Jesus Provides

August 2, 2026 10th Sunday After Pentecost Matthew 14:13-21 Jesus Provides Prelude Greeting Call to Worship As we gather and as we disperse, as we rise and as we sleep, as we eat and play and work, We offer God praise. As we wash our car, scrub the dishes, rinse the grime of the day from our hands, We offer God praise. As we feel the tips of the grass on our feet, the wind against our face, the sun on our backs, We offer God praise. Come, let us worship God who creates, redeems, and sustains us to live out our praise in all we do! We come as people formed by grace to offer God praise with our whole selves now and in all the ordinary moments of our lives! Amen. Written by Dr. Lisa Hancock, Discipleship Ministries, May 2026. Opening Prayer Loving God, out of our fear, our anxiety and our discouragement, we come to you. In our energy, our excitement and our delight, we come to you. Help us recognize your presence in the midst of our own situations, even as we seek your blessing for our own lives, and for the life of ALL your creation. Walk with us in this hour and in each day as we limp and laugh with you. AMEN (Disciples of Christ Center for Faith and Giving) Song Come Sinners to the Gospel Feast UMH 616 A Sermon for all Ages Children’s Sermon: “Jesus Makes a Little Enough” Scripture: Matthew 14:13–21 Suggested objects: A small piece of bread and a small cup Good morning, everyone! Today’s Bible story begins with a very large and hungry crowd. More than five thousand people had gathered to hear Jesus. When evening came, the disciples said, “Jesus, these people are hungry. Send them away so they can find something to eat.” But Jesus surprised them. He said, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.” The disciples looked at what they had. It did not seem like much—only five loaves of bread and two fish. Can five loaves and two fish feed more than five thousand people? It sounds impossible! But Jesus did not ask the disciples to give what they did not have. He told them to use what they already had. They brought their small meal to Jesus. Jesus took the bread and fish, looked up to heaven, thanked God, broke the bread, and gave it to the disciples. The disciples shared it with the people. And something wonderful happened: everyone ate until they were full—and there were even leftovers! This story teaches us that something small can become enough when we place it in Jesus’ hands. A small gift can help someone. A few kind words can encourage someone. A little bit of food can be shared. One child’s loving action can make a big difference. We remember this every time we celebrate Holy Communion. Look at this small piece of bread and this small cup. They do not look like a large meal. Yet Jesus takes this small meal and uses it to feed many people—not just our bodies, but our hearts and souls. Christians around the world come to Christ’s table and receive the bread and the cup. Through this small meal, Jesus reminds us that we are loved, forgiven, and part of God’s family. At Communion, Jesus also tells us what he told the disciples: “Use what you have.” Bring your love, your kindness, your gifts, and even the small things you can do. When we place them in Jesus’ hands, he can use them to bless more people than we could ever imagine. Let us pray: Dear Jesus, thank you for taking small things and making them enough. Help us to use what we have and share it with others. Thank you for feeding us at your Communion table with your love and grace. Take our small gifts and use them to bless many people. Amen. (ChatGPT 6) Responsive Reading Psalm 17:1-7,15 UMH 749 Scripture Matthew 14:13-21 Sermon Jesus Provides Imagine….. We Know How the Disciples Feel You know how the disciples felt when the crowd showed up... The two of you haven't had a night out without the kids in weeks. You finally get away. The waiter has just brought your appetizer when the baby-sitter calls and tells you the youngest has a high fever and has started throwing up. You've been planning this vacation for six months. Your reservations are all made and three days before you are scheduled to go your mother calls and says your Dad is going to have a quadruple bypass as soon as the doctors can get his sugar stabilized. You haven't had a day off in three weeks. Friday morning your sister calls, says her father-in-law has died and wonders if you could take her kids for the weekend. It has been a very long day. You woke up before dawn because your arthritis hurt so much. You had to go to the grocery store and take your dog to the vet and on the way home your car started to act up and you had to leave it at the garage and get a taxi to take you home. All you want to do is go to bed when the phone rings and it's your friend who lost her husband last month and she just needs somebody to talk to. And always, when we think we have given all we have to give there is always more need: the starving people in the midst of a famine; refugees from war; the devastation of floods, hurricanes, earthquakes, and tornadoes; to say nothing of our neighbors who are hungry; the children who need someone to care about them; the youth in our community who have nowhere to go and nowhere to grow. We know how the disciples felt. Matthew doesn't have to tell us. Roger G. Talbott, Good News for the Hard of Hearing, CSS Publishing Company. Jesus takes time out of his personal grief to show compassion Jesus was grieving the death of his closest cousin. He needed time to pay his respects. He went away to be alone, but the people and their needs followed him. He put his own needs aside to listen and to talk. He was motivated by compassion. They say that misery plus mercy equals compassion. And compassion leads us to health and healing. Compassion can take us to unexpected places. But compassion always makes a difference. Dr. Jake find compassion in helping others The doctor has never been to Kenya before and to say he was overwhelmed didn’t begin to hint at his inner turmoil. Five chiorpractors from four corners of the united states had volunteered their time, all costs, and expertise for two weeks. They had been sponsored by a church organization fo the Jake it seemed a little too churchy. They stayed in a colonial era hotel that separated them from the locals. But each day they went to the tent. A white tend, open on all sides, welcomed in all of Africa’s ailing. At least it seemed that way to Jake. There are at least 2000 of them, he stated incredulously to one of the other doctors and he was correct. Outside in the sun, beneath the pepper trees, an army had appeared. They had heard the news – free medical care by American doctors. So they stood in the burnt brown grass waiting for their turn at the benches. Jake used a simple wooden bench and under the head of each patient he placed two books to lift their necks. The bible and Margaret Meades coming of age. Jake, like the other doctors did quick assessments of the patient before him. Then he began his adjustments. But a few thoughts lingered – These people are really ill. Some of them suffer from more than one ailment. Some are HIV positive and I am giving them adjustments. But maybe, I’ll help just one. What else can I do? Each day he and the others worked for hours. Once a fight broke out. Too many needed care. This went on for seven days. On the last day, Jake hammered physically, and emotionally let off some steam by wandering in the street market. Soon he felt a tap on his shoulder and turned to face a man. Doctor, doctor please look at me. Jake turned – oh no, I cant do anymore. A muscular Kenyan man faced him. Look what you did, his face radiated a smile. I don’t need my cane. I can stand up straight. Jake thought that he recognized him, but there had been so many. Doctor I have something for you. I have looked for you all over this town. He unfolded a piece of paper and handed it to Jake. It was an old newspaper article. That was me. I ran in the Olympics for Kenya. I couldn’t stand for twenty years. Now I don’t need a cane. Here, you keep this article. I signed it for you. Jake accepted the gift and he didn’t know what to say. But he did know what to think. Maybe it wasn’t too churchy. I asked