The Miraculous Sign of Jesus

Rev. Harriette Cross First United Methodist Church of Wilmington August 1, 2021 John 6:24-35 10th Sunday after Pentecost Year B The Miraculous Sign of Jesus Opening Song Welcome (no need to print) Leader: Today we give thanks to God for our musicians and for their faithful service in the ministry of music. Called in baptism and equipped with musical gifts, they have led the people of God in singing the new song of eternal life in Jesus Christ. Call to Worship O Lord, open our lips, and our mouth will proclaim your praise. It is good to praise the Lord and make music to your name, O Most High, to proclaim your love in the morning and your faithfulness at night. Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song. - Psalm 92:1-2; 95:1-2 Stewardship Moment In the life of every congregation, the recognition comes of the variety of gifts which have been given to different individuals. Some gifts might be over-looked until they become necessities. Knowing how to use a wet vac may seem superfluous until the basement floods! Aptitude with a tow truck may seem an unlikely gift until the church van breaks down with five youth and their sponsors on board. And who knew how important You Tube and Facebook would be for a functioning congregation until COVID closed down our “normal” means of communicating and sharing worship! Every individual has received gifts for the purpose of equipping the saints for the work of ministry! How will you share the gifts you’ve received? Perhaps in direct action, and perhaps also in monetizing your gift and sharing financially from the work of your hands/hearts. As we receive our morning offering, consider how your gift/s will build up the body of Christ. Without you and your gift/s, we cannot come to maturity, Paul writes. It takes ALL of us, working and sharing together, to help reach the full stature of Christ! Let us receive our morning tithes, gifts and offerings. Prayer of Thanksgiving Holy Giver of every good and perfect gift, Thank you for this opportunity to claim the gifts we’ve been given. Challenge each one of us to recognize what we have received and how we can best use these gifts to proclaim our love for you. Thank you for this time to offer our gifts to build up of the body of Christ. AMEN Song In Christ there is not East or West UMH 548 Scripture John 6:24-35 John 6:24-35 Common English Bible 24 When the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into the boats and came to Capernaum looking for Jesus. 25 When they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, “Rabbi, when did you get here?” Bread of life 26 Jesus replied, “I assure you that you are looking for me not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate all the food you wanted. 27 Don’t work for the food that doesn’t last but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Human One[a] will give you. God the Father has confirmed him as his agent to give life.” 28 They asked, “What must we do in order to accomplish what God requires?” 29 Jesus replied, “This is what God requires, that you believe in him whom God sent.” 30 They asked, “What miraculous sign will you do, that we can see and believe you? What will you do? 31 Our ancestors ate manna in the wilderness, just as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat.”[b] 32 Jesus told them, “I assure you, it wasn’t Moses who gave the bread from heaven to you, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 The bread of God is the one who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” 34 They said, “Sir,[c] give us this bread all the time!” 35 Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. Sermon The Miraculous Sign of Jesus So it looks like the COVID saga continues – we continue to struggle with what it means to return to normal. I hope that as we each work to answer that question for ourselves that we all stay safe. One of the favorite pastimes of the COVID era has been eating. Statistics say that most people have gained 10 -20 pounds more this past year – because what do we do when we are stressed – we eat. Eating is a basic need in life for all of us. And the basic staple of any meal? Bread. I think that most of us at some point in this last year has went to the store to get a loaf of bread ( even if it is a low carb bread – we still have some sort of bread. At $2 a loaf, many of us take the loaf of bread for granted. But in reality, throughout human history it has been one of the most important things in life. Perhaps that is why When Jesus was trying to tell others about who God is – the first metaphor that he can think of – a loaf of bread. When people want to know who he is – he says I am the bread of life. The lectionary spends 5 Sundays on this one symbol of God. We are only going to look at the gospel lesson this one Sunday. This is the only chapter in the bible that is stretched out this long. Usually, when John 6 comes up I wonder, how you can get 5 sermons out of one metaphor. But this year as I reviewed this lesson, I got so much more out of it besides bread, food, being hungry and being fed by Jesus. There is a whole story behind this metaphor. John’s point in telling this story is that there are two levels in every situation in life. There is the obvious things that we see with our eyes, and there is a sub story to look at where the real message is. Jesus is traveling throughout the countryside teaching and meeting needs. When he feeds the people when they are hungry – they want to make him king. Wouldn’t it be nice if we could be fed all of the time. This is a man of God with special powers, we need him in our lives. Jesus wants no part of this plan, first he escapes with his disciples. When that doesn’t work, he hides by himself. And the people still find him. Give us this bread all of the time! Moses gave the people manna when they were hungry. Give us the same signs so that