Bread and Circuses

11 Pentecost Cycle B, Proper 13 August 4, 2024
Exodus 16:2-4, 9-15 Psalm 78:23-29

Ephesians 4:1-16 John 6:24-35

Lectionary Link

One often can be amazed at the lack of wisdom of wealthy, powerful, and greedy people vis a vis the peasants and poor masses.

Economic insight would indicate that if the masses were all paid enough so they could be comfortable, and have enough money to have enough food and entertainment then they would never be in the mood to revolt against those who were wealthy, powerful, and greedy.  It is amazing to see the oligarchical class act for their own luxurious situation while taking away from the working class which provides the labor basis for their very style of living.

The Roman satirist Juvenal writing around the year 100 was decrying the situation of the atrophying of the enlightened participation of people in governance.  He wrote, "Give the people bread and circuses, and they will not revolt."

If people have enough to eat, enough sports, cinema, television, games, dance, music, and arts of every sort, then they are likely to be pacified within their political situation.

Give the people bread and circuses....this was written around the same time for the dates  given for the Gospel of John coming to textual forms.

The Gospel of John, unlike the synoptic Gospels does not have the famous parables of Jesus; rather the Gospel of John is constructed around signs followed by expansive discourses.  I would suggest that these discourses are about coming to an enlightened use of language.  The literary presentation of the signs of Jesus are a triggering mechanisms for one to experience a different aspect perception, as illustrated in the well-known picture of the duck or rabbit.  An interior switch within oneself allows one to see a rabbit in seeing in one aspect perception, and a goat in another aspect perception.

Just like the duck and rabbit are both present in the picture, it is the perceptual interior switch that opens up what one confesses one is seeing.  The duck/rabbit dichotomy in the Gospel of John is the natural/spiritual dichotomy.

In the multiplication of loaves story which resides within the tradition of Moses and the Manna in the wilderness story tradition, what comes to the fore again is the ancient insight, "humanity does not live by bread alone, but by every word which proceeds from the mouth of God."

In John's Gospel the creating word which proceeds from God is Christ, the eternal Word.  Before we know and access the physical and outer world, it is pre-constituted by the fact that we as human beings have language which is the valuing and sorting system of life for everything.

Word or language as our sorting or valuing system creates the very meaning of our human experience.  The Gospel of John written within a group of followers of Christ six to seven decades after Jesus, was writing the value system of their movement which they believed derived from Jesus of Nazareth.

The words of Jesus relayed in the bread of life discourse in John, impart a similar nuance as the words of Juvenal about Bread and Circuses.

The words of Jesus are words to wean us from the mere physical, or the addiction to the physical.  A baby eventually is to be weaned from only breast milk and the constant entertainment of contact with the maternal body or surrogate substitutes.  The result of being weaned from exclusive breast milk and exclusive maternal body is to grow into the fullness of a worded life and within the life of language the telling presence of many kinds of sustenances come to be known as well as the generalization of the delight of the maternal body to many other kinds of presences.

The writers of the Gospel of John were also those who lived within a practicing Eucharistic community.  The spiritual significance of the Eucharist was the practice of a spiritual aspect perception.  No, the bread is not literal flesh and blood of Jesus in a crass cannibal perception; no the partaking is not in bread alone but in the Word, Christ the Eternal Word, who proceeds from the eternal creating God and is renewed in the Eucharistic event.

Let us not reduce Eucharist or Christian liturgy to the mere aspect perception of bread and entertainment; let us enter into the aspect perception of participation with the Eternal Word which always already proceeds from that which none greater can be conceived.  And let us be delivered from the physical world as like the limitation of a babe to breast milk and the maternal body and let us be enlightened to know how diffuse the Word as God helps us to know endless spiritual presence.  Amen.

Sunday School, August 4, 2024 11 Pentecost, B, Proper 13

 Sunday School, August 4, 2024   11 Pentecost, B, Proper 13

Themes:

We are continuing the bread of heaven theme.

There is the matching of the story of Manna which is described as a flaky substance which landed like snow on the ground each morning and the people of Israel could gather it and eat it as their meal for the day.  For protein, we read that God sent quail for the people to eat.

You can ask the children if they have ever been served new looking food and have they asked: "What's that?"   Then you can tell them that "What's that?" in Hebrew is "Manna."  The people of Israel saw the white stuff on the ground and they said, "What's that?" and so "What's that?" became the name of the food.  This might mean that the writers actually had a sense of humor by making the question into the name of the food.

The Gospel writer of John compared the large meal hosted by Jesus in the wilderness with the daily Manna or bread from heaven for the people of Israel.

The Gospel community had communion as a way of celebrating the fact that Christ was so close to them that he was a close to them as the bread which they ate and the wine they drank.

When we come to communion, we might see the bread and the wine and ask, "What's that?"  and the priest will say, "The body of Christ, the bread of heaven."  "The blood of Christ, the cup of salvation."  And so we believe in the special friendship that we have when we gather because of Jesus Christ, Christ is sense as being present with us and acknowledged as being with us in a special way in the bread and the wine.