for one and you gave me one. – thanks. Jake came back from his mission trip a changed man. I was so proud to see so many people volunteering for sharefest yesterday. I am interested in hearing your stories – of the people you helped and the difference it made in our life. Compassion certainly made a difference in Jesus life and mission. He wanted to tell everyone about the value of compassion. He invited everyone, including us to follow his example. The lesson that Jesus teaches us – to compare God’s abundance with the world’s scarcity. We know what scarcity feels like. But we should also know that in the toughest situations, God provides – we know what it means to have enough. The Churches favorite story Our scripture for today is the churches favorite story – the story of enough – the feeding of the 5000. This is the only story in the new testament that is told in all four gospels. Each gospel has a slightly difference version, but the story is the same. Our scripture in Matthew is the only one that is associated with John the Baptist’s death. This is the beginning of Jesus ministry – that takes place in the desert. This is also the comparison of two very different feast. First we have the feast of Herod. It is a gathering of the rich, there is lots of food being served. People are fed, but it is not enough to fill them. John D. Rockefeller was asked at the height of his career by a reporter, "Mr. Rockefeller, how much is enough?" And he responded, "Just a little more than I have." Dan Matthews, "Our Mentality of Scarcity Among God’s Abundance" That was before he became a disciple of Jesus – and he learned that enough is what you give to help others. The feast of Herod leads to death – literally the death of John the Baptist. But also death to all of those who attend – looking for more and never finding it. In his grief, Jesus decides to have his own feast. This is a gathering of poor people, barely making it. They are looking for hope in the word of God. Jesus feeds them the word, but he also feeds them 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish. When they are ready to leave, they have enough. Their spirits and their bellies are full. This is s feast that leads to life. God’s abundance is also enough. They understand compassion and generosity. The Loaves and Fishes Still Work Educator Parker J. Palmer was en route to a conference when the plane he was on made an unexpectedly long layover at an airport. A truck that was supposed to deliver the refreshments for the next leg of the journey broke down. Finally the pilot decided that it was more important to get his passengers on their way than to wait for the snacks to arrive, so he took off. As soon as they were in the air the passengers started grumbling. “A ticket is a contract,” one said loudly, “and snacks are part of the contract.” “I ought to sue,” another muttered. A man stood up and said, “I’m a lawyer. How many are willing to join in a class action suit?” A minor mutiny was in the works. Then something interesting happened. A flight attendant came on the public address system. She began with the familiar information on such flights: “Ladies and gentlemen, the captain has turned off the seatbelt lights. We have now attained a cruising altitude of 30,000 feet.” Then she said something quite extraordinary: “Having served many of you on the first leg of this flight, I know some of you still have your bags of peanuts, which you stuffed in your pocket. How many do we have? Five? Please open them and share them with the people around you. I’m sure some of you have mints. Would you pass these around, also? Those of you with newspapers, you can only read one section at a time. Spread the other sections around for others to read. Some of you are parents or grandparents. Take out the pictures of your children or grandchildren and show them to others.” With that brief announcement she changed the emotional climate of that flight. Later, when the flight attendant came near Parker Palmer’s seat he asked her, “What’s your name? What’s the name of your supervisor? I want to write a letter of commendation. That was the best example of group leadership I’ve ever seen.” To which, she replied, “The loaves and fishes still work.” King Duncan, Collected Sermons, www.Sermons.com The loaves and fishes still work today. We too have a chance to learn compassion and generosity. The beginning of faith is in the wilderness In the story, one feast takes place in a palace. Another takes place in the wilderness. Jesus spends a lot of time in the wilderness. Just like the Isrealites who came to know God in the wilderness. The wilderness in the bible is desolate, deserted, a place with no words only silence. But it is always the place to go to find faith. Where are the wilderness spots in your life? Where are the places in your life where you are searching for the meaning of enough? Where are the places where you have found the riches of God in the midst of the sparseness of life? One of the places where Christ finds us in the wilderness if communion. Communion is intended to be our wilderness meal. We come together in the brokenness of the world. The meal does not fill us up- but the sip of grape juice and the cube of bread is enough to feed out spirits. And our spirits feed our mind and out body. The scripture says that Jesus blessed the bread, broke the bread and shared the bread with us. When we have enough, there is enough in us to share with others. Sometimes in life we are the members of the crowd – hungry and willing to be fed. Sometimes we are the disciples feeding others, and sometimes we are the body of Christ – inviting people to come to the feast and experience enough. As a matter of fact, Christ words to us in the scripture is you feed them with what you have. In the hands of Christ, what you share is always enough. Jesus does provide. You Feed Them – Generosity A man was packing a shipment of food for the poor people of Appalachia. He was separating beans from powdered milk, and canned vegetables from canned meats. Reaching into a box filled with various cans, he pulled out a little brown paper sack. Apparently one of the pupils had brought something different from the items on the suggested list. Out of the paper bag fell a peanut butter sandwich, an apple, and a cookie. Crayoned in large letters was a little girl's name, "˜Christy -- Room 104.' She had given up her lunch for some hungry person. Jesus says to us, "You feed them!" This is an incredibly rich world. We are rich people and we serve a rich God. "You feed them!" King Duncan, You Feed Them! She gave what she had and it was enough – we are encouraged to do the same. Let us pray…… Song One Bread One Body UMH 620 Pastoral Prayer Lord’s Prayer Stewardship Moment Perhaps some of you can sympathize with Jesus. He’d been working non-stop, healing, teaching, and responding to the demands of the crowds. When he heard of the murder of John the Baptist, he tried to break away for some time alone. Yet when he looked up from the boat he’d taken across to what he hoped would be a deserted place, a crowd had already gathered! Instead of turning around, or simply dropping anchor out on the water, Jesus came ashore, and “had compassion for them.” Even when we are exhausted, discouraged, uncertain, or downtrodden, we have the model of Jesus standing before us. Jesus engaged, once more, with people who needed food in that deserted place. So he took what was available, gave thanks to God for the bread and fish, and gave the food to his disciples to pass to the crowds. Today, can demonstrate our compassion – our “pity with” others. Not the only way, but one way to respond to the needs of others comes by sharing our morning offering. Will you put compassion to the forefront for this moment? Will you respond, knowing a portion of our offering goes to ____________________ (support the food pantry, provide new underwear for those coming to our free clothing shop, pay our minister as he/she/they counsels with disconsolate folks)? Let us present our gifts as signs and symbols of the compassion we know most clearly from the life of Jesus, the Christ. Prayer of Thanksgiving* As one family we sing while these, our