One Little Word

The Bread of Life

Lessons:
   Exodus 16:2-4, 9-15
    Psalm 78:23-29 (24, 25)
    Ephesians 4:1-16
    St John 6:24-35
    Semicontinuous Series:
        2 Samuel 11:26 – 12:13a
        Psalm 51:1-12

Prayer of the Day:
    O God, eternal goodness, immeasurable love, you place your gifts before us; we eat and are satisfied. Fill us and this world in all its need with the life that comes only from you, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.

^6:24So when the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they themselves got into the boats and went to Capernaum looking for Jesus.
²⁵When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?”²⁶Jesus answered them, “Very truly, I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves.²⁷Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For it is on him that God the Father has set his seal.”²⁸Then they said to him, “What must we do to perform the works of God?”²⁹Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.”³⁰So they said to him, “What sign are you going to give us then, so that we may see it and believe you? What work are you performing?³¹Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’ “³²Then Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven.³³For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”³⁴They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.”
³⁵Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”

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St. John 6:24-35 New Revised Version Bible (C)1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America.

Brady and Landon feeding birds in Venice; March, 2006

Three years ago, on a trip to Europe, my family and I found ourselves in the plaza at St. Mark’s Cathedral in Venice. Our sons Brady and Landon couldn’t wait to feed the pigeons. They had been watching others do it, and it looked like a blast. So they dropped a couple of Euros in the vendor’s hand, and received two small bags of feed. As soon as they turned away from the booth, the pigeons had them in sight, and swarmed them from every direction. There were pigeons on their feet, their hands, their arms, their shoulders, their heads… and so tightly surrounding them that they could hardly even move!

Jesus must have felt like that in the sixth chapter of John’s Gospel. In the text we considered last week, he fed some five thousand of them in the wilderness. When they came after him, and he realized that they were about to try and forcibly make him their king, he slipped away to the mountain to be alone. That night many of them fell asleep in the wilderness (stuffed with food like Thanksgiving Day afternoon). When they awoke to find that he had left for the other side of the sea, they swarmed after him (like Venetian pigeons), and in a tone that bordered on belligerence, began to demand of him: “When did you come here? How can we control the power of God? When will you give us more bread?”

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Pragmatism and Faithfulness

Lessons:
   2 Kings 4:42-44
    Psalm 145:10-18
    Ephesians 3:14-21
    St. John 6:1-21
    Semicontinuous Series:
        2 Samuel 11:1-15
        Psalm 14

Prayer of the Day:
    Gracious God, you have placed within the hearts of all your children a longing for your word and a hunger for your truth. Grant that we may know your Son to be the true bread of heaven and share this bread with all the world, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.

^6:1After this Jesus went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, also called the Sea of Tiberias. ²A large crowd kept following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing for the sick.³Jesus went up the mountain and sat down there with his disciples.⁴Now the Passover, the festival of the Jews, was near.⁵When he looked up and saw a large crowd coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread for these people to eat?”⁶He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he was going to do.⁷Philip answered him, “Six months’ wages would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little.”⁸One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him,⁹“There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish. But what are they among so many people?”¹⁰Jesus said, “Make the people sit down.” Now there was a great deal of grass in the place; so they sat down, about five thousand in all.¹¹Then Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated; so also the fish, as much as they wanted.¹²When they were satisfied, he told his disciples, “Gather up the fragments left over, so that nothing may be lost.”¹³So they gathered them up, and from the fragments of the five barley loaves, left by those who had eaten, they filled twelve baskets.¹⁴When the people saw the sign that he had done, they began to say, “This is indeed the prophet who is to come into the world.”
¹⁵When Jesus realized that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain by himself. ¹⁶When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea,¹⁷ got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them.¹⁸The sea became rough because a strong wind was blowing.¹⁹When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were terrified.²⁰But he said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.”²¹Then they wanted to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the land toward which they were going.

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St. John 6:-21 New Revised Version Bible (C)1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America.

I don’t need to tell you that these are hard times for Christian congregations in the United States. We are in the midst of a significant economic down-turn. Most of our people are taking a close look at their budget, and are cutting back in whatever areas they can. Some of them have even decided to cut back on their financial support of the church.

I serve among pastors and church leaders who are concerned about this. In my denomination, there are pastors who fear that their congregation’s plans are too ambitious, and they worry about where the resources will come from. In my own church, there is the sentiment that we just don’t have enough money, or enough volunteers, to accomplish what God is calling us to do.