When Jesus spoke the words, "I am the bread of life," he was speaking in riddles.  When we eat bread we take it inside of ourselves and the bread becomes us.  Remember the Gospel of John called Jesus the Word of God which created all things in the world.  We are always eating words in the sense that we take words and pictures into our minds.   This means we need to be careful about the words we take into ourselves.  This is why the words of Jesus are important because the words of our lives form us.  We become in our actions the words of our life.  In our communion we take on an identity with Jesus because we acknowledge that taking in the Words of Jesus is the way in which we can know that Christ is truly present with us.

Have the children think about how their actions are influenced by the words in which they take in.  If all we hear and take in are bad words then we can act from the bad words that are taken in.

Jesus is the bread of life because Jesus is Word of God that we study, read and take in for our spiritual lives. 

Sermon:

Did your mom or dad ever serve you some food and you said to them, “What’s this?”  And what if you mom and dad then began to call all of your food, “What’s this?”  We’re going to MacDonald and I’m going to order some “What’s this?”  Tomorrow for breakfast, I’m going to have some “What’s this?”  I see that mom has packed some “What’s this?” in my lunch box today.

  Do you think that we should name our food, “What’s this?”

  We could but, it has already happened.  It happened in a Bible story that was written a long time ago.

  The famous Prince of Egypt, Moses led his people out of Egypt.  He brought them into the desert and they had no food, and so they complained.  Moses prayed to God and asked God to provide some food. And so God had some food fall on the ground like snow flakes.  Moses told the people, “Go and gather the food from the ground and eat it.”  It was a new and strange food for the people, so do you know what they said when they saw it?  They said, “What’s this?”  or in Hebrew they said, Mah Nah?  And that means What’s this?  So do you know what they begin to call their new and strange food?  Manna, which means “What’s this?”  What are going to eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner?  You guessed it, “We’re going to have, “What’s this?”

  The “What’s this” food kept the people alive in their long journey for forty years.

  Some times we may have to try some new food.  And instead of saying, “What’s this?” we should say, Thank you God, thank you mom and dad for another meal that will help me grow strong.

  The next time you think about not eating your food, I want you to remember the “What this?” story.  And when you remember the “What’s this?” story, I want you to remember to be thankful for food, and remember to pray for all of the people in this world who do not have enough food.  Okay…say Mah Nah.  What this?

Intergenerational Family Service with Holy Eucharist

August 4, 2024: The Tenth Sunday After Pentecost

Gathering Songs: I Am the Bread of Life, Butterfly Song, Eat This Bread, When the Saints

Song: I Am the Bread of Life  (blue hymnal # 335)    

I am the bread of life, they who come to me shall not hunger.  They who believe in me shall not thirst.  No one can come to me, unless the Father draw him. 

Refrain:  And I will raise him up.  And I will raise him up.  And I will raise him up on the last day.

Liturgist: Blessed be God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

People: And blessed be God’s kingdom, now and for ever.  Amen.

Liturgist:  Oh God, Our hearts are open to you.

And you know us and we can hide nothing from you.

Prepare our hearts and our minds to love you and worship you.

Through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Liturgist:         The Lord be with you.

People: And also with you.

Liturgist:  Let us pray

O God, the protector of all who trust in you, without whom nothing is strong, nothing is holy: Increase and multiply upon us your mercy; that, with you as our ruler and guide, we may so pass through things temporal, that we lose not the things eternal; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Litany Phrase: Alleluia (chanted)

O God, you are Great!  Alleluia

O God, you have made us! Alleluia

O God, you have made yourself known to us!  Alleluia

O God, you have provided us with us a Savior!  Alleluia

O God, you have given us a Christian family!  Alleluia

O God, you have forgiven our sins!  Alleluia

O God, you brought your Son Jesus back from the dead!  Alleluia

A reading from the  Letter of Paul to the Ephesians

I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name. I pray that, according to the riches of his glory, he may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love.

Liturgist: The Word of the Lord

People: Thanks be to God

Liturgist: Let us read together from Psalm 145

The LORD is faithful in all his words * and merciful in all his deeds.

The LORD upholds all those who fall; * he lifts up those who are bowed down.

The eyes of all wait upon you, O LORD, * and you give them their food in due season.

Litany Phrase: Thanks be to God! (chanted)

Litanist:

For the good earth, for our food and clothing. Thanks be to God!

For our families and friends. Thanks be to God!

For the talents and gifts that you have given to us. Thanks be to God!

For this day of worship. Thanks be to God!

For health and for a good night’s sleep. Thanks be to God!

For work and for play. Thanks be to God!

For teaching and for learning. Thanks be to God!

For the happy events of our lives. Thanks be to God!

For the celebration of the birthdays and anniversaries of our friends and parish family.

Thanks be to God!

Liturgist:         The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John

People: Glory to you, Lord Christ.

