God Gives us Bread From Heaven

November 20, 2022 Thanksgiving Sunday John 6:25-35 God gives us bread from heaven Year C Opening Song Welcome Call to Worship We dwell in a land God has loaned to us Make a joyful noise to God, all the earth. We come with gladness to worship God. We enter God’s presence with joyous song. The first fruits of our labor belong to God Rejoice in the privilege of sharing God’s bounty. God has made us, and we belong to God. We are the sheep of God’s pasture. The God of peace greets us in this time of worship Enter with thanksgiving and heartfelt praise. We thank God for steadfast love to sustain us. We praise God for faithfulness to all generations. (Gathered by Love, Lavon Bayler) Song Come Ye Thankful People Come UMH 694 Children’s Sermon Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 5:18 Needed: nothing Children’s Sermon Greet children with, Happy Thanksgiving! And, of course, Thanksgiving is all about giving thanks, isn’t it? We thank God for all the good things He’s done for us. What are some things that you want to thank God for this year? (Share something that you’re thankful for.) I want to play a little game today. Because the Apostle Paul wrote that we should… (Read 1 Thessalonians 5:18.) “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” “Give thanks in all circumstances.” That means we should thank God when things are good and when things are bad. Let’s practice. Let’s pretend that you’re all on a sports team and I’m your coach. If our team just won a game, what could we thank God for? (We could thank Him for letting us win.) But what if our team lost? Then, what could we thank God for? (We could thank Him for letting us play well and have fun together.) Okay. Second example: What if it was a beautiful, sunshiny day outside? What could we thank God for? (We could thank Him for the nice weather.) But what if it was rainy all day? What could we thank God for, then? (We could thank Him for the rain to help the grass and other plants grow.) Okay. Last example: What if someone was sick, and we prayed that they would get better and then, they did get better? What could we thank God for in that situation? (We could thank God for healing the sick person and making them healthy again.) But what if we prayed, and God didn’t heal the person? What if the person died? What could we thank God for, then? (We could thank God for the good life the person had and that we’ll see them in Heaven again someday.) See? Whether things are good or bad, we can always thank God for something. That’s why Paul tells us to “Give thanks in all circumstances.” Let’s pray and give thanks now. Closing Prayer Father God, we thank You for being a good God. You are so good that no matter what happens, we can always thank You for something. Help us to see the good in every situation so that we can always give You thanks. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen. (Rev. Stephen R. Wilson) Scripture John 6:25-35 Sermon – God gives us Bread from Heaven Have You Taken Inventory Lately? The renown teacher and author Dr. David McLennon tells a story of his very first job in a small town general store. This was the day before mails and supermarket chains at least it was in his community. At age thirteen he was hired as a handy boy. He would sweep the flour, bag items for customers, put up stock. On one particular Saturday, he recalled., he heard the owner say to one of the clerks "It’s that time of the year again, it’s time to take inventory." Dr. McLennon Wrote that this was a word that had not yet entered into his vocabulary. When an opportune moment arrived, he went up to the kindly older man and asked, Sir, what is an inventory? Patiently the owner explained that it was a time when you made a list of everything that you had--from groceries on the shelves to wrapping paper and string. Still somewhat puzzled, the young McLennon then asked, Why? "Well, responded the owner, its easy to forget exactly how much you have each year. Every now and then you have to take an inventory just to see what all you have." That little story, to me, pretty well sums up what Thanksgiving is all about. It is a time when each of us needs to ask ourselves the question: Have I taken inventory of my life lately? Have I made an effort to count all the things that I do have in life instead of complaining about the things that I don’t have. It is a good exercise especially when we are of a mind to brood or whine in self pity. Have you taken inventory lately? What I am suggesting here is not some shallow "count your blessings" platitude. But from time to time, in a genuine kind of a way, we need to sit down and do some talking to ourselves about all of the gifts and opportunities and challenges that God has given each one of us. Perhaps there is a deep underlying wisdom in the children's poem that says: "Count your blessings one by one, and you might be surprised what the Lord has done." Staff, www.eSermons.com I think that is one of the most important things that we can do for Thanksgiving is to take account of our blessings. There are some years when it may take a