These are very pragmatic responses to some very significant concerns.

Yet this week’s Gospel lesson comes as a challenge to that kind of thinking.

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Welcome. Now Go!

Lessons:
    Jeremiah 23:1-6
    Psalm 23
    Ephesians 2:11-22
    St. Mark 6:30-34, 53-56
    Semicontinuous Series:
        2 Samuel 7:1-14a
        Psalm 89:20-37

Prayer of the Day:
    O God, powerful and compassionate, you shepherd your people, faithfully feeding and protecting us. Heal each of us, and make us a whole people, that we may embody the justice and peace of your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.

^6:30 The apostles gathered around Jesus, and told him all that they had done and taught. ³¹ He said to them, “Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. ³² And they went away in the boat to a deserted place by themselves. ³³ Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they hurried there on foot from all the towns and arrived ahead of them. ³⁴ As he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things.

⁵³ When they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret and moored the boat. ⁵⁴ When they got out of the boat, people at once recognized him, ⁵⁵ and rushed about that whole region and began to bring the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was. ⁵⁶ And wherever he went, into villages or cities or farms, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged him that they might touch even the fringe of his cloak; and all who touched it were healed.  

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St. Mark 6:30-34, 53-56 New Revised Version Bible (C)1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America.

“Welcome to Arizona. Now go home!” So read the popular bumper sticker that graced quite a few Arizona-registered automobiles when I moved there in the mid-1980s. A similar sticker, with the words “Colorado Native” on it, can be seen in our state these days. A bit more subtle, but perhaps it expresses the same sentiment: “I was here first. I liked it when I got here. You newcomers are destroying what we used to have. It’s time for you to leave.” An interesting aside: I don’t believe I’ve ever seen those bumper stickers on the vehicles of Native Americans, who arguably are the only ones who could make such a declaration with any integrity…

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Truth, Justice and Repentance

Lessons:
    Amos 7:7-15
    Psalm 85:8-13
    Ephesians 1:3-14
    St. Mark 6:14-29
    Semicontinuous Series:
        2 Samuel 6:1-5, 12b-19
        Psalm 24

Prayer of the Day:
    O God, from you come all holy desires, all good counsels, and all just works. Give to us, your servants, that peace which the world cannot give, that our hearts may be set to obey your commandments; and also that we, being defended from the fear of our enemies, may live in peace and quietness, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.

^6:14 King Herod heard of it, for Jesus’^ name had become known. Some were^ saying, “John the baptizer has been raised from the dead; and for this reason these powers are at work in him.” ¹⁵ But others said, “It is Elijah.” And others said, “It is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.” ¹⁶ But when Herod heard of it, he said, “John, whom I beheaded, has been raised.”
¹⁷ For Herod himself had sent men who arrested John, bound him, and put him in prison on account of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, because Herod^ had married her. ¹⁸ For John had been telling Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” ¹⁹ And Herodias had a grudge against him, and wanted to kill him. But she could not, ²⁰ for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he protected him. When he heard him, he was greatly perplexed;^ and yet he liked to listen to him. ²¹ But an opportunity came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his courtiers and officers and for the leaders of Galilee. ²² When his daughter Herodias^ came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests; and the king said to the girl, “Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will give it.” ²³ And he solemnly swore to her, “Whatever you ask me, I will give you, even half of my kingdom.” ²⁴ She went out and said to her mother, “What should I ask for?” She replied, “The head of John the baptizer.” ²⁵ Immediately she rushed back to the king and requested, “I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter.” ²⁶ The king was deeply grieved; yet out of regard for his oaths and for the guests, he did not want to refuse her. ²⁷ Immediately the king sent a soldier of the guard with orders to bring John’s^ head. He went and beheaded him in the prison, ²⁸ brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl. Then the girl gave it to her mother. ²⁹ When his disciples heard about it, they came and took his body, and laid it in a tomb.

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St. Mark 6:14-29 New Revised Version Bible (C)1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America.

We often speak of Mary Magdalene as the first witness to the resurrection — in John 20:18, on that first Easter morning, she is reported to have met Jesus at the empty tomb, and then returned to the disciples, declaring to them: “I have seen the Lord!” Oddly enough, it is here in Mark 6 that Jesus and resurrection are first mentioned in the same breath.

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