This Sunday's readings, Acts 9:1-6 and John 21:1-19 are both about fresh beginnings and new starts.  In the Acts reading we find Saul - a murderous religious fanatic - setting out to wipe out this strange new sect of Judaism, 'The Way', that we now know as Christianity.  But whilst he's on his way, he ends up on The Way when he comes face-to-face with the resurrected Christ.  The human orders and certainty he'd set out with are replace by a time of confusion and waiting, as he's told by Jesus himself, God himself, to go into the city and wait to be told what to do...

In the John reading we find the disciples, after the crucifiction, wandering about, wondering about what to do.  Peter, like many men through history, when stuck for a good idea for something to do declares, 'I'm going fishing' - and the rest of the gang tag along.  As they are doing something normal, something extraordinary happens - Jesus, risen, appears to them and cooks them breakfast! (That's the kind of God we serve, one who knows the importance of breakfast!  Love it!)  And then follows one of the most touching reunion scenes in history, between Jesus, the man betrayed, and Peter, the one who denied him.  And Peter discovers something extraordinary - he is forgiven before he has a chance to say sorry, and he is set out again - fresh and new - on the path of following Jesus.

The common theme, then, is fresh beginnings, and new starts - two people who thought they were one thing, discovering they were something else entirely - a man bent on wiping out the church discovering his calling to take it to the nations; and a cowardly man who could never say the right thing becoming one of the most powerful and engaging public speakers in history...

Our question then, might be - what have been our turning points?  What have been the moments of being called to be ourselves by God?  Or, perhaps, where or what are the things we're misunderstanding about ourselves right now?  What do we need to put down?  What do we need to take up?  Or are we, like Paul at the end of his story today, and Peter at the beginning, in a place of waiting to see what's next?

Pause for Prayer: Try sitting for a moment, and asking God to guide you through his Spirit.  Spend some time writing down the words that you would use to describe yourself (be honest, no one is looking!).  Now try writing a second list describing the person you think God wants you (not anyone else, just you) to be.  Give thanks for the words that appear on both lists.  Are any necessary changes revealed?  If you're feeling brave, you could ask God to help you make those changes.  But know that could be a hard road before you commit to it.