moment. But we have to realize that God is there for us in the midst of our lives. Sometimes we have to do it like Robinson Coruso – who when stuck on a desert island, would write down all of the bad things in his life, but for each bad thing he would also write a good thing. He was amazed to realize that he really did have good things happen to him. His list of good and bad was always balanced. Then there is the story of John Witherspoon, one of the signers of the declaration of independence. He was also president of the College of New Jersey at Princeton. He was also a presbyterian minister. One day he was in his office, when his neighbor burst in to tell him of a horrific accident that he had had. His horse had bolted, his buggy was smashed and he narrowly escaped injury. He wanted Witherspoon to pray with him to thank god for sparring his life. John Witherspoon indeed prayed, but before he did so, he told his neighbor that he had a far greater testimony. He told his neighbor that he too rode his buggy over that same road this morning. But not one things went wrong. His horse was calm and his buggy was okay. He too narrowly escaped death. He thanked God for being with him and keeping him safe. God got us all safely here today. God has been with us this morning, God has been with us all of our lives. And yet how many of us thank God daily for bringing us through and allowing us to go about our daily life. When things go wrong, we don’t have a problem asking why me. Yet when we have a feast and things are going well, how many of us ask why me? Why have you blessed me so extravagantly – and yet we are blessed by God each and every day. So today what is it that we have to be thankful for? How has God blessed us today? What is it that we have to be thankful for as a church? What is it that we have to be thankful for as a world. One big thing that we can be thankful for – we all survived a pandemic. We all know that the pandemic is not over, but we can be thankful that the world has found the courage to move on. For the first time in a long time, this thanksgiving we are free to make plans, to be with family, to move and go where we want to. This year we have a lot to be grateful for. Thanksgiving of course is a national holiday, and yet it is not considered a Christian holiday. There is nothing in the bible that tells us to get together as a nation in order to say thank you. And yet the bible is full of stories of thanksgiving, of celebrations, and of living a life of gratitude. John 6 is a story of gratitude. In chapter 5, and the beginning of chapter 6 – Jesus was on the beach teaching when 5000 men and their families showed up to listen to him, and he realized that they were listening to his words, they had been there all day, and that they must be hungry. This is the story of the feeding of the 5000 – where Jesus talks 5 loaves of bread and some fish and everyone has something to be thankful for that day. This is the first major gathering of what are called rice Christians. I would imagine that you have never heard of that term. A rice Christian is someone who only shows up for something religious when food is being served. We all would like to believe that we are such good people – and that we are so in live with God. But the reality is food is always a major draw for any gathering on any day. We are having a full meal for coffee hour – today should be a good day for us all. I don’t have a problem admitting that I am a rice Christian – I love food. I love the idea of eating. Every Saturday – I spend my whole day watching channel 11 – because they have cooking shows on all day. I don’t even bother to make the recipes, I just love watching food on tv. There is this soul food restaurant in Georgia – every day at 7am they do a video of their buffet, highlighting all of the food that they have and they put it on Facebook. OMG – watching this video is the highlight of my day, it has become my daily devotion. Now I will never drive to Georgia just to eat at this restaurant – Chicago has plenty of soul food restaurants- But somehow just watching their food feeds my spirit. So in John 6 – Jesus feeds the 5000. But he also chastises them for thinking that the gospel is just about food – even though it really is. Jesus tells us – you came to listen to me, not because you were looking for spiritual miracles, but because you ate all of the food you wanted. He doesn’t say that that is a bad thing, he ways that we shouldn’t be in search of food that does not last. Jesus doesn’t have a problem feeding us, he just reminds us that there is more to life than food. He gives us food, but he also gives us life. There are 3 lessons for us in the book of John – Jesus is the provider of our bread, Jesus is the bread of life because he is the word of God, and that Jesus is the bread of the church – communion and baptism. Jesus does not just feed us, Jesus encourages us to think beyond our needs and the needs of the world for something more. In the book of John, Jesus tells us that he is the living bread and that he is the living water of life. When we take communion and take his bread