we can believe in God. Jesus has to explain to them that Moses did not give them bread – God provided for them. All throughout the new testament Jesus tells his followers not to look for signs. God is not in miracles and signs, God is in our faith. Time and time when Jesus tries to explain who God is, the people get so caught up on the obvious story they get it wrong. When Jesus tells us that he is the temple of God – the people start to look at a building, when Jesus tells Nicodemus about being born again – we tries to figure out how to go back into his mother’s womb. When Jesus tells the woman that he is living water, she looks at Jacob’s well looking for water. So when Jesus says I am the bread of life – the people think he is a bread maker that will produce bread at will. This story would be funny if it didn’t apply to all of us – still looking for a sign and a miracle. We still pray that God will end COVID, we are still hoping that once it is over that God’s gift will be losing 10 pounds without doing exercise. If God will just give us brighter days – our problems will be over and we will praise him. Jesus says that He is the bread of life – but Jesus also tells us what that does not mean – it does not mean a lifetime of free bread. It does not mean the answer to all of our prayers. It doesn’t mean someone who constantly gives in order to justify going to church. The miracles of life and the hope is deeper than that. O Benjamin Sparks, “We are accustomed to inviting people into the community of faith for all the wrong reasons: for the "right" kind of worship; for political engagement on behalf of the poor and downtrodden; for the sake of a Christian America; for a strong youth and family ministry; for the opportunity to practice mission in a downtown location, or to go on mission trips to Africa or Central America. Yet what we have to offer—in Christ and by Christ and because of Christ—first and foremost is "soul food," which lasts forever and does not change with the changing circumstances of the church or the world. It is soul food that we desire, and soul food in which we will rejoice, long after our bellies are full of rice and our lives know justice in a free society.” Feasting on the Word – Year B, Volume 3: Pentecost and Season After Pentecost 1 (Propers 3-16) A few years ago, there was this bread company called Great Harvest bread company – they had stores in a few places that I used to live. Actually, I really don’t care much for bread. But I would love to go to this store – because whenever you went in there was an employee who would cut any piece of bread that you wanted and let you put butter on it and eat it right there. That is what the church is – a bread store – giving out free pieces of Jesus – butter and all! All of us come to church for many different reasons, we are looking for different things, we have different expectations. Jesus is here for us all – not with easy answers, but with faith answers. When the people are looking for bread in this lesson, Jesus tells them that he is the bread of life. all we have to do is believe. Believe God. Believe that Jesus is the son of God. We don’t know when this saga will end, we do not know anything about the future. But we do know that God is the God of peace, of wholeness, of love. That all things come to be in God’s time. Jesus is the bread of life – if we believe then we will be hungry no more. As we take communion – let us remember that Jesus is the bread of life – if we believe we will have more than enough to get by. Amen Prayer and acknowledgement of all who are a part of the music Ministry Creator God, because you make all that draws forth our praise and the forms in which to express it, we praise you. Because you make artists of us all, awakening courage to look again at what is taken for granted, grace to share these insights with others, vision to reveal the future already in being, we praise you. Because you form your Word among us, and in your great work embrace all human experience, even death itself, inspiring our resurrection song, we praise you. Yours is the glory. Amen. Lord Jesus Christ, In the waters of baptism you have gifted us for ministry in your church and in the world. We give you thanks for the ministry of music and faithful service of these your children. To all whom they have inspired in the arts, bring your blessing. Strengthen them in every future endeavor and bring to fruition their work to enliven your Word in us through music. Empower us to sing your resurrection song with fervor and to regard music as a lively expression of your gospel and a gift of your making. Amen All join together: Be with all your servants who make art and music for your people, that with joy, we on earth may glimpse your beauty, and bring us to the fulfillment of that hope of perfection, which will be ours as we stand before you. Amen Song One Bread One Body 620 Communion Invitation to Communion (from John 6:35) (don’t print) For many, bread has become part of the “eat sparingly” list, because of gluten, calories or too many other good things to fill our bellies. But for most of the world today, and for the people of Jesus’ world, bread is/was an essential — a basic part of every meal. So it makes sense Jesus uses “bread” as a way of describing his essential nature – “the bread of life”. When we come to the Table today, we find the essentials here: some symbolic or emblematic form of food and drink. Behind these simple elements is the solid truth of Jesus as essential to life. For those present in the sanctuary, our bread is ________________. If you’re worshipping online, I hope you have some essential elements (bread, cracker, chip, cookie, along with wine, juice, milk&honey). Together, let us “come to Jesus”, sharing these emblems of life, and actively remembering our Lord as our hungry hearts are satisfied. Announcements Closing Prayer Creator God, you