gifts, to God we bring; who in love has made us one in the church of Christ, God’s Son. Use us and use our gifts, good Lord, for holy service in the world. Hope to all your people give as to your glory we now live. AMEN (Disciples of Christ Center for Faith and Giving) Invitation to Communion Each time we come to this Table, we hear an invitation extended to all who will come. Here there are no tests to pass, no threshold of giving to exceed, no affirmation from some authority to present. Here we find the gifts of God for the people of God, presented in simple bread and juice. Counting on the compassion of Jesus Christ, we recognize our hunger and our thirst may be assuaged here even as we remember in a deserted place, long ago, Jesus took simple foods, blessed them, broke the bread and gave the bread and fish. So, today, knowing these gifts will not fill our stomachs, but can satisfy our soul hunger, we remember Jesus taking bread, blessing it, breaking it, giving it. With gratitude, come to receive the bread of life and the cup of salvation. *Adapted from Gifts of Many Cultures, Maren C. Tirabasi and Kathy Wonson Eddy, 1995, Pilgrim Press, p. 126. (Disciples of Christ Center for Faith and Giving) Communion Announcements Closing Prayer for YouTube Go into a world of abundance, with eyes open for the miraculous workings of our God, and as you go, may the blessing of our triune God, creator, redeemer and sustainer, be with you always. (Presbyterian Outlook, Baron Mullis) Community Time Benediction Beloved, may God bless you with the discernment to stop and notice God at work all around you, the inspiration to offer up praise in the middle of the busyness of life, and the peace that comes from beholding the face of God and knowing deep in your bones that we are not alone—God is with us. Amen. Written by Dr. Lisa Hancock, Discipleship Ministries, May 2026. Additional Illustrations It Don't Add Up Perhaps you have heard the story of the football coach who had two quarterbacks. The first team quarterback was gifted, aggressive, and a born leader. The second string quarterback was, let us say, limited. Oh, he was athletic enough but unfortunately, he lacked a mind for strategy. The championship game was in progress, the score was tied, the home team had the ball, and the clock was ticking down. An opposing player broke through the line of scrimmage and slammed the star quarterback to the ground with such force that the signal-caller had to leave the game. Time was running out. The coach had no choice but to put in the back-up. The substitute trotted onto the field, huddled the team, and strode up to the line of scrimmage. Surveying the opposing team, and much to everyone's surprise, he changed the play at the line. The ball was snapped, the quarterback handed it off to the half-back who busted up the middle and sped all the way into the end zone with the winning touchdown! An amazing play. Moments later, in the ecstatic dressing room, the coach grabbed his second-team quarterback by the shoulder pads and said, "Son, that was great! How did you know to call that play?" The boy said, "Uh, well coach, it weren't easy. I got up to the line and looked across at two of the biggest players I've ever seen and I seen their numbers. One of 'em was wearing a six and the other one was wearing a seven, so I just added them numbers together and got fourteen and called number fourteen." The coach hesitated a moment and said, "But son, six and seven make 13." The boy, quite unmoved by the correction, said, "You know what coach? If I was as smart as you, we would have lost the game." Things do not always add up the way they are supposed to, do they? Traditional Stories, www.eSermons.com How Much Is Enough? The Wall Street Journal ran an article some time ago describing the fastest growing business in America today: the development and the construction of mini warehouses, these small storage facilities that you see in every town and in every city. We first fill the closets and the attic and the basement and the garage and then we go across town and rent some space to store our stuff. The reality is that in the midst of all this abundance of stuff, we have a mentality of scarcity. We think we need a little more. We are yearning to buy, if the price is right. In short, we can't get enough of what we don't need. Imagine our present day culture in any historical perspective. We have more possessions than any culture in the history of the world. We think of ourselves and our own personal value in terms of how much stuff we have. And our basic way of seeing the world is by virtue of scarcity. And if we are honest, almost no one of us is free of that yearning to have a little bit more. Oh, we don't want to be accused of being greedy. We simply don't quite have enough. "Maybe other people do," we say to ourselves, “but I don't. I need just a little bit more.” Moving Fences Many years ago, there was a woman who lived in a small village in France. Trained as a nurse, she devoted her life to caring for the sick and needy. After many years of kind and selfless service to the village’s families, the woman died. She had no family of her own, so the townsfolk planned a beautiful funeral for her, a fitting tribute to the woman to whom so many owed their lives. The parish priest, however, pointed out that, because she was a Protestant, she could not be buried in the town’s Catholic cemetery. The villagers protested, but the priest held firm. It was not easy for the priest either, because he too had been cared for by the woman during a serious illness. But the canons of the Church were very clear; she would have to buried outside the fence of the cemetery. The day of the funeral arrived, and the whole village accompanied the woman’ s casket to the cemetery, where she was buried--outside the fence. But that night, a group of villagers, armed with shovels, sneaked into the cemetery. They then quietly set to work--moving the fence. More astounding than Jesus’ feeding of the crowds with a few pieces of bread and fish is Jesus’ transforming the crowd into a community, a community united in their need for one another, in the bread they share, in the love of Christ who has brought them together. Christ empowers each one of us to perform our own miracles of creating community when we "move the fences" to include outsiders, when we welcome the rejected and forgotten to our tables, when we give of what little we have, joyfully and gratefully, for the sake of others, when we welcome one another as we would welcome Jesus. Jerry Fuller, Multiplication of Loaves and Fishes We Have Nothing But . . . Barbara Brown Taylor, an Episcopal priest and college professor, tells the story of nine teenagers from Vermont who went to a Navajo reservation out west for a week-long mission work project. When they arrived, the Navajos pretty much ignored their presence. They didn’t give them much of a welcome, nor did they offer to help them with any of the work. It wasn’t that the Navajos were hostile or rude. They just didn’t believe that the kids would actually show up. And even when they did, they doubted that they could accomplish much of anything in one week. Besides, they had been promised all kinds of things before by previous work crews, but had seen only meager results at best. They had good reason to be skeptical. However, these kids from Vermont and their adult sponsors were different. They didn’t know how to do much -- they didn’t know how to build a sheep pen or put a new roof on a house -- but they were determined to give it their best shot. And they did. About halfway through the week, a funny thing happened. The Navajos, who up to that point had been watching from the sidelines, now began to pitch in. A group of Navajo teenagers decided to help fix up Annie Begay’s hogan. Apparently they figured that, if these kids could come all the way from Vermont to work, they could help, too. At the end of the week, the youth from Vermont, their sponsors, and the Navajos who had joined the effort -- all of them working together had completed forty-two of the forty-six projects they had set out to do. Taylor concludes: "We went into the week skinny, with only five