The next day, when the people who remained after the feeding of the five thousand saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they themselves got into the boats and went to Capernaum looking for Jesus.  When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, "Rabbi, when did you come here?" Jesus answered them, "Very truly, I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For it is on him that God the Father has set his seal." Then they said to him, "What must we do to perform the works of God?" Jesus answered them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent." So they said to him, "What sign are you going to give us then, so that we may see it and believe you? What work are you performing? Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, `He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'" Then Jesus said to them, "Very truly, I tell you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world." They said to him, "Sir, give us this bread always."

Liturgist:         The Gospel of the Lord.

People: Praise to you, Lord Christ.

Sermon:  Fr. Phil

Children’s Creed

We did not make ourselves, so we believe that God the Father is the maker of the world.

Since God is so great and we are so small,

We believe God came into our world and was born as Jesus, son of the Virgin Mary.

We need God’s help and we believe that God saved us by the life, death and

     resurrection of Jesus Christ.

We believe that God is present with us now as the Holy Spirit.

We believe that we are baptized into God’s family the Church where everyone is

     welcome.

We believe that Christ is kind and fair.

We believe that we have a future in knowing Jesus Christ.

And since we all must die, we believe that God will preserve us forever.  Amen.

Litany Phrase: Christ, have mercy. (chanted)

For fighting and war to cease in our world. Christ, have mercy.

For peace on earth and good will towards all. Christ, have mercy.

For the safety of all who travel. Christ, have mercy.

For jobs for all who need them. Christ, have mercy.

For care of those who are growing old. Christ, have mercy.

For the safety, health and nutrition of all the children in our world. Christ, have mercy.

For the well-being of our families and friends. Christ, have mercy.

For the good health of those we know to be ill. Christ, have mercy.

For the remembrance of those who have died. Christ, have mercy.

For the forgiveness of all of our sins. Christ, have mercy.

 Liturgist:        The Peace of the Lord be always with you.

People:            And also with you.

Song during the preparation of the Altar and the receiving of an offering.

Song: Butterfly Song (Christian Children’s Songbook, # 9)

If I were a butterfly, I’d thank you Lord for giving me wing.  If I were a robin in the tree.  I’d thank you Lord that I could sing.  If I were a fish in the sea, I’d wiggle my tail and I’d giggle with glee.  But I just thank you Father for making me, me. 

Refrain: For you gave me a heart and you gave me a smile, you gave me Jesus and you made me your child.  And I just thank you Father for making me, me.

If I were an elephant, I’d thank you Lord by raising my trunk.  And if I were a kangaroo, you know I’d hope right up to you.  And if I were an octopus, I’d thank you Lord for my fine looks, and I just thank you Father for making me, me.  Refrain

If I were a wiggly worm, I’d thank you Lord that I could squirm.  And If I were a billy goat, I’d thank you Lord for my strong throat.  And if I were a fuzzy wuzzy bear, I’d thank you Lord for my fuzzy wuzzy bear.  And I just thank you Father for making me, me.  Refrain.

Doxology

Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Praise Him, all creatures here below.

Praise Him above, ye heavenly host. Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

Prologue to the Eucharist

Jesus said, “Let the children come to me, for to them belong the kingdom of heaven.”

All become members of a family by birth or adoption.

Baptism is a celebration of birth into the family of God.

A family meal gathers and sustains each human family.

The Holy Eucharist is the special meal that Jesus gave to his friends to keep us together as the family of Christ.

The Lord be with you

And also with you.

Lift up your hearts

We lift them to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to God.

It is right to give God thanks and praise.

It is very good and right to give thanks, because God made us, Jesus redeemed us and the Holy Spirit dwells in our hearts.  Therefore with Angels and Archangels and all of the world that we see and don’t see, we forever sing this hymn of praise:

Holy, Holy, Holy (Intoned)

Holy, Holy, Holy Lord, God of Power and Might.  Heav’n and earth are full of your glory.

Hosanna in the highest.  Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. 

Hosanna in the highest. Hosanna in the Highest.

All may gather around the altar

Our grateful praise we offer to you God, our Creator;

You have made us in your image

And you gave us many men and women of faith to help us to live by faith:

Adam and Eve, Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah, Jacob and Rachael.

And then you gave us your Son, Jesus, born of Mary, nurtured by Joseph

And he called us to be sons and daughters of God.

Your Son called us to live better lives and he gave us this Holy Meal so that when we eat

  the bread and drink the wine, we can  know that the Presence of Christ is as near to us as  

  this food and drink  that becomes a part of us.

The Prayer continues with these words

And so, Father, we bring you these gifts of bread and wine. Bless and sanctify them by your Holy Spirit to be for your people the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ our Lord.  Bless and sanctify us by your Holy Spirit so that we may love God and our neighbor.

On the night when Jesus was betrayed he took bread, said the blessing, broke the bread, and gave it to his friends, and said, "Take, eat: This is my Body, which is given for you. Do this for the remembrance of me."

