Reverend Philip Stringer
1 Kings 19:4-8
Ephesians 4:25-5:2
John 6:35, 41-51
LET US PRAY: Gracious Lord, Bread of Life, feed us with your Word, and speak to our hearts, that we may love and serve only you, now and forever. AMEN
Our texts for today are truly exciting texts -- I love all of these passages, and part of me just wants to read them again and let them speak for themselves . . . but that’s not preaching. Let me tell you briefly what I love about these passages, and then we can turn to their meaning in our lives.
ELIJAH story -- part of a larger story of the persecution of the prophets under Jezebel.
When the strength and faithfulness of Elijah wore out, the strength and faithfulness of God continued. God gives new life and meaning and purpose. God is faithful in the greatest sense, not only remaining with him, but infusing his life with purpose and meaning.
God feeds Elijah under the broom tree -- not only with bread and water, but with purpose. There is a journey ahead for Elijah to take, and it will lead to serving God. Elijah will continue to be a participant in God’s plan for the world.
Today, God feeds us, too -- not only with bread and wine, but with promise and purpose. Just as with Elijah, there is a journey ahead for us, and it will be one of serving God. We are part of God’s plan to heal the world.
SECOND READING, Paul is writing to (spiritually) young Christians of Gentile origin, lifting up for them the new creation they are as a result of what they have received in Christ. Although he speaks about specific behaviors, in general what he speaks of is the fact that being Christian means being in relationship with others.
The foundation of our relationship as Christians is love and commitment.
Many people think their Christian faith is about believing in who Jesus is, and their own salvation and walk with Jesus. It is not. Here’s what Paul says: “Thieves must give up stealing; rather let them labor and work honestly with their own hands, so as to have something to share with the needy.”
The Christian life is all about giving, in response for what one has received from God.
In our gospel text, JESUS tells about the faithfulness of God in his coming. God has given them bread. Those who receive it, Jesus will raise on the last day, and in the present, God gives them eternal life.
A common theme I see in our readings today is giving and receiving.
1 Kings
•God Gives Elijah food and drink.
•Elijah receives the gift of food and drink.
•God gives Elijah ongoing value and purpose that begins with a journey.
•Elijah receives the gift by going on the journey.
•God gives Elijah God’s support.
Ephesians
•God gives the Gentiles a full inheritance as God’s chosen people.
•God gives gifts to individuals so that they may live as partners with God and imitators of Christ by giving what they have to others.
•God gives value and purpose to the people.
•The people receive these gifts unconditionally and may use them for good or ill.
Gospel
•God gives Jesus to be the bread of life.
•Jesus is the fullness of God -- God gives all that God is for us.
•God gives faith and relationship with Jesus by drawing people to him.
•Jesus gives promises of faithfulness.
•Jesus gives the promise of resurrection
•For those who receive the gift of Jesus, God will give a new life TODAY -- a life of heart conversion from control to love.
•God will give ongoing value and purpose.
•Jesus says that he will give his life and body for the sake of the world.
A common theme in our readings today is giving and receiving. And a common theme for our life as Christians is giving and receiving in love.
You and I are created in the image of God, and as Paul says, called to be imitators of Christ -- called to give and receive in perfect relationship with God and with our neighbors. YOU ARE WHAT GOD IS DOING IN THE WORLD TODAY! Through you, God continues to shape the world according to God’s plan -- God gives you that holy calling, and you RECEIVE that gift by creating acts of love, mercy and grace.
What gifts has God given you to share? What opportunities has God given for you to share them?
Before you ever begin the journey, Jesus is feeding you.
He comes to feed you continually:
Waters of baptism
weekly in the hearing of the Word
in receiving the Lord’s Supper, God bestows mercy and forgiveness
He gives new life and salvation,
creates and strengthens faith for our daily work and ministry in the world,
He gives us his presence.
We call the Eucharist “Holy Communion” because we are made one with each other, but we are also made one with God -- not just because Jesus comes physically and mystically to us in the meal and enters into our bodies, but because here is prefect relationship with God. God gives and we receive. No one takes communion. Your act of receiving honors what God is doing to create relationship with you.
And finally, Jesus comes to feed us:
Daily by allowing you and me to be instruments of God.
Response-ability.
TWO STORIES:
FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE -- born nearly 200 years ago into a wealthy, aristocratic family, she left behind her wealth and prestige to become a nurse -- which was a lowly and menial occupation. She trained in Germany at the Lutheran college for nursing. When she observed the horrid, filthy conditions of military hospitals, she fought for reform. She met prejudice and resistance as a woman, but eventually prevailed and revolutionized the world of healthcare.
She died of old age 114 years ago this Tuesday -- August 13, 1910. She is remembered on this date by the church, being commemorated as a renewer of society, because she lived her life for others rather than herself.
We also remember on August 13, another woman -- CLARA MAASS -- who was also a nurse. She was born to German Lutheran immigrants near Newark, NJ on June 28, 1876. At age 17 she decided to enter nursing school and graduated two years later. She became the head nurse almost immediately but left the school to serve as a military nurse during the Spanish American War. She was stationed in Florida, Georgia, Cuba and the Philippines, where she saw more soldiers die of Yellow Fever than of war wounds.
The cause of Yellow Fever was unknown, so after the war a study was undertaken to determine if it was caused by poor sanitation or by mosquito bite. Clara volunteered as a participant in the study and was exposed to mosquitos. She contracted a mild case of Yellow Fever, from which she recovered. The doctors didn’t believe that she could have formed an immunity with such a mild case, so they asked her if she would be willing to expose herself again. She agreed and was bitten by more mosquitos on August 14. She contracted a severe case of Yellow Fever and died 10 days later. She was 25 years old.
Her sacrifice proved the cause of Yellow Fever and led to measures to prevent the disease in the future.
She was buried in Newark, NJ -- where the hospital was renamed for her -- and her grave marker bears this inscription: “Greater love has no man than this: that he lay down his life for another.”
Clara Maass is also commemorated as a renewer of society, because of the gift of her life for the sake of others.
Giving and receiving.
It is the way of God. He is giving that you might receive.
You are receiving that you might give in his name.
So let us do the work that is given to us to do:
Let us give our thanks to the Lord and prepare to receive him as he comes to us in his holy supper.
AMEN
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