loaves and two fish; but we came out fat, with twelve baskets to spare. That’s because God made good to match our gifts . . . . It’s something to remember when our own resources look too meager. How many loaves have you?" Story told by Barbara Brown Taylor, quoted by Richard Donovan in SermonWriter The Miracle Everyone Was Waiting On Only one miracle made it into all four gospels. It transpired on the grassy hills by the shores of the Sea of Galilee at a time when Jesus' popularity--and also his vulnerability--was cresting. Wherever he went, a throng that included many deranged and afflicted trailed behind. The day before the big miracle, Jesus crossed the lake to elude the masses. Herod had just executed John the Baptist, Jesus' relative, his forerunner and friend, and Jesus needed time alone to grieve. Doubtless, John's death provoked somber thoughts of the fate awaiting him. Alas, there would be no secluded retreat. A huge swarm of yesterday's multitude made the ten-mile journey around the lake and soon hundreds, even thousands of people clamored around Jesus. "He had compassion on them," says Mark, "because they were like sheep without a shepherd." Instead of spending the day renewing his spirit, Jesus spent it healing the sick, always an energy drain, and speaking to a crowd large enough to fill a modern basketball arena. The issue of food came up. What to do? There are at least five thousand men, not to mention the women and children! Send them away, suggested one disciple. Buy them dinner, said Jesus. What? Is he kidding? We're talking eight months' wages! Then Jesus took command in a way none of them had seen before. Have the people sit down in groups of fifty, he said. It was like a political rally--festive, orderly, hierarchical -- exactly what one might expect from a Messiah figure. Unavoidably, we moderns read Jesus' life backwards, knowing how it turns out. That day, no one but Jesus had a clue. Murmurs rustled through the group on the packed hillside. Is he the one? Could it be? In the wilderness, Satan had dangled before Jesus the prospects of a crowd-pleasing miracle. Now, not to please a crowd but merely to settle their stomachs, Jesus took two salted fish and five small loaves of bread and performed the miracle everyone was waiting for. Three of the Gospels leave it at that. "They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces of bread and fish," reports Mark with masterful understatement. Only John tells what happened next. Jesus got his time alone, at last. As the disciples rowed back across the lake, fighting a storm all the way, Jesus spent the night on a mount, alone in prayer. Later that night he rejoined them by walking across the water. Philip Yancey, The Jesus I Never Knew, Zondervan, 1995, 175-176. Many Kinds of Bread In the English language, in some contexts, the word "bread" is synonymous with food. In other parts of the world, that's not true. For example, in Eastern Asia, when you say "food," people automatically think of rice. In Malaysia, the same applies to sweet potatoes. For every culture there is a "staff of life." For most it's bread. It's the basic thing you need to stay alive. But all these words - bread, rice, and sweet potatoes - can also refer to the emotional and spiritual basics that keep us alive. There are a few people without whose love and presence in my life, I would find it difficult, if not impossible, to survive. There's one or two I wouldn't mind getting away from a while, just to see how I would do without them, but I need most all of them. And without a faith that receives regular nourishment from the Word of God, all of the Word of God, and all of the people of God, I could not survive. Bread is the biblical metaphor because that was the staple, basic, bottom-line food source of Jesus' day. If Jesus had been from Malaysia, it would have been sweet potatoes, and communion could get a little messy. Johnny Dean, How Much Is Enough? Give Them Something to Eat One billion of the world's richest people consume 80 percent of the earth's resources. The other five billion make do on the other 20 percent. The world has 840 million chronically malnourished people, most of them women and children. Seven million children in the world under the age of five die each year from malnutrition. The Department of Agriculture in our own country, estimates there are 3.8 million families who experience hunger and up to 12 million families concerned about having enough food to feed their families. Hunger is real. The disciples say send them away. Do we not offer similar suggestions? Let the government feed them, let social services take care of them, let the unemployment office help them, let the homeless shelters take them in. Meanwhile, the government is knocking on the door of faith-based communities saying, "When are you going to help?" Leaping from the pages of scripture Jesus exclaims, "Do not send them away. Give them something to eat." J. Howard Olds, Faith Breaks, www.Sermons.com God Lets Us Help Ethan Allen was a big, voluble, rather flamboyant Vermonter, Colonial patriot, a somewhat controversial hero of the American Revolution. He organized a rag-tag army of freedom-lovers known as the Green Mountain Boys. On May 10, 1775, Allen and his "Boys" captured from the British the strategic Fort Ticonderoga. Having returned from this successful venture, Allen did something which he was wont to do sometimes as the mood suited: on Sunday morning he attended church. During the service the pastor offered a long prayer, a great deal of which was an offering of praise to God for the liberation of Fort Ticonderoga. How great was God, and how good, to have wrested that fort from the enemy! Ethan Allen, having sat through as much of this as he could endure, interrupted the pastor, saying, "Parson Dewey ... Parson Dewey, please mention to the Lord that I and the Green Mountain Boys were there!" The plain fact is, of course, that wherever God has done things in the world somebody has been there helping him do them. Yes, perhaps Jesus could have fed that multitude without the five loaves and two fish which the disciples brought to him, but he didn't. He let his disciples help, and he used what they brought. Leonard W. Mann, Life-Size Living, CSS Publishing Company Contrary to What We KNOW The chief objection that modernists have with the story of the Feeding of the 5,000 was answered by St. Augustine over 1500 years ago. Augustine said, “Miracles are not contrary to nature, but only contrary to what we KNOW about nature.” The miracle here was that a weary but compassionate Jesus understood the true power of the Creator God – the Father of the universe. And He acted in accordance with that knowledge: with miraculous results. John Bedingfield, Do You Believe in Miracles? ________________________________________ At Least One Dollar Dr. H. King Oehmig tells a story of the time that a church congregation from Cartersville, Georgia wanted to begin a Habitat for Humanity group. It was in the early days of Habitat, so the group went to Americus, Georgia to meet with Millard Fuller, the founder of Habitat for Humanity. The group toured the Habitat facilities and saw a presentation on how groups operate. Then Mr. Fuller took time from his busy schedule to go and talk to this group. During the course of their conversation, one of the folks from Cartersville said, “Mr. Fuller, we think this is what God’s calling us to do. But before we begin, how much money do you think we should have in the bank to get us off the ground?” Fuller leaned toward the man and in a very low and serious voice told him, “It would be wholly irresponsible, completely negligent, totally feather-brained if you started an affiliate without at least one dollar.But you have to have one dollar. Don’t dare make a move without it!” King Oehmig says that that day, the Cartersville group learned, “as the disciples discovered with Jesus that evening, when He told them to feed the masses themselves – that faced with the Gospel imperative, we were searching for a reasonable alternative to faith.” Just like modern America searches for a reasonable alternative to a miracle. John Bedingfield, Do You Believe in Miracles?

