Bread

If this is Jesus' referent, we can imagine some people saying something like...”Oh, he means that we ought to pay attention to him, just as we have to pay attention to and use bread every day, as a regular part of life.”

Perhaps that is part of Jesus' meaning.

But is Jesus also talking about something more with his statement

I am the Bread of Life.?

Is he thinking about bread for the spirit as well as bread for the body, bread that will help to sustain life, our true life in connection with God.?

The answer is of course YES! Both of these levels of meaning at the same time, and not one without the other.

God knows our bodily hunger;

it keeps coming back, day after day.

God knows our spiritual hunger as well, and it returns even when we pretend that it isn't there.

We have learned about unhealthy fad diets, and how dangerous they can be.

We've heard about the destructive behavior of anorexia.

We have read about and seen the photos of starvation.

Bodily hunger is a subject always close at hand.

Will we take enough to sustain our bodies properly?

Will we overdo it and fall into gluttony?

Will we ignore those who have not enough, in our community and around the world?

When I take a turn helping at the Shepherd of the Streets, and when folks come to the door of this church during the week,

we deal with both the “regulars” who for a variety of reasons are always in need, and also with those who, because of our more difficult economic situation these days, are asking for help for the very first time.

And they are hungry.

I read a first-hand account of a person who helped for a brief time in one of the refugee situations in Africa.

When they came with cauldrons of cooked rice, they were instantly surrounded with a crowd of starving people, each holding a bowl, clamoring for a bit.

In minutes, 200# of rice was gone, and the crowd silently dispersed.

And we are here in worship today to acknowledge that the Lord God is the source of this bread of life that we share.

Thank you, Lord God our Father, for seed-time, growth, and harvest.

Thank you, Lord God our Father, for grower, miller, baker, transporter, shopkeeper and all of their interrelated tasks.

Thank you, Lord God our Father, for every bread that has sustained us across the years:

For the seven loaves that my Grandmother baked every week for the family.

For the robust and substantial bread I've experienced in Spain, Greece, and Israel.

For the just-for-fun breads like raisin bread with lots of gooey white icing,

or popovers that are mostly steamy aroma.

Thank you Lord God our Father, for these and every other kind of bread.

May there be enough not only for us, but also for everyone.

We're getting closer to the needed 13 congregations to launch Family Promise, and food for the body is certainly a part of how we can be helpful to one another.

Last week I had a distressing experience, though.

We approached one of the suburban congregations with a substantial building and perfectly manicured lawn, and asked for an appointment to bring them up to date on our progress with Family Promise and our hopes for the future.

The response was a curt “We have no money and are not interested.”

It is not true. They may have decided to allocate their money in other ways, but they, and we, still have money,

(unless the economy is completely destroyed.)

And there are many ways to be involved in this caring ministry called Family Promise in addition to money, as we will soon be discovering.

But I didn't get a chance to talk about any of those things with the leadership of that congregation.

There are issues about hunger locally and around the world.

And now we can go through this same discussion with the other kind of hunger as our subject.

We've learned about unhealthy diets, those who stay away from the word of God.

We've looked into the eyes of those who have no hope.

There is a spiritual anorexia as well as the physical sort, and it is destructive also.

Will we be at the meal for the body and spirit as often as we can?

or do we think that we can make it on our own?

Do we ignore the spiritually hungry in our community and around the world?

An ironic fact:

the number of missionaries has been decreasing; however, the number of bureaucrats to manage them has not.

To bring the question closer to home:

when was the last time that not just one or two but each of us had a hope-filled conversation with a spiritually-hungry friend or neighbor?

The Lord Jesus intends to use words and deeds from all of us in order to keep our community spiritually alive and functioning.

And we are in worship today to acknowledge that the Lord God our Father is truly the source of this spiritual bread of life.

Thank you, Lord God, for the Holy Baptism of children and adults,

for The Way, Sunday Church School, and other opportunities.

Thank you for strength given week after week in Word and Sacrament.

Thank you for reassurance given at the time of death as well.

Thank you for pastors, teachers, family, and companions (=literally, those with whom we share bread)

Thank you for every time that you have sustained us with this bread of hope across the years:

Thank you for the Bible-storybook my grandmother read to me and the example of her outgoing life despite hardships.

Thank you for the good and faithful companions in the Gospel within this parish, and in groups such as the Society of the Holy Trinity.

Thank you for fun things such as the continuing associations through the Way that will be gathering in 10^th anniversary celebration in a few weeks.

Thank you for this and every kind of the bread of hope and encouragement, O Lord.

May there be enough, not only for us, but also for everyone.

People in our congregation, community, and around the world are ready to receive this bread of hope that God has entrusted to our hands.

I am the Bread of life, Jesus says.

We cannot explain it, but only experience it,

in both of the ways we have been describing;

bread for the body and bread for the spirit.

I think of the maintenance worker who has been busy all summer scrubbing and polishing the school, only to see his work trashed by inattentive and thoughtless behavior... and who still comes back to work.

Or the cafeteria worker who sees good food dumped because of childish whims, and still comes back to work the next day.

That's a little like God's patience in dealing with us, and continuing to offer food for the body and food for the spirit.

It is time for the fall sports camps.

the coach will begin something like this:
“You will be asked to give 100% for the team. You will be tested, but we will give you the training you need and meals at the training table.”

Can we be understanding Jesus to be saying something similar to us?

You have already been given a promise; you and I are already on the team,

(That was settled by Holy Baptism.)

We have much to do.

You and I will be asked to give 100% for the team.

You and I will be tested.

You and I will receive the training we need, unless we foolishly turn away,

and we will receive meals at the training table: Word and Sacrament, food for the body and food for the spirit.

I am the Bread of life says Jesus, the bread that truly satisfies, for life, forever. Amen.

Amen.

Please note: The preceding sermon is provided as a resource for the thought, prayer, and meditation of the members and friends of St. Mark's. It is the residue of a verbal event, and thus it does not have academic footnotes and other details that would be expected in a written document. The writer gladly acknowledges the prior thought and work of many Christians before him.