After supper, Jesus took the cup of wine, gave thanks, and said, "Drink this, all of you. This is my Blood of the new Covenant, which is shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Whenever you drink it, do this for the remembrance of me."

Father, we now celebrate the memorial of your Son. When we eat this holy Meal of Bread and Wine, we are telling the entire world about the life, death and resurrection of Christ and that his presence will be with us in our future.

Let this holy meal keep us together as friends who share a special relationship because of your Son Jesus Christ.  May we forever live with praise to God to whom we belong as sons and daughters.

By Christ, and with Christ, and in Christ, in the unity of the Holy Spirit all honor and glory

 is yours, Almighty Father, now and for ever. Amen.

And now as our Savior Christ has taught us, we now sing,

Our Father: (Renew # 180, West Indian Lord’s Prayer)

Our Father who art in heaven:  Hallowed be thy name.

Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done: Hallowed be thy name.

Done on earth as it is in heaven: Hallowed be thy name.

Give us this day our daily bread: Hallowed be thy name.

And forgive us all our debts: Hallowed be thy name.

As we forgive our debtors: Hallowed be thy name.

Lead us not into temptation: Hallowed be thy name.

But deliver us from evil: Hallowed be thy name.

Thine is the kingdom, power, and glory: Hallowed be thy name.

Forever and ever: Hallowed be thy name.

Amen, amen, amen: Hallowed be thy name.

Amen, amen, amen, amen: Hallowed be thy name.

Breaking of the Bread

Celebrant:        Alleluia! Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us.

People:            Therefore let us keep the feast.  Alleluia!

Words of Administration

Communion Song:  Eat This Bread (Renew!  # 228)

Eat this bread, drink this cup, come to me and never be hungry. 

Eat this bread, drink this cup, trust in me and you will not thirst.

Post-Communion Prayer

Everlasting God, we have gathered for the meal that Jesus asked us to keep;

We have remembered his words of blessing on the bread and the wine.

And His Presence has been known to us.

We have remembered that we are sons and daughters of God and brothers

    and sisters in Christ.

Send us forth now into our everyday lives remembering that the blessing in the

     bread and wine spreads into each time, place and person in our lives,

As we are ever blessed by you, O Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  Amen.

Closing Song: When the Saints (Christian Children’s Songbook # 248)

When the saints go marching in, O when the saints go marching in.  Lord I want to be in that number when the saints go marching in.

When the girls go marching in….

When the boys go marching in…

Dismissal:   

Liturgist: Let us go forth in the Name of Christ. 

People: Thanks be to God! 

Faith, Belief, and Persuasions

10 Pentecost Cycle B, Proper 13 August 1, 2021
Exodus 16:2-4, 9-15 Psalm 78:23-29
Ephesians 4:1-16 John 6:24-35
Lectionary Link

Why can't I say, "I faith in God?"  Because faith does not have a verb form in English.  Even though the word faith comes from the Latin word fides and in Latin, one can say Fido, which would be I faith, but when we translate to English we say I have faith in God.

In New Testament Greek, the word for faith has a verb form, but most biblical translators use the English believe to be the active verb translation for faith.  Which is interesting because the word "Creed" means statements of belief, or when we say in Latin, "credo," or I believe in God, etc.

The oracles words of Jesus in the Gospel of John do not give very good economic advice.  Jesus told the crowd who wanted him to produce more food for them, "Do not labor for the bread that perishes...."

Excuse me Jesus, but isn't that what we all seek?  To be gainfully employed so that we might gain bread and all manner of life necessities?

I think what is implied by the words of Jesus is, "Do not labor only for the bread which perishes...."

And then the prepositions changes....no longer is it work for food, but what is the work of God?

And what is the work of God?  The work of God is to believe in the one who God sent...The work is to have faith in the one who God sent.

Reading the Bible or listening to me, one can begin to think that one is lost in an language labyrinth, or a maze with walls.

So doing the work of God for people is to have faith in the one one who was sent from God.

Can we see how the familiar Lutheran/Catholic dispute is resolved in this?  Is salvation by works or by faith?

No, salvation is the work of God in us as we have faith in what is most excellent, namely in the gift that God gives to us.

Do you ever feel like we can get bogged down in religious language with some ancient specialized meanings which we've lost the interpretatives keys for?  How might we understand faith for us today?

I would like for us to understand faith for by reaching back to a word used by Aristotle's which is the same word for faith and belief in the New Testament.  It's the Greek word "pistos."  Now what did "pistos" mean for Aristotle?  In Aristotle's writing on the human language skill called Rhetoric, the goal of rhetoric is "Pistos."  or to use English, the goal of rhetoric is persuasion.

The word "pistos" for faith that is used the New Testament New Testament might be said to be what one is persuaded about.  What are you and I persuaded about?  If we know what we're persuaded about then we know the objects of our faith and belief.