An Encounter with Yourself

August 6, 2023 Genesis 32:22-31 An Encounter with yourself 10th Sunday of Pentecost Year A Prelude Welcome Call to Worship L: Good Morning! Welcome to a celebration of God’s love for us! P: We surely need to see that love; stresses weigh us down. L: You’ve come to the right place. This is a place where all of us can seek God’s presence and share our deepest inmost concerns with God. P: We are glad to hear that, for we wrestle with our faith far too often. L: Don’t fear! God is with you always, loving and transforming your lives. P: Lord of mercy and compassion, be in our hearts this day. Help us to reach out with love to others. AMEN. (United Methodist Ministry Matters, Nancy Townley) Opening Prayer In the darkness of night and the brightness of day, you, O Lord, are present to us. As we wrestle with situations which seem to drain us of our energy; as we struggle to find out who you call us to be, you reach out to us with reassurance of empowerment and courage for the days ahead. Calm our spirits and prepare our hearts and lives to receive your awesome grace. It is in Jesus’ name that we pray. AMEN. (United Methodist Ministry Matters, Nancy Townley) Song Break Thou the Bread of Life UMH 599 Children’s Sermon Put the ice cubes in a bowl and keep them frozen until you’re ready to use them. Set out the rest of the supplies. Keep the hair dryer out of sight until you use it. You’ll need to be near an electrical outlet. Have you ever watched a wrestling match? Wrestling is a popular sport all over the world. Wrestlers have to be strong and determined to win. Wrestling isn’t a modern invention, though. It’s one of the oldest sports in the world, and it dates back thousands of years. Have everyone show you their best wrestler face and pose. In today’s Bible lesson, Jacob spent an entire night wrestling with an angel of God. After an entire night of wrestling, God’s angel told Jacob to walk away. Jacob left the wrestling match with a new name and a limp from his hurt hip. We sometimes struggle with God, too. We may want to do things our way instead of His way. When is it hard for you to obey God? (Allow time for responses.) Give each child a paper towel. Explain that they’re in charge now. They’ll each have to choose how they think they can most quickly melt an ice cube. They can use a straw to blow hot air on it, sprinkle salt on it, or hold it to try to melt it most quickly. Pass around the supplies so kids can choose, then distribute the ice cubes. Give kids one minute to try to melt their ice cube using their chosen method. Meanwhile, turn on the hair dryer and blow hot air on your ice cube. Call time, then compare everyone’s efforts. How did your way compare to my way of melting the ice cube? Why was my way more effective? My ice cube melted much faster because I had more power. And with God’s power, we can do greater things. We can stop doing things our way. We can surrender to God’s will and trust that He knows best. Dear God, please help us remember that You are the One who knows what’s best for us. We can surrender to Your will and trust You. In Jesus’ name, amen! Responsive Reading Psalm 17 UMH 749 Prayer for illumination Since we do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from your divine mouth, make us hunger for heavenly food, that it may nourish us today in the ways of eternal life; through Jesus Christ, the bread of heaven. Amen. (Presbyterian Outlook, Dana Mould) Scripture Genesis 32:22-31 Sermon An Encounter with yourself How many of you are into the sport of wrestling? I guess I should clarify which kind of wrestling I’m talking about, because there are a surprising number of competitions with the word “wrestling” in them that aren’t exactly sports. I’m sure all of us have tried arm wrestling or thumb wrestling at one time or another. But have you tried toe wrestling? Two barefoot opponents lock their big toes together and try to pin each other’s foot down. Ouch. Some folks in Staffordshire, England, created the World Toe Wrestling Championships in 1976. Reportedly, they were trying to create a competition “where Brits could reign supreme” and this is the best one they could think of. (1) Lancashire, England is home to the World Gravy Wrestling Championship, which happens every year in August. There are separate competitions for men and women. Wrestlers earn points for “fancy dress, entertainment value and wrestling ability.” The man and woman wrestlers with the most points at the end are declared the winners. The World Gravy Wrestling Championship is a charity event that raises funds for the East Lancashire Hospice. (2) In case you’re envious of the Brits for getting all the good wrestling competitions, Barnesville, Minnesota, is home to a mashed potato wrestling competition every year during its Potato Days Festival. The competition takes place in the parking lot of the Assumption Catholic Church in Barnesville. A pool is set up and filled with potato flakes and water. Competitors get two three-minute rounds in the pool. The competitor with the most 3-second pins per round moves on to the next round. At the end of the day, local cattle are brought in to eat up all the leftover mashed potatoes in the pool. (3) Wrestling, no matter whether it’s with arms or thumbs or toes, in gravy or in mashed potatoes, is not for the faint of heart. For many competitors, the secret to success is in holding on until your opponent simply wears out. Of course, that strategy won’t work if you’re wrestling an angel of God. So, what did Jacob hope to get from his wrestling match in Genesis 32? In our scripture, Jacob is in a wrestling match that changes his life. Who don’t know who he’s wrestling with, or even if he wins the fight. This story is a good one to remind ourselves that life is difficult. Now Life is a blessing, life is a gift, life is a journey. But most of all, life is a struggle. No ones comes out of life alive. And at some point in the midst of that ongoing struggle, we find ourselves in a wrestling match – with an opponent that we can clearly see, but we just can’t give it a name. We may wrestle with a relationship, a feeling, a challenge, a situation, a condition that we just can’t overcome. For Jacob, it was all fo the above. The book of Genesis tells is Jacob’s whole life story. He was born on the