and his juice, we get so much more than food. Living water is water that moves an has a life of its own – like a river. Living bread on the other hand – is bread that has yeast. Yeast is what makes the bread rise, and gives you the power to make all difference kinds of bread. The metaphor of Jesus, the Bread of Life, is a metaphor that meets hungering humans where we think we are empty in our stomachs but then points us to where our real emptiness lies in our souls. Jesus' image goes through our stomachs to get to our souls. One thing that makes bread such a good medium and metaphor to convey the image of soul-sustaining nourishment is the life-giving process it goes through to become a fragrant loaf. Except for a few special unleavened varieties, what really makes bread for most of us is yeast. A tiny one-celled organism that grows and metabolizes its own food with great speed, yeast organisms "work" in the dough, slightly fermenting and releasing gases so that the bread begins to rise. This natural process is common in many foods yeast organisms often get into and ferment many things we didn't plan on. Ever find yourself spitting out a big swig of too-old orange juice? The taste that tingled on your tongue was produced by yeast. Yeast is ubiquitous. Indeed, part of the challenge of Passover preparations is to create completely unleavened bread (matzo) for the celebration. Part of the pre-festival celebration involves a ritual "search" through the house with a feather, to seek out and sweep away any yeast that may remain inside and could contaminate the matzo. Jesus, the Bread of Life, is energized in each one of us by divine yeast by the Spirit of the living God, who sent Christ to be among us, to be for us, to be in us. To benefit fully from this Bread of Life, we must keep our lives, our spirits, "yeasty" vital and ever growing. What can you do to create "yeast" in your soul? Here's one suggestion. Try using "y-e-a-s-t" as an acronym for your spiritual attitude. "Yes." Are you saying "yes" to nourishing possibilities the Bread of Life is offering you? You've heard of the "placebo" effect. It's when your body thinks it's getting something helpful and healing, and so generates a helpful and healing response throughout your system. But scientists are now talking equally about the flip side of the "placebo" effect. They're calling it the "nocebo" effect. It's when your inability to think "yes," your negative mood and outlook, your worried fixation on worst-case scenarios, can keep the "nocebo" effect working in your physiology. (For more on the "nocebo" effect, see the recent book of Harvard Medical School professor Herbert Benson, Timeless Healing [New York: Simon & Schuster, 1996].) Because of the "Seven First Words of the Christian" "I can do all things through Christ" a yeasty spirit thinks "YES." "Energize." Why is it that the Energizer Bunny that keeps going and going is always going somewhere else the night the lights go out and you dig out your flashlight?! Unlike batteries, however, a properly maintained yeast colony can keep going and going and going. Ever make sourdough bread using "sourdough starter"? "Starter" is really a combination of yeast cultures, water and flour. You dip out what you need for the day's biscuits, bread or pancakes, give the rest of the starter a stir, "feed" it more flour and water, and tuck it back in your frig. In pioneer days, women treasured their "starter" and nurtured it along for years. Sometimes one starter was passed on from mother to daughter to granddaughter. That's perpetual energy. And that is what the Bread of Life can bring to your own spirit. "Access." In order to be continually fed by the Bread of Life, we must keep in constant touch with the source of life's true energy supply. Living out of the stored power of the Spirit enables us to be fed by Christ's gift any time we need it. We can access this always available power reserve in various ways. For some of us, direct intercessory prayer brings us the closest to God's Spirit and God's love. For others, music opens the soul and sets it resonating with the Spirit. For many, creating and/or contemplating works of art, form within us the prayers that enable us to reach out and grab the gift of life. Stanly Kunitz once called "art" the "chalice into which we pour transcendence" (As quoted by R. Scott Colglazier, Finding a Faith That Makes Sense [St.Louis: Chalice Press], 83). Find your own unique way of accessing the energy of bread ... and you will never go hungry. "Search." Today's crowds thought they were seeking the Bread of Life. All they were really looking for was a free lunch. Jesus' words to them, his corrections and counsel, were intended to make the hungering crowd search their spirits for their true motives and desires. Likewise, when we feel filled-up with power or contentments we should search our own spirits to make certain we are feasting on what God provides, not on what our own egos or selfish desires have cooked up. "Trust." If we are filling up on the Bread of Life, we should be able to trust in the Spirit's presence and power in our lives. It