Therefore, I would say that our entire lives are expressions of what we're persuaded about.  We cannot help but have faith.  We cannot help but be persuaded about lots of things.  You and I are persuaded about needing air to breathe, food to eat.   We are persuaded about using language; we have no choice.  There are lots to things that we have automatic persuasion about.  It might be what the philosopher Santayana, called "animal" faith.

There are varieties of persuasion in our lives based upon our cultures, tastes and interests.  If one is interest in ballet, painting and classical music, then one is persuaded by these aesthetic disciplines and spends time and money to foster participation.  Sports are the same; a sports fanatic is persuaded by the benefits of being engaged in them as participant and fan.  Each person's vocation or way of earning a living involves being persuaded about the benefits of one's work.  Most of us believe in and are persuaded by family and by loving relationships too.  Can we understand how each of us is constituted by many forms of persuasion which are proven by the ways in which organize and spend our time, talent and treasure?

There is persuasion which pertains to religious piety, like attendance at church, prayer and meditation, doing charitable work.  One of the difference between your piety and mine, is that I get paid for mine.  I think that makes yours a bit more valid than mine.

And if we have all of these various kinds of persuasions which organize our lives what could faith or belief as the work of God mean for you and me?

Jesus Christ is the gift of God sent to humanity to be someone on whom each person can project our own true humanity which is in us and lost because of the sin of alienation.  We can know ourselves to be persuaded and have belief in so many things in life, some good and beneficial or merely entertaining, and some addictive and harmful.

But to come to faith in the Christ whom God sent is to have the waken image of the Risen Christ in us be experienced as God's gift to us, a gift which has always been with us but sadly, often unknown and recognized.

So what is our work today?  Believing.  Yes we will believe, have faith in, and be persuaded about many things in our lives simultaneously, but don't forget the great work of faith and belief, which is simply accepting the original grace of God's image upon our lives and which can become more clearly known as we focus upon Jesus the Christ.

Let us not get hung up on the many forms of persuasion in our lives even the really important ones, like having enough to eat, clothes to wear, jobs, family, and friendships to the neglect of the one sustaining persuasion of life: the faith of the Christ within us projecting upon the Jesus Christ of history as the most wonderful graceful discovery of our lives.  And we need this faith gift and discovery of Christ as enlightened humanity to appreciate and to regulate all of the other delightful areas of persuasion in our lives.   

Among all of the different work in our lives, the main work is to believe in, have faith in, be persuaded about the Reality of the gift of Christ within us as the gift and hope of being our authentic selves.

Let us do the continual work of believing in Christ who is always before us as our future better self inviting us to be better.  Amen.

Faith Is a Manifestation of Persuasion

10 Pentecost Cycle B, Proper 13 August 1, 2021

Exodus 16:2-4, 9-15 Psalm 78:23-29

Ephesians 4:1-16 John 6:24-35

Lectionary Link

Accord to Gospel of John's words of Jesus, what is the work of God for human beings?  "This is the work of God, that you believe in the one whom God sent."

This expression attributed to Jesus, puts in question the debate about salvation by works or salvation by grace which was so important to Martin Luther and the Reformation.

The main work is to have faith in Christ.  Can we see how this unites faith and work into one and the same.

Since so many people are leaving religious communities today and become the largest group of people in surveys, the group called "nones," or those who profess no participation in churches, synagogues or mosques.  Many of these same person would say, "I am not religious, but I am spiritual."

I would like to sometime offer a class to the community which I would call "having faith, without religion."

Why would I do this?  Because I believe that everyone has faith.  Being spiritual can be based upon many definitions of what our inner lives mean, but I believe faith is a more obvious and unavoidable reality.  How so?

What is the New Testament Greek word for faith?  It is pistos and it has a verb form as well.  In English the word faith does not have verb form.  We have to say, I have faith or we use believe as the action word for faith.  

The Greek word "pistos" has a long history.  In Aristotle, the Greek word "pistos" is the goal of rhetoric.  For Aristotle, "pistos" meant persuasion.  Why do politicians give speeches?  To persuade.  Why do preachers preach and advertisers advertise? To persuade.  "pistos" which meant persuasion for Aristotle, came to mean in later Greek use after Alexander the Great, "faith or belief."

But can we see how faith and belief are intimately connected with persuasion?  Faith or belief is what we are persuaded about.

So, this is how I say that everyone has faith, because all of us live by persuasion about many various things.

We live by involuntary persuasion about many things, like needing water and air.  We live passively by the persuasions which we assume from our family, cultures and the contexts of upbringing.  Most Christians are in some sense, automatic Christians, because that was the only choice offered to them on the religious menu.

Persuasion can also be negative, like mob or peer pressure which results in us doing thing simply because everyone is "doing it."

If everyone has faith; if everyone lives persuaded lives about many things, then what is the big question?

The big question is finding the best source of inspiration and insight to inform and motivate our persuasion toward what is most important and best for one's holistic health or salvation, but also for the best outcome for our communities in living lives of love and justice.

