  If they were skeptical, they didn’t show it.  Obediently they moved the nets only to find they immediately started to fill with fish.  So many fish.  The nets were so heavy with fish they could barely lift them.  Suddenly they realized who that man had been.  That was Jesus.  Their risen savior.  Alive and on the beach reminding them of their true selves.  

When they brought the abundant catch to shore, their beloved Jesus had a fire going and was making breakfast.  By the way, isn’t that a lovely image?  Their beloved Jesus on the beach making them breakfast.  Breaking bread, sharing a meal.  Nothing says “I’m really here.  I’m really alive.  I want to spend time with you” like eating food together.  

After breakfast is over, Jesus asks Peter if he loves him.  Not just once, but three times. And each time Peter answers: “yes, yes, you know that I do” Jesus then says: “Then feed my sheep.”  Three times to underscore the importance of knowing what our love for God actually means:  A call to serve others.   Jesus is driving home the point: you can’t say you love me unless you are also feeding the neighborhood.  You can’t say that you love me unless you are kneeling at the feet of others, washing their feet.  You can’t say that you love me unless you are taking the abundance I have given you and sharing it with everyone else.  To have love that goes up to God but not love that goes out to the world, you might as well be pulling up empty nets.  

Jesus uses an abundant blessing of food to the disciples to show them that God’s abundance isn’t just a gift for taking.  It’s a gift for sharing.  This is more important now than ever.  We live in an age where we treat the abundant gifts God has given us more like something to be hoarded than something to be shared.  Hunger is on the rise worldwide and programs that once allowed our mutual care as citizens to feed people all across the world have been shut down in the name of “waste and abuse.”  That’s not all. In a culture driven by greed, profits drive the decisions about what kind of food to offer in the grocery stores and school lunch rooms.  We live in an age where good, healthy food is a privilege often only afforded to those who have means.  Jesus’ call to share the abundance God gives seems so remarkable when we live in an age when planetary survival itself seems shaky because it’s tied to systems that announce scarcity and greed.

It doesn’t have to be this way and because “Christ” is literally in the name we call ourselves, it’s Christ we should follow, not the politicians and consumerism and greed of our culture.  Gathering around a table and saying there is enough for all may not seem like a radical agenda, but as Christ-followers in 2025 it’s one of the most prophetic actions we can take.  

Jesus didn’t lead us toward abundance for us to hoard it.  Jesus leads us toward abundance to share it.  It’s as simple and true as that. 

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I am not the only one who can speak well on this topic.  I have invited a local farmer who is a member of our congregation to share now. 

Naomi Peterson:

For those of you I have not met yet, my name is Naomi, and I run a small farm called Rooted Acres, just up the road. A couple weeks ago, Anna invited me to spend a few moments reflecting on creation care and food justice, and I want to share how that’s come to life through the soil under my feet.

A few years ago, after losing my full-time job, I didn’t know what was next. I just knew I needed to grow something—literally.  What started as a few rows of vegetables turned into Rooted Acres. Now, it’s more than a farm—it’s a calling — a “vocation”… to reference my star word from that year. And it’s taught me that food justice is deeply connected to our faith.

“Food is a primary way we interact with other humans.  Humans grow food for each other, cook food for each other, transport food to one another.  There are many ways in which food and its production has been a part of systems that allow for oppression - but it can just as easily be a part of liberation and justice.” This is a quote from a favorite book of mine “The Just Kitchen: Invitations to sustainability, cooking, connection, and celebration” by Derrick Weston and Anna Woofenden.  It is such an intriguing book that encourages reflection and incorporates justice and care in how we interact with food systems - from food production and distribution through preparation and consumption.  

In Scripture, God doesn’t separate care for people from care for the land. In Leviticus, farmers are told not to harvest the edges of their fields so the poor and the stranger can eat.  In the book of Ruth, the threads of famine, tragedy, abundance, dignity, and access are woven throughout. Jesus fed people—often and abundantly. These are not side stories. Feeding people, sharing from our abundance, leaving space for others—that’s the gospel in action. 

At Rooted Acres, we try to live out that gospel. We don’t use synthetic pesticides or fertilizers.  We compost our food scraps and other compostable waste.  We practice soil care—gently preparing and returning organic matter to the land so it can keep giving long after we no longer use it. And we make sure that food doesn’t just go to those who can afford it.  We strive to donate to and help expand the church’s robust food ministries.  Because we believe good food—real, nourishing food—is a right, not a privilege.

When you say your prayer at the table tonight, thank God for your food but also— 

The earth that nourished your food,

The people who planted and watered and cared for it,

Those who harvested and transported it,

Those who prepared and cooked, 

The gift of eating and being fed,

Those who are unable to say the same this day, 

And perhaps guidance in discerning how you can incorporate food justice as a value in your life.  

If you’re a gardener or farmer here today, I encourage you to think about what justice looks like in your own work—whether that’s how you plant, who you feed, or how you share your harvest. And if you’re not in the dirt, you’re still invited to learn more about what our church does to feed our community, see how we’re committing to sustainability, ask how to get involved, or support programs that make fresh food more available in our community.  Come to the backyard after worship to see our compost station and newly built garden beds that will help supply the summer lunch program with fresh produce!

Food justice is fundamental in our faith. It’s how we show that we believe in a God who feeds, who nurtures, and who calls us to do the same.

Thank you, Naomi!  We must remember that the work of food justice is about addressing immediate needs and transforming our relationship with Earth and one another. As you look for ways to make new choices for yourself and your community, I invite you to do several things:

• Native American Ministries Sunday.  Offering goes to support Native American Ministries right here in our own conference.  

• Together we can raise our collective voices for food justice at the state house.  I invite you to read more about a bill that is currently before the New York State Senate that will limit the number of harmful chemicals that are put into our foods, sometimes in ways that we don’t even know.   Visit our advocacy table in the Social Hall to add your name to the petition asking our legislators to make sure our food is safe. 

• And finally, after you have sufficiently gotten your plate of snacks, head out to our church’s back back yard to see our glorious compost pile and our new garden beds from which we plan to feed our neighbors this summer.   Think about signing up to help with our Summer Lunch Program this summer. 

• Walk in or donate to the Crop Walk! 

Grace and Peace,

Pastor Anna