is that trust that allows us to take what appears to others as "risks." Trusting in the Spirit lets us "go for it" when conventional wisdom or cautious hedging would advise us to sit on the sidelines. When our spirits are resting in trust, they can do anything. For we know no matter where we go, no matter what difficulties we may encounter, a constant food supply is always at hand, always guaranteed. Only Jesus can satisfy the hungry heart. Only Jesus has the Words of Eternal Life. We are all rice Christians, in search of something that is going to fill us up. I listened to a sermon by Zan Holmes, who is a retired Methodist minister – who said that the good news is just one beggar telling another beggar where to find bread. The only place to find living bread that will last forever is in Jesus christ. I hope that you are hungry this morning – today we have plenty of food – food for our bellies, but also food for our spirit. We can be grateful for what God has done for us. But gratefulness is only the beginning of our faith. It gives us that faith to feed others. Or at least to tell them where they can get a good piece of bread. Happy Thanksgiving to all of my fellow rice Christians. May we find an abundance of gratitude in our lives this week. Just as I look forward everyday to watching that soul food buffet, I will use that as my cue to go to God in prayer and devotion – to take account of all that God has done for me that day. I hope that we all remember to say thank you everyday for what God has done for us. Amen. Song – Now Thank We All our God UMH 102 Prayer God of infinite patience and power, how it must try your patience to watch us hurl ourselves into a season of greed and grumbling. Your blessings, your bounty, have been poured out to us that we may be strengthened to be your people in service to others. Yet we persist in attaching ourselves to the great “gimmies” of our world--“gimmie toys, gimmie wealth, gimmie power.” Today we have gathered here with an opportunity to step out of the race to possess, to praise you and thank you for the wonderful ways in which you have blessed our lives. We spend a lot of time looking for the big blessings, when all around us are the delightful blessings of everyday living--family, home, friends, the ability to enjoy laughter and share tears. There are so many ways in which you have touched our lives with your love. Help us develop for all of our lives an attitude of gratitude, never failing to thank you each day for your love and your blessings. Help us reach out to one another and to all those in need with this compassionate love. For we ask this in Jesus’ Name, AMEN. ( United Methodist Ministry Matters, Nancy Townley) Lord’s Prayer Stewardship Moment (do not Print) Almighty, Creator God, we humbly bring our gifts to you this day. On Calvary’s cross, your son redefined for the world what it meant to rule, what it meant to be a king. In his life, teaching and interacting with people, Jesus redefined what it means to give in a way that pleases God. May we in this season live and give in a way that reflects the reign over us and the one who lives within us. In the exalted name of Christ, we pray. Amen. (Luke 23:33-43) (Discipleship Ministries) Prayer of Thanksgiving For all the ways you love us, we say THANK YOU! For the ways you provide for us, we say THANK YOU! For the opportunity to give, we say THANK YOU! For the kingdom work this offering will do, we say THANK YOU! For letting us be a part of your work, we say THANK YOU! May the thankful words on our lips ( ReWorship Blogspot) Announcements Closing Prayer for Facebook The bread of heaven gives life to the believer. Receive the bread, eat and live. We will turn to God daily for nourishment. We will give thanks with grateful hearts. The bread of heaven gives life to the church. Share the bread; share your stories. We will gather in the community of faith. We will share the bread and share our lives. The bread of heaven gives life to the world. Pass on the gift with joy to neighbors near and far. We will bless the world with acts of love. This is our highest thanksgiving to God. Amen. Amen. ( Gathered by Love, Lavon Baylor) Community Time Benediction Beloved of God, place your whole trust in God’s absolute abundant love. Feel the powerful presence of God in your life and know that God’s blessings are with you. Go in peace, and may God’s peace always be with you. AMEN. (United Methodist Ministry Matters, Nancy Townley) Additional Illustrations Humor: We're Getting a Divorce An elderly man in Phoenix calls his son in New York and says, "I hate to ruin your day, but I have to tell you that your mother and I are divorcing; 45 years of misery is enough." "Pop, what are you talking about?" the son screams. "We can't stand the sight of each other any longer," the old man says. "We're sick of each other, and I'm sick of talking about this, so you call your sister in Chicago and tell her." Then he hangs up. Frantic, the son calls his sister, who explodes on the phone. "Like heck they're getting divorced," she shouts, "I'll take care of this." She calls Phoenix