As Christian, we seek to anchor how we are persuaded on the exemplary life of Jesus of Nazareth.  So this was the teaching of the church.  This is work of God, to believe, to have faith in, to be persuaded about the surpassing greatness of the one whom God as sent.

God created us in the divine image; we have lost ability to live out in the best way from the divine image.  This means we are vulnerable to be persuaded about many things which are not the highest expressions of human living, some are downright evil or addicting, and others are merely benign and neutral.

If we are by nature, persuaded beings, then we need to have a higher informing source to regulate all of the areas of persuasion in our lives.  This is what the Gospel of John and the early Christ-based communities taught about Jesus.  The Jesus of specific history and the Eternal Word of all time, and the Risen Christ of our history is the source of inspiration to regulate all of the persuasion in our lives, so that we balance our life energy to express holistic personal health and the enlightened community health of loving our neighbors as ourself.

So, everyone has faith because everyone lives lives of various persuasions.  It is our Christian calling to promote the work of God, that is, the work of being persuaded about the Eternal Word of God and the Risen Christ as the model to show each person how to best live out the divine image upon our lives.

We are people of faith, we are persuaded by Christ as our model for how we should love God and our neighbor.  Let our life work be about informing our persuasion with the highest insight for living well.  Amen.

Sunday School, August 1, 2021 10 Pentecost, B, Proper 13

Sunday School, August 1, 2021   10 Pentecost, B, Proper 13

Themes:

We are continuing the bread of heaven theme.

There is the matching of the story of Manna which is described as a flaky substance which landed like snow on the ground each morning and the people of Israel could gather it and eat it as their meal for the day.  For protein, we read that God sent quail for the people to eat.

You can ask the children if they have ever been served new looking food and have they asked: "What's that?"   Then you can tell them that "What's that?" in Hebrew is "Manna."  The people of Israel saw the white stuff on the ground and they said, "What's that?" and so "What's that?" became the name of the food.  This might mean that the writers actually had a sense of humor by making the question into the name of the food.

The Gospel writer of John compared the large meal hosted by Jesus in the wilderness with the daily Manna or bread from heaven for the people of Israel.

The Gospel community had communion as a way of celebrating the fact that Christ was so close to them that he was a close to them as the bread which they ate and the wine they drank.

When we come to communion, we might see the bread and the wine and ask, "What's that?"  and the priest will say, "The body of Christ, the bread of heaven."  "The blood of Christ, the cup of salvation."  And so we believe in the special friendship that we have when we gather because of Jesus Christ, Christ is sense as being present with us and acknowledged as being with us in a special way in the bread and the wine.

When Jesus spoke the words, "I am the bread of life," he was speaking in riddles.  When we eat bread we take it inside of ourselves and the bread becomes us.  Remember the Gospel of John called Jesus the Word of God which created all things in the world.  We are always eating words in the sense that we take words and pictures into our minds.   This means we need to be careful about the words we take into ourselves.  This is why the words of Jesus are important because the words of our lives form us.  We become in our actions the words of our life.  In our communion we take on an identity with Jesus because we acknowledge that taking in the Words of Jesus is the way in which we can know that Christ is truly present with us.

Have the children think about how their actions are influenced by the words in which they take in.  If all we hear and take in are bad words then we can act from the bad words that are taken in.

Jesus is the bread of life because Jesus is Word of God that we study, read and take in for our spiritual lives. 

Sermon:

Did your mom or dad ever serve you some food and you said to them, “What’s this?”  And what if you mom and dad then began to call all of your food, “What’s this?”  We’re going to MacDonald and I’m going to order some “What’s this?”  Tomorrow for breakfast, I’m going to have some “What’s this?”  I see that mom has packed some “What’s this?” in my lunch box today.

  Do you think that we should name our food, “What’s this?”

  We could but, it has already happened.  It happened in a Bible story that was written a long time ago.

  The famous Prince of Egypt, Moses led his people out of Egypt.  He brought them into the desert and they had no food, and so they complained.  Moses prayed to God and asked God to provide some food. And so God had some food fall on the ground like snow flakes.  Moses told the people, “Go and gather the food from the ground and eat it.”  It was a new and strange food for the people, so do you know what they said when they saw it?  They said, “What’s this?”  or in Hebrew they said, Mah Nah?  And that means What’s this?  So do you know what they begin to call their new and strange food?  Manna, which means “What’s this?”  What are going to eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner?  You guessed it, “We’re going to have, “What’s this?”

  The “What’s this” food kept the people alive in their long journey for forty years.

  Some times we may have to try some new food.  And instead of saying, “What’s this?” we should say, Thank you God, thank you mom and dad for another meal that will help me grow strong.

  The next time you think about not eating your food, I want you to remember the “What this?” story.  And when you remember the “What’s this?” story, I want you to remember to be thankful for food, and remember to pray for all of the people in this world who do not have enough food.  Okay…say Mah Nah.  What this?