heels of his twin brother. That is what he name Jacob means – grabber. The modern translation of the name Jacob, is John. Jacob had to fight for everytrhing in his life, his blessing, his wives, his children, his animals, his livelihood. And now he must face the fight of his life, reuniting with his twin brother. After living in exile for 14 years, on the night before his encounters his brother. He sends his family on ahead of him. He is all alone with his thoughts in the middle of the night. At least he thinks he is alone. But he ends up wrestling with all of his regrets, his misdeeds, his resentments. All of the things that stand in the way of reununting with his brother. The story says that he ends up wrestling with a man. But the story never tells us who the man is. Was it his conscious? An angel, God or even Jesus. The poet, James Thurber, once said, “All men must learn before they die, what they are running from and to and why.” Henri Nouwen, in one of his last writings, says, “I found myself in a hospital following a car accident. At first I thought it was nothing. Then I was told I was bleeding internally and might not live. Surprisingly, I found the threat of death to be peaceful beyond my understanding. It was when I woke up and discovered myself still alive in this world, that I became re Sometimes the struggle that makes for growth is simply a tension between an old idea and a new one. For years all sane and stable people knew that human beings could never fly. But when the Wright brothers flew their airplane, the world had to adjust its thinking – but not without a struggle. Centuries ago, some crazy people came along insisting that the world is round instead of flat. They were ridiculed and persecuted until someone sailed around the globe and reached the east by sailing west. We’ve had to change our way of thinking – but not without a struggle. In fact, some people haven’t given up yet. In England there is a group of people called “The Flat Earth Society,” still stubbornly insisting that the earth is flat! An old, false, or inaccurate idea will not be released until it is pushed out of our minds by a new and better idea. I may insist that the sum of two and two is three – I may invest myself emotionally in that contention – and I will stubbornly hold on to that until someone, in the battle of ideas, proves to my satisfaction that the correct sum is four. Without such a conflict of ideas there is no intellectual growth. Such growth is often difficult and painful. It does not come without the struggle of ideas. Now, as difficult and painful as that is, even more difficult is the growth occasioned by changes in our life situation. We lose a job, or we take on a new job. We experience divorce or difficulty in our family. We experience a terrorist attack or a natural disaster. A financial reversal comes to us. We or a loved one becomes ill. Someone close to us dies. Someone we care about betrays us or disappoints us. We are presented with an opportunity and our resources are inadequate. You could add to this list, but you know what I am talking about: something happens to shake us to our foundation. All of our trusted ways of coping are called into question and we are forced to grow. We have to think new thoughts, or try new things, or reach out for new resources. That’s all called growth! It’s frightening. It’s unsettling. Often it’s painful. But without such experiences we would not grow. I’m convinced of it. We would settle down and become comfortable with far less than our best efforts. The familiar and the safe would become good enough for us, and we would never become all that we can be. God has a way of coming to us in so many ways and forcing us to rethink, reform and move forward in a whole new way. For Jacob, before he could even think about forgiving his brother, he had to forgive himself. But that was a process, a struggle, a wrestling match. But when we wrestle, we learn 2 things. We learn to encounter God and we learn that there is always a blessing in the end. There is no way for us to grow without a struggle and without some pain. This story has a lot of meaning. But one important theme is the forgiveness with our sisters and brothers. The ten commandments gives us direction on the relationship with our parents. In Sunday School a teacher, was teaching about the ten commandments. She said the commandment for our relationship with our parents is honor your mother and father. She asked what is the one for sibling. One little boy said – Thou shalt not kill”. But this story is closest to what it means to deal with our siblings. We fight all of the time, but how do you move beyond that. We have brothers and sisters that we grew up with, but we also have brothers and sisters in church, in the groups that the live in, in the nation that we live in and even on the plane together. We have to learn to get along. There can be no continuing relationship without forgiveness and reconciliation. The story says that Jacob wrestled with his opponent all night, until daylight. No one won the fight, but the opponent was getting tired of fighting. He touched Jacob in the side wounding his hip socket, But Jacob said that he would not give up until he received a blessing. Once he got that blessing he was at peace with himself, so he could not seek peace with his brother. The reconciliation with Essau is not a part of our story – but I think it is one of the most important story in the bible. It gives us hope that reconciliation with our siblings can happen. First Jacob sends gifts to his brother, then he sends his family. At last he comes face to face with his brother. All is forgiven. They agree that they can live together in the same land and be civil with each other. Their parting words to one another becomes a beautiful Christian benediction. May the Lord watch between you and me, one another, while we are absent one from another. What a wonderful blessing. But it actually meant that reconciliation is tentative. They were twins, they knew each other. They still didn’t trust one another, but they both trusted God. And may that is how it should be with us all – we don’t know what will happen in the future, but we put our people, relationships, situations, conditions, our unnamed opponents, into the hands of God and just leave them their. Throughout