immediately, and screams at the old man, "You are NOT getting divorced. Don't do a single thing until I get there. I'm calling my brother back, and we'll both be there tomorrow. Until then, don't do a thing, DO YOU HEAR ME?" The old man hangs up his phone and turns to his wife. "Okay," he says, "They're coming for Thanksgiving and paying their own fares." Traditional Back during the dark days of 1929, a group of ministers in the Northeast, all graduates of the Boston School of Theology, gathered to discuss how they should conduct their Thanksgiving Sunday services. Things were about as bad as they could get, with no sign of relief. The bread lines were depressingly long, the stock market had plummeted, and the term Great Depression seemed an apt description for the mood of the country. The ministers thought they should only lightly touch upon the subject Thanksgiving in deference to the human misery all about them. After all, there was to be thankful for. But it was Dr. William L. Stiger, pastor of a large congregation in the city that rallied the group. This was not the time, he suggested, to give mere passing mention to Thanksgiving, just the opposite. This was the time for the nation to get matters in perspective and thank God for blessings always present, but perhaps suppressed due to intense hardship. I suggest to you the ministers struck upon something. The most intense moments of thankfulness are not found in times of plenty, but when difficulties abound. Think of the Pilgrims that first Thanksgiving. Half their number dead, men without a country, but still there was thanksgiving to God. Their gratitude was not for something but in something. It was that same sense of gratitude that lead Abraham Lincoln to formally establish the first Thanksgiving Day in the midst of national civil war, when the butcher’s list of casualties seemed to have no end and the very nation struggled for survival. Perhaps in your own life, right now, intense hardship. You are experiencing your own personal Great Depression. Why should you be thankful this day? May I suggest three things? 1. We must learn to be thankful or we become bitter. 2. We must learn to be thankful or we will become discouraged. 3. We must learn to be thankful or we will grow arrogant and self-satisfied. The Gratitude Attitude In A Second Helping of Chicken Soup for the Soul, Rev. John R. Ramsey tells how in one church a certain person provided him with a rose boutonniere for the lapel of his suit every Sunday. At first he really appreciated it but then it sort of became routine. Then one Sunday it became very special. As he was leaving the Sunday Service a young boy walked up to him and said, "Sir, what are you going to do with your flower?" At first the preacher didn't know what the boy was talking about. When it sank in, he pointed to the rose on his lapel and asked the boy, "Do you mean this?" The boy said, "Yes, sir. If you're just going to throw it away, I would like it." The preacher smiled and told him he could have the flower and then casually asked what he was going to do with it. The boy, who was probably no more than 10 years old, looked up at the preacher and said, "Sir, I'm going to give it to my granny. My mother and father divorced last year. I was living with my mother, but she married again, and wanted me to live with my father. I lived with him for a while, but he said I couldn't stay, so he sent me to live with my grandmother. She is so good to me. She cooks for me and takes care of me. She has been so good to me that I wanted to give her that pretty flower for loving me." When the little boy finished, the preacher could hardly speak. His eyes filled with tears and he knew he had been touched by God. He reached up and unpinned the rose. With the flower in his hand, he looked at the boy and said, "Son, that is the nicest thing that I've ever heard but you can't have this flower because it's not enough. If you'll look in front of the pulpit, you'll see a big bouquet of flowers. Different families buy them for the Church each week. Please take those flowers to your granny because she deserves the very best." Then the boy made one last statement which Rev. Ramsey said he will always treasure. The boy said, "What a wonderful day! I asked for one flower but got a beautiful bouquet." That's the thankful spirit. That's the gratitude attitude. And it's that attitude that should guide our giving and our lives. Like that boy's granny, God has blessed us so much. God has been so good to us that giving shouldn't even be a question. It should just flow from us naturally. John R. Ramsey, Second Helping of Chicken Soup for the Soul. Adapted by Billy D. Strayhorn, “The Gratitude Attitude" The Source of Thanksgiving I will remind you of that wonderful Children's holiday classic "The Grinch Who Stole Christmas." It was released a few years ago as a movie staring Jim Carrey. You'll recall in the story how the Grinch enters all the homes by way of their chimneys disguised as Santa Clause. He takes all the presents and ornaments, the trees and stockings, and even their food down to the last morsel. He drags his loot