Intergenerational Family Service with Holy Eucharist

August 1, 2021: The Tenth Sunday After Pentecost

Gathering Songs: I Am the Bread of Life, Butterfly Song, Eat This Bread, When the Saints

Song: I Am the Bread of Life  (blue hymnal # 335)    

I am the bread of life, they who come to me shall not hunger.  They who believe in me shall not thirst.  No one can come to me, unless the Father draw him. 

Refrain:  And I will raise him up.  And I will raise him up.  And I will raise him up on the last day.

Liturgist: Blessed be God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

People: And blessed be God’s kingdom, now and for ever.  Amen.

Liturgist:  Oh God, Our hearts are open to you.

And you know us and we can hide nothing from you.

Prepare our hearts and our minds to love you and worship you.

Through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Liturgist:         The Lord be with you.

People: And also with you.

Liturgist:  Let us pray

O God, the protector of all who trust in you, without whom nothing is strong, nothing is holy: Increase and multiply upon us your mercy; that, with you as our ruler and guide, we may so pass through things temporal, that we lose not the things eternal; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Litany Phrase: Alleluia (chanted)

O God, you are Great!  Alleluia

O God, you have made us! Alleluia

O God, you have made yourself known to us!  Alleluia

O God, you have provided us with us a Savior!  Alleluia

O God, you have given us a Christian family!  Alleluia

O God, you have forgiven our sins!  Alleluia

O God, you brought your Son Jesus back from the dead!  Alleluia

A reading from the  Letter of Paul to the Ephesians

I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name. I pray that, according to the riches of his glory, he may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love.

Liturgist: The Word of the Lord

People: Thanks be to God

Liturgist: Let us read together from Psalm 145

The LORD is faithful in all his words * and merciful in all his deeds.

The LORD upholds all those who fall; * he lifts up those who are bowed down.

The eyes of all wait upon you, O LORD, * and you give them their food in due season.

Litany Phrase: Thanks be to God! (chanted)

Litanist:

For the good earth, for our food and clothing. Thanks be to God!

For our families and friends. Thanks be to God!

For the talents and gifts that you have given to us. Thanks be to God!

For this day of worship. Thanks be to God!

For health and for a good night’s sleep. Thanks be to God!

For work and for play. Thanks be to God!

For teaching and for learning. Thanks be to God!

For the happy events of our lives. Thanks be to God!

For the celebration of the birthdays and anniversaries of our friends and parish family.

Thanks be to God!

Liturgist:         The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John

People: Glory to you, Lord Christ.

The next day, when the people who remained after the feeding of the five thousand saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they themselves got into the boats and went to Capernaum looking for Jesus.  When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, "Rabbi, when did you come here?" Jesus answered them, "Very truly, I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For it is on him that God the Father has set his seal." Then they said to him, "What must we do to perform the works of God?" Jesus answered them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent." So they said to him, "What sign are you going to give us then, so that we may see it and believe you? What work are you performing? Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, `He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'" Then Jesus said to them, "Very truly, I tell you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world." They said to him, "Sir, give us this bread always."

Liturgist:         The Gospel of the Lord.

People: Praise to you, Lord Christ.

Sermon:  Fr. Phil

Children’s Creed

We did not make ourselves, so we believe that God the Father is the maker of the world.

Since God is so great and we are so small,

We believe God came into our world and was born as Jesus, son of the Virgin Mary.

We need God’s help and we believe that God saved us by the life, death and

     resurrection of Jesus Christ.

We believe that God is present with us now as the Holy Spirit.

We believe that we are baptized into God’s family the Church where everyone is

     welcome.

We believe that Christ is kind and fair.

We believe that we have a future in knowing Jesus Christ.

And since we all must die, we believe that God will preserve us forever.  Amen.

Litany Phrase: Christ, have mercy. (chanted)

For fighting and war to cease in our world. Christ, have mercy.

For peace on earth and good will towards all. Christ, have mercy.

For the safety of all who travel. Christ, have mercy.

For jobs for all who need them. Christ, have mercy.

For care of those who are growing old. Christ, have mercy.

For the safety, health and nutrition of all the children in our world. Christ, have mercy.

For the well-being of our families and friends. Christ, have mercy.

For the good health of those we know to be ill. Christ, have mercy.

For the remembrance of those who have died. Christ, have mercy.

For the forgiveness of all of our sins. Christ, have mercy.

 Liturgist:        The Peace of the Lord be always with you.

People:            And also with you.

Song during the preparation of the Altar and the receiving of an offering.

Song: Butterfly Song (Christian Children’s Songbook, # 9)

If I were a butterfly, I’d thank you Lord for giving me wing.  If I were a robin in the tree.  I’d thank you Lord that I could sing.  If I were a fish in the sea, I’d wiggle my tail and I’d giggle with glee.  But I just thank you Father for making me, me. 

Refrain: For you gave me a heart and you gave me a smile, you gave me Jesus and you made me your child.  And I just thank you Father for making me, me.

