Church Family Moment for Sunday, May 4, 2025

By Director of Spiritual Formation Rebecca Guzman

1. Act It Out
   Today’s scripture tells the story of the risen Jesus surprising his disciples while they’re fishing. They’ve caught nothing—until Jesus tells them to try the other side of the boat. Suddenly, they catch so many fish they can barely carry them! Peter is so excited he jumps out of the boat to swim to Jesus. Try acting out the story at home with paper fish, a blanket “boat,” and someone playing Jesus on the shore. How do you think the disciples felt when they saw Jesus again?
2. Read and Reflect
   Watch The Beautiful Oops by Barney Saltzberg here. This book reminds us that mistakes can lead to something new. Peter made a big mistake when he denied knowing Jesus. But Jesus gives him another chance, turning that “oops” into a beautiful moment. As Noell Rathbun-Cook writes, Jesus “graciously redeems and redirects” Peter’s life (Storypath source).
3. Make “Beautiful Oops” Art
   Take a piece of paper and “mess it up”—crumple it, drip water, tear it, or scribble on it. Then turn it into something beautiful. Can your scribble become a flower? A mountain? Just like Jesus helped Peter find new purpose, you can turn your oops into something creative.
4. Journal, considering the following:

• Why do you think Jesus used the big catch of fish to get the disciples’ attention?
• How do you think Peter felt when Jesus gave him another chance?
• Have you ever made a mistake that turned into something good?