up to his mountain and then looks down upon Whoville with a sinister grin. He is listening for the cries and wailings of the people to start as they wake up on Christmas morning to discover a Christmas lost. What he hears instead surprises him. Up from the town of the Whos comes a joyful Christmas carol. They are singing. "Why?" he asks. It is because, he learns, Christmas resides not in things but in the heart which is thankful. He could not steal their gratitude. Brett Blair, www.eSermons.com First National Thanksgiving Proclamation Whereas, it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor; Whereas, both the houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me "to recommend to the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness!" Now therefore, I do recommend next, to be devoted by the people of the states to the service of that great and glorious being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be, that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country. George Washington, 1779. Jesus, the Bread of Life, is energized in each one of us by divine yeast by the Spirit of the living God, who sent Christ to be among us, to be for us, to be in us. To benefit fully from this Bread of Life, we must keep our lives, our spirits, "yeasty" vital and ever growing. What can you do to create "yeast" in your soul? Here's one suggestion. Try using "y-e-a-s-t" as an acronym for your spiritual attitude. "Yes." Are you saying "yes" to nourishing possibilities the Bread of Life is offering you? You've heard of the "placebo" effect. It's when your body thinks it's getting something helpful and healing, and so generates a helpful and healing response throughout your system. But scientists are now talking equally about the flip side of the "placebo" effect. They're calling it the "nocebo" effect. It's when your inability to think "yes," your negative mood and outlook, your worried fixation on worst-case scenarios, can keep the "nocebo" effect working in your physiology. (For more on the "nocebo" effect, see the recent book of Harvard Medical School professor Herbert Benson, Timeless Healing [New York: Simon & Schuster, 1996].) Because of the "Seven First Words of the Christian" "I can do all things through Christ" a yeasty spirit thinks "YES." "Energize." Why is it that the Energizer Bunny that keeps going and going is always going somewhere else the night the lights go out and you dig out your flashlight?! Unlike batteries, however, a properly maintained yeast colony can keep going and going and going. Ever make sourdough bread using "sourdough starter"? "Starter" is really a combination of yeast cultures, water and flour. You dip out what you need for the day's biscuits, bread or pancakes, give the rest of the starter a stir, "feed" it more flour and water, and tuck it back in your frig. In pioneer days, women treasured their "starter" and nurtured it along for years. Sometimes one starter was passed on from mother to daughter to granddaughter. That's perpetual energy. And that is what the Bread of Life can bring to your own spirit. "Access." In order to be continually fed by the Bread of Life, we must keep in constant touch with the source of life's true energy supply. Living out of the stored power of the Spirit enables us to be fed by Christ's gift any time we need it. We can access this always available power reserve in various ways. For some of us, direct intercessory prayer brings us the closest to God's Spirit and God's love. For others, music opens the soul and sets it resonating with the Spirit. For many, creating and/or contemplating works of art, form within us the prayers that enable us to reach out and grab the gift of life. Stanly Kunitz once called "art" the "chalice into which we pour transcendence" (As quoted by R. Scott Colglazier, Finding a Faith That Makes Sense [St.Louis: Chalice Press], 83). Find your own unique way of accessing the energy of bread ... and you will never go hungry. "Search." Today's crowds thought they were seeking the Bread of Life. All they were really looking for was a free lunch. Jesus' words to them, his corrections and counsel, were intended to make the hungering crowd search their spirits for their true motives and desires. Likewise, when we feel filled-up with power or contentments we should search our own spirits to make certain we are feasting on what God provides, not on what our own egos or selfish desires have cooked up. "Trust." If we are filling up on the Bread of Life, we should be able to trust in the Spirit's presence and power in our lives. It is that trust that allows us to take what appears to others as "risks." Trusting in the Spirit lets us "go for it" when conventional wisdom or cautious hedging would advise us to sit on the sidelines. When our spirits are resting in trust, they can do anything. For we know no matter where we go, no matter what difficulties we may encounter, a constant food supply is always at hand, always guaranteed. Only Jesus can satisfy the hungry heart. Only Jesus has the Words of Eternal Life.

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....