If I were an elephant, I’d thank you Lord by raising my trunk.  And if I were a kangaroo, you know I’d hope right up to you.  And if I were an octopus, I’d thank you Lord for my fine looks, and I just thank you Father for making me, me.  Refrain

If I were a wiggly worm, I’d thank you Lord that I could squirm.  And If I were a billy goat, I’d thank you Lord for my strong throat.  And if I were a fuzzy wuzzy bear, I’d thank you Lord for my fuzzy wuzzy bear.  And I just thank you Father for making me, me.  Refrain.

Doxology

Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Praise Him, all creatures here below.

Praise Him above, ye heavenly host. Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

Prologue to the Eucharist

Jesus said, “Let the children come to me, for to them belong the kingdom of heaven.”

All become members of a family by birth or adoption.

Baptism is a celebration of birth into the family of God.

A family meal gathers and sustains each human family.

The Holy Eucharist is the special meal that Jesus gave to his friends to keep us together as the family of Christ.

The Lord be with you

And also with you.

Lift up your hearts

We lift them to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to God.

It is right to give God thanks and praise.

It is very good and right to give thanks, because God made us, Jesus redeemed us and the Holy Spirit dwells in our hearts.  Therefore with Angels and Archangels and all of the world that we see and don’t see, we forever sing this hymn of praise:

Holy, Holy, Holy (Intoned)

Holy, Holy, Holy Lord, God of Power and Might.  Heav’n and earth are full of your glory.

Hosanna in the highest.  Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. 

Hosanna in the highest. Hosanna in the Highest.

All may gather around the altar

Our grateful praise we offer to you God, our Creator;

You have made us in your image

And you gave us many men and women of faith to help us to live by faith:

Adam and Eve, Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah, Jacob and Rachael.

And then you gave us your Son, Jesus, born of Mary, nurtured by Joseph

And he called us to be sons and daughters of God.

Your Son called us to live better lives and he gave us this Holy Meal so that when we eat

  the bread and drink the wine, we can  know that the Presence of Christ is as near to us as  

  this food and drink  that becomes a part of us.

The Prayer continues with these words

And so, Father, we bring you these gifts of bread and wine. Bless and sanctify them by your Holy Spirit to be for your people the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ our Lord.  Bless and sanctify us by your Holy Spirit so that we may love God and our neighbor.

On the night when Jesus was betrayed he took bread, said the blessing, broke the bread, and gave it to his friends, and said, "Take, eat: This is my Body, which is given for you. Do this for the remembrance of me."

After supper, Jesus took the cup of wine, gave thanks, and said, "Drink this, all of you. This is my Blood of the new Covenant, which is shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Whenever you drink it, do this for the remembrance of me."

Father, we now celebrate the memorial of your Son. When we eat this holy Meal of Bread and Wine, we are telling the entire world about the life, death and resurrection of Christ and that his presence will be with us in our future.

Let this holy meal keep us together as friends who share a special relationship because of your Son Jesus Christ.  May we forever live with praise to God to whom we belong as sons and daughters.

By Christ, and with Christ, and in Christ, in the unity of the Holy Spirit all honor and glory

 is yours, Almighty Father, now and for ever. Amen.

And now as our Savior Christ has taught us, we now sing,

Our Father: (Renew # 180, West Indian Lord’s Prayer)

Our Father who art in heaven:  Hallowed be thy name.

Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done: Hallowed be thy name.

Done on earth as it is in heaven: Hallowed be thy name.

Give us this day our daily bread: Hallowed be thy name.

And forgive us all our debts: Hallowed be thy name.

As we forgive our debtors: Hallowed be thy name.

Lead us not into temptation: Hallowed be thy name.

But deliver us from evil: Hallowed be thy name.

Thine is the kingdom, power, and glory: Hallowed be thy name.

Forever and ever: Hallowed be thy name.

Amen, amen, amen: Hallowed be thy name.

Amen, amen, amen, amen: Hallowed be thy name.

Breaking of the Bread

Celebrant:        Alleluia! Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us.

People:            Therefore let us keep the feast.  Alleluia!

Words of Administration

Communion Song:  Eat This Bread (Renew!  # 228)

Eat this bread, drink this cup, come to me and never be hungry. 

Eat this bread, drink this cup, trust in me and you will not thirst.

Post-Communion Prayer

Everlasting God, we have gathered for the meal that Jesus asked us to keep;

We have remembered his words of blessing on the bread and the wine.

And His Presence has been known to us.

We have remembered that we are sons and daughters of God and brothers

    and sisters in Christ.

Send us forth now into our everyday lives remembering that the blessing in the

     bread and wine spreads into each time, place and person in our lives,

As we are ever blessed by you, O Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  Amen.

Closing Song: When the Saints (Christian Children’s Songbook # 248)

When the saints go marching in, O when the saints go marching in.  Lord I want to be in that number when the saints go marching in.

When the girls go marching in….

When the boys go marching in…

Dismissal:   

Liturgist: Let us go forth in the Name of Christ. 

People: Thanks be to God!