this process, God gives Jacob.a wound that all of his desendents carry on from generation to generation. But God also gives Jacob a new name. He was born the grabber. His new name Isra el. Isra means one who prevails. El means God. Life is a struggle for all of us. All of us are wrestling with things that we cant name. God is there for us. The good news is that in Jesus – we are all new people. We all receive God’s blessing. We all have to the power to prevail. The writer of Genesis closes this chapter in Jacob's life with a beautiful picture. It is a picture of a limping Jacob preparing to meet his brother Esau. He is no longer afraid of Esau. After all, he has wrestled all night with God. How can he fear a mere mortal? But now he is a new Jacob. He even has a new name, Israel. He will become a prince among men. Forevermore his descendants, millions of them, will be known as the children of Israel. As the sun rises over Peniel we see him standing there with a dislocated thigh indicating his brokenness. Yet, he is stronger than he has ever been before. His life is now aligned with the eternal purposes of God. How about you? Have you been wrestling with God? Isn't it time to let God be Sovereign over your life? There is a story about a man who had mis-spent most of his life. A friend was teasing him about it. "Say John," he asked mischievously, "You still spending a lot of time wrestling with the old Devil?" The fellow answered good-naturedly, "Nowadays, I spend most of my time wrestling with God." His friend asked incredulously, "Wrestling with God? How do you hope to win a wrestling match with God?" John smiled and answered, "Oh, you misunderstand. In this wrestling match, I'm hoping to lose." Dynamic Preaching, Collected Sermons, by King Duncan When our will loses, God wins. When God wins – everybody wins. Amen. Song Let us Break Bread Together UMH 618 Prayer As the crowds followed Jesus, eager to be filled with hope, we come this day to this place, seeking nourishments for our souls. We hunger and thirst for the word of hope and truth, but our lives are battered by anger and hostility. Our hearts are filled with concerns for family and friends, for our country and our world. We don’t see how we can be of help to others. Sit us down, as Jesus seated the multitude. Calm us down, as Jesus reassured the disciples that all would receive care. Lift us up, as Jesus encouraged others to reach out in compassion. Give us hearts of confident faith in your presence, O Lord. Place your hands of healing on the many situations which we name at this time with our voices and in our hearts. [Prayer concerns are lifted up here]. Lord, we ask your merciful goodness for these situations and these loved ones. It is in Jesus’ name that we pray. AMEN. (United Methodist Ministry Matters, Nancy Townley) Lord’s Prayer Stewardship Moment Perhaps some of you can sympathize with Jesus. He’d been working non-stop, healing, teaching, and responding to the demands of the crowds. When he heard of the murder of John the Baptist, he tried to break away for some time alone. Yet when he looked up from the boat he’d taken across to what he hoped would be a deserted place, a crowd had already gathered! Instead of turning around, or simply dropping anchor out on the water, Jesus came ashore, and “had compassion for them”. Even when we are exhausted, discouraged, uncertain or depressed, we have the model of Jesus standing before us. Jesus engaged, once more, with people who needed food in that deserted place. So he took what was available, gave thanks to God for the bread and fish, and gave the food to his disciples to pass to the crowds. Today, we have opportunity to demonstrate our compassion – our “pity with” others. Not the only way, but one way to respond to the needs of those without food, without shelter, without clothing, without hope, comes by sharing our morning offering. Will you put compassion to the forefront for this moment? Will you respond, knowing a portion of our offering goes to ____________________ (support the food pantry, provide new underwear for those coming to our free clothing shop, pay our minister as s/he counsels with disconsolate folks)? Let us present our gifts as signs and symbols of the compassion we know most clearly from the life of Jesus, the Christ. Prayer of Thanksgiving As one family we sing while these, our gifts, to God we bring; who in love has made us one in the church of Christ, God’s Son. Use us and use our gifts, good Lord, for holy service in the world. Hope to all your people give as to your glory we now live. AMEN (adapted from P. 126, Gifts of Many Cultures, Maren C. Tirabasi and Kathy Wonson Eddy, 1995, Pilgrim Press) Invitation to Communion (inspired by Matthew 14) Each time we come to this Table, we hear an invitation extended to all who will come. Here there are no tests to pass, no threshold of giving to exceed, no affirmation from some authority to present. Here we find the gifts of God for the people of God, presented in simple bread and juice. Counting on the compassion of Jesus Christ, we recognize our hunger and our thirst may be assuaged here even as we remember in a deserted place, long ago, Jesus took simple foods, blessed them, broke the bread and gave the bread and fish. So, today, knowing these gifts will not fill our stomachs, but can satisfy our soul hunger, we remember Jesus taking bread, blessing it, breaking it, giving it. With gratitude, come to receive the bread of life and the cup of salvation. Communion Announcements Closing Prayer for Facebook Go out into the world in peace; have courage; hold onto what is good; return no on evil for evil; send no one away; instead, feed all those who are hungry; support the weak; help the suffering; honor all people; love thy neighbor as thyself; love and serve the gracious and merciful Lord, rejoicing in the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen. (Presbyterian Outlook, Dana Mould) Community Time - Joys and Concerns Benediction Go today full of God’s love and ready to notice God in your neighbors’ hungers. Go today at rest in God and ready to struggle in loving service for your neighbors. And as you go, may you find the face of God in the hungering, feeding, wrestling, and resting. Amen. (United Methodist Discipleship Ministries) Additional Illustrations