have made us in your image to reflect your goodness. You have called us to use our gifts to build your kingdom. As we begin this day, we seek to reflect your image. Help us not only to focus on how to develop our creativity, but also to seek the wisdom to use our skills to your glory, and for the building up of the people we serve. In the name of Christ and through the Holy Spirit we pray. God of majesty, whom saints and angels delight to worship in heaven: Be with your servants who make art and music for your people, that with joy we on earth may glimpse your beauty; and bring us to the fulfillment of that hope of perfection which will be ours as we stand before your unveiled glory. We pray in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Benediction Children’s Sermon God's recipe John 6:42 Object: a bowl of flour Good morning, boys and girls. (Show them the bowl of flour.) What do you think I have in this bowl? (Let them respond.) It's flour. What is flour made from? (Let them respond.) It's made from wheat. It grows in the field and when it's ready, the farmer harvests the wheat and grinds it into flour. What is flour good for? (Let them respond.) It's good for cooking! It looks pretty ordinary to me. What can we cook with flour? (Let them respond.) We can make bread, gravy, cookies, crackers, pancakes, waffles, cakes and pies. We can also make a play clay from flour and even paste can be made from flour. How can I do that with just an ordinary bowl of flour? (Let them respond.) We have to add other things to the flour to make different foods from flour. If I had an egg, some milk and a little oil, I can make pancakes. If I add the same things; egg, milk and oil, it can also become cake! Does a cake LOOK like a pancake or TASTE like pancakes? (Let them respond.) No, it doesn't. So what is it that makes it a cake or a pancake? (Let them respond.) It's how many eggs, how much milk and how many spoons of oil that makes it a cake or a pancake. But it all starts with plain, old, ordinary flour! Our lesson today is a story about Jesus. He was talking to some people that knew him when he was just plain old ordinary Jesus. The people were surprised at the things he said. They talked to each other and said, "Isn't this Jesus? We know his parents. Who does he think he is?" They knew Jesus and decided that Jesus was ordinary. They decided that ordinary people wouldn't say the things he did. They wouldn't listen to him. They got angry with Jesus. They didn't realize how special Jesus was! Sometimes we think and act like we're ordinary. But we're not ordinary like the people thought Jesus was supposed to be. We're special because we have some other ingredients mixed up with us just like this flour gets other things added to it to make different foods. What do you think we have added to us? (Let them respond.) We have a special ingredient - it's love. Just stir us up. Add a little love from God and mix well. That made Jesus special, too. He was following God's recipe and we can, too. God's recipe says to add love and mix well. Love makes us all special and not ordinary at all. CSS Publishing, Lima, Ohio, , by CSS Additional Illustrations • . • Sometime this week you will make a trip to the grocery store to get a loaf of bread. It will be readily available on the shelf. There will be quite a variety to choose from. You will pay little attention to the price, not realizing that the packaging that the bread is wrapped in actually costs more than the wheat that is in the bread. All in all, you will think it a very uneventful trip, but you will be wrong. • • It is quite difficult for me, as an American, to understand the importance of bread unless I turn on my TV and watch what is going on in so many parts of the world today. When there is no staff of life there is suffering and famine. A simple loaf of bread: Something, which we do not give a second thought, but in certain parts of the world it means life itself. • • It is only as we comprehend that situation that we can really begin to understand the importance of bread not only now but also in the time of Jesus. Just think for a moment how so many significant theological events in the Bible revolve around the subject of bread. The most important event in the Old Testament of course, was the Exodus event--the trip from Egypt to the Promised Land. But what caused the Hebrews to be in Egypt in the first place? It was for want of bread you will recall. The wheat crop had failed due to drought, and the Hebrews had migrated to the land of the Pharaoh because there was a surplus in storage there. It was bread, or the lack of it, that initiated this whole chain of events... • One of everyone’s favorite past times during this past Covid year and a half, especially during lock down, was food! Eating. And eating. And eating. And eating. • • The average person reported gaining 10 to 20 pounds during the past year in the US alone. Some even more. Why? Three factors stand out. 1) Increased stress about the virus or to be exact “stress-eating,” 2) lack of gym access and general exercise, and 3) lack of socialization (loneliness, isolation, depression, and separation from loved ones and friends). Never before have we realized just how much we depended on each other for our mental and physical and emotional and spiritual health. • • Covid not only reminded us about what happens economically and culturally when we function in the extreme as individual units instead of as communities but what happens to us mentally, spiritually, and emotionally when we are confronted by isolation, when our relationships are cut off and socialization shuts down. • • In 1943, a psychologist by the name of Abraham Maslow in his paper on human motivation, laid out a chart called the human hierarchy of needs. Maslow’s theory tells us that our most basic human needs are physiological. We need food, water, and rest to live....