Knowledge and People

Knowledge and People
August 21, 2011
Year A
Exodus 1:8-2:10
Matthew 16:13-20
10th Sunday after Pentecost




First line of knew him not
I was attracted to the exodus text because of the first line – Now a new king arose over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. Is that sort of like getting a new bishop, who doesn’t know anything about you, and having to start building a relationship all over again. Or talking to an old district superintendent weeks before he leaves, and promises of what is going to happen being made, and just as things start to progress, getting a new superintendent who really doesn’t want to hear your story?

Explanation of why he didn’t know them
For the Israelites, it was. They had built such a good relationship while Joseph was alive, and now things were about to take a big turn for the worse. History really does say that the pharaoh – Hyskos- while Joseph was alive tended to like to have a relationship with his Semitic neighbors. He was very sympathetic to their needs. But as a new dynasty arose, the Semitic people became a threat. What happens if their enemies attacked , the Jews were so numerous that if they sided with the enemy – they were a force to be reckoned with. In this case, they had to be controlled – so they were put into slavery.

Genesis was the story of the first family. Exodus is the story of how that family fell on hard times and how God delivered them. This is also a story of knowledge. Who you know and what you know about them

Scripture says that pharaoh knew them not. But the good news is that God did know them. God knew their situation. God knew exactly what it would take to deliver them.


Where is God in this story?
Interestingly enough – this is the story of Moses. How Moses was born in extenuating circumstances that should have killed him. How he survived, how he was raised in the best possible household, how he had the best possible education, how he used it to bring his people out of the oppression put on them by the new Pharaoh. Someone pointed out to me that if you read the story – the characters of the story are Moses, Moses sister, Moses mother, the princess of Egypt, and her family, there are the two midwives who are supposed to deliver and kill Hebrew babies, and yet they are more afraid of God then they are the pharaoh- and they let the babies live. Nowhere in the story is the voice of God. Nowhere in the story is the name of God even mentioned. And yet – God’s presence is obvious. You read between the lines of the story – and you know that Moses survival against the odds is nothing but God.

It is a lot like our lives. When we forget to pray to God, we forget to call on the name of God. Sometimes even in the church, we look at our business that we do, and say that there is no way that God could be in the midst of that. That is all the decision of man. And yet when you step back from it and you look at things a little closer, you realize that the only way that you made it through, was through the grace of God. When you look at the individual lines of history – you say I don’t hear God’s name nowhere. But when it is all said and done no one but could have cleaned that mess up.
It was God who told the midwives to do the right thing, it was God who told the mother to protect her baby, it was God who made sure the baby was found by the right person, it was God who told pharaoh’s daughter not the kill the baby, it was God who kept him safe in the enemy household, and it was God who called him to deliver his people from oppression to freedom.
And it is God who is head of our lives, our church , and our nation.
Whatever we need to be delivered from our oppression, be it in our mind, body or spirit – God is sending it to us right now. Leaders may not really know our needs – but God does. The news said that Michelle Bachman claimed she knew what needed to be done so that we could pay $2 for gas. Wherever there is a mess – there is always a solution from God.




Solution to confusion is Jesus
The good news is that the solution – usually involves Jesus Christ. God’s ultimate solution for the mess that we make of our lives. God’s answer to all of the problems of the world.

This is a confession
Matthew 16 is a pivotal verse for our times. It is also pivotal in the life of Jesus. He has been in ministry to his nation for three years. And he has taught us everything that he knows. Now all there is to do is to go to Jerusalem to the cross, and to make sure that his disciples are prepared to continue to spread the good news in his absence. In the remaining chapters you will see that he pulls away from the crowd and spends time with his disciples. In this lesson, it is not what Jesus teaches that is important to us, it is Peter’s response. Jesus tells Peter that he will make him the rock of the church. Now there is a difference to the way Catholics and Protestants interpret this verse. Catholics believe that Jesus was saying that Peter is literally the rock of the church. The Vatican is built upon the grave of Peter. The only way to be a bishop in the Catholic Church is to be touched by someone who has been touched by Peter. Peter is the rock. But for us as Protestants it is not the person of Peter that is important. It is Peter’s confession. Jesus asks Peter, who do you say that I am? Peter answers that you are the messiah – the son of the living God. It was not Peters’ common sense that could give that answer. It was the spirit of God who had to tell him. It was Peter’s answer that made the difference. Peter could have said that he was a prophet, or a good teacher, or a peacemaker, or a worthy leader. God revealed that this was his son. The messiah the savior of the world. Jesus knew the right question to ask to lead Peter in the right direction. And he continue to asks us the church the faithful disciples the same answer.

Jesus challenges us with a question
There is a story of a neighborhood in a large city – it was a neighborhood of immigrants. There were Christians, Jews and Muslims all in this neighborhood. The kids of the neighborhood struggled to understand one another and what made them different. They came to know the rabbi’s family because – he would pay the kids in the neighborhood to do what he needed on Fridays and Saturdays when he was not allowed to do the work themselves. The kids came to know what it meant to be a Jew by working for him. But they also realized that more than any adult – they liked to be with the rabbi. While others adults were giving them orders and telling them what to do. The rabbi had a different technique. Instead of saying this is what you need to do, he would ask – what would happen if? Is that the best decision that you can make? What are the alternatives to doing this.
It was in his questions, that they were able to come up with their own answers. They not only understood better, they were challenged to use their heads to think.

Jesus challenge to the church
Jesus uses the same technique to challenge the church. For the protestant church, Jesus didn’t put his faith in one person, Jesus put his faith upon the church. We are the rock upon which Jesus builds. It is in our confession of who Jesus is, that we come to know who we are – and what we are supposed to do. The politics of people are always a mess. But the politics of Jesus Christ is always salvation. Jesus says that if we understand that, then we are given the keys to the kingdom of heaven. If we know for ourselves that Jesus Christ is Lord – then we have been given supernatural power to change to world. The power is in our confession, not in ourselves. God is present in our faith, not in who we are.

Mystery too deep for church to understand
I began this sermon about mentioning new bishops, and new district superintendents, and even new pastors. New leaders are always a part of what it means to be united Methodist. Not a bad thing, not a good thing. Just the way we are. H. G Wells – writes a story called the soul of a bishop. The bishop is talking with an angel about his plans. And he says tell me the truth. Give me God’s plan for my life, for the church for the future. He wants to get a special revelation. The angel laughs at him and asks where he should put the special revelation. The bishop points at his bald spot and says why in here of course. The angel laughs and says inside of your head. No I can’t put it there – there is nothing inside of there to hold it. Whether we are a bishop, a pastor, or a lay person. It is not about what we know – because the reality is that none of us know much. It is about what we confess – that Jesus Christ is the messiah – the son of God. The head of the church – and of all that we do. Let us pray…..