Last Sunday (Pentecost 9, July 26, 2015)
August 2 – 10am, Godly Play (preschool through second grade)
August 2 – 11am, Holy Eucharist, Rite II
August 2 – 12pm, Coffee Hour
August 5 – 5pm, Village Dinner
August 6 – 6:30pm, Peumansend Creek Jail Ministry
This Sunday at St. Peter’s – Servers, Readings
For the Village Harvest, Aug. 19:
Please choose between cereal, grits and oatmeal. Bring them to the church to the back pew by Aug. 16. Thank you for your contributions. It brings everyone who contributes into this ministry whether you are at the distribution or not.
Two of the key words this Sunday are related – "Essential" and "Enduring". As we go through life we make choices forging our own path and hopefully we find those things which make life meaningful. Jesus message was that his way promoted that which is eternal – promoting "spiritual bread" that gives constant sustanance vs. material bread that is momentary.
We see this in an article on four people who are willing to share "Life Lessons", those truisms that helped to make them a success and for which are enduring. We have an article from the Archbishop of Canterbury on how the freedom of religion is essential for our humanity. Then we drill down one man’s thoughts on what is significant, what provides meaning for him in the Episcopal Church. To wrap up, a story on how to close the day using different prayer books in our tradition. Meaningful thoughts to help us provide closure.
A related concept in the lectionary is helping others in need as we are part of a common body. We have a story on two unrelated pizza restaurants doing just that to help the poor – "paying it forward". Finally we have a a link to a story in the Free Lance-Star on "hometown heroes". You don’t have to go far to find those who are placing others’ needs ahead of their own. First, a few voices on this week’s lectionary:
Voices, Pentecost 10
The Gathering of Manna, Bernardino Luini, c 1520, Detail
"One early, cloudy morning when I was forty-six, I walked into a church, ate a piece of bread, took a sip of wine. … This was my first communion. It changed everything.
"Eating Jesus, as I did that day to my great astonishment, led me against all my expectations to a faith I’d scorned and work I’d never imagined. The mysterious sacrament turned out to be not a symbolic wafer at all but actual food – indeed, the bread of life. In that shocking moment of communion, filled with a deep desire to reach for and become part of a body, I realized that what I’d been doing with my life all along was what I was meant to do: feed people."
-Sara Miles, Take This Bread
The God of Surprises
"This, you see, is the sacraments. Communion and baptism are God’s external and objective words of love and forgiveness, given in a form which we can receive, for, as we said last week, the sacraments are God’s physical, visible words for God’s physical, visible people…
"But God, you see, our God rarely does what God is supposed to do. For our God is a God of surprises, of upheavals, of reversals. And so rather than do what God is supposed to do, God does the unexpected: instead of pronouncing judgment in the face of our sin and selfishness, God offers mercy; instead of justice, love; instead of condemnation, forgiveness; instead of coming in power, God came in weakness; and instead of giving us a miracle, God gives us God’s own self. For as Martin Luther would remind us, the whole of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection are summed up both succinctly and eloquently in the two words we hear when coming to the Table: “for you.” This is Christ’s body, given for you. This is Christ’s blood, shed for you."
– David Lose. President of Luther Seminary
"What is manna? Is it a Hebrew pun on mah hu, or as Everett Fox suggests, “Whaddayacallit”: What is this stuff? Is manna mountains of sweet insect excrement, as proposed by some scholars, or the stuff of legend, of a tale told over the generations about how, in some mysterious way, God gives us life? The New Testament’s version of this question is “Who is he?” – and Christians have told one another, over the generations, that in some mysterious way he is the life that God gives. Our manna is Christ."
–Gail Ramshaw, Christian Century, July 28, 2009
At the table
"Blessed are you Lord, God of all creation. Through your goodness we have this bread to offer, which earth has given and human hands have made. It will become for us the bread of life."
– from the Roman Eucharistic Liturgy
Lectionary, August 2, Pentecost 10
I. Theme – Living for God includes living for the welfare of others
"The Bread of Life" – Hermel Alejandre
The lectionary readings are here or individually:
Old Testament – Exodus 16:2-4, 9-15
Psalm – Psalm 78:23-29
Epistle –Ephesians 4:1-16
Gospel – John 6:24-35
Today’s readings portray God as our ultimate provider and sustainer of both our physical and spiritual lives. In Exodus God feeds the people of Israel with quail and manna. Paul reminds his community that they must put away their old way of life and be renewed in Christ. In anticipation of his eucharistic gift of himself, Jesus declares that he is the bread of life.
We’ve interrupted our Liturgical Year B trek through Mark’s gospel for a five-week sojourn in the gospel of John, Chapter 6, the extended teaching about Jesus as the Bread of Life.
After the Feeding of the 5,000, Jesus and His disciples cross back to the other side of Galilee. When the crowd sees that Jesus has left, they follow Him again. Jesus takes this moment to teach them a lesson. He accuses the crowd of only following Him for the “free meal.”
Jesus tells them in John 6:27, “Do not labor for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.” The real import of Jesus’ activity isn’t simply to feed those who are hungry but to reveal something vital about Jesus and, in turn, about God. In this case, Jesus is the One who can satisfy every human need. They were so enthralled with the food, they were missing out on the fact that their Messiah had come.
They want proof. So the Jews ask Jesus for a sign that He was sent from God (as if the miraculous feeding and the walking across the water weren’t enough). They tell Jesus that God gave them manna during the desert wandering. Jesus responds by telling them that they need to ask for the true bread from heaven that gives life. When they ask Jesus for this bread, Jesus startles them by saying, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.”
This is an invitation for those listening to place their faith in Jesus as the Messiah and Son of God as the one who is essential. The concept of bread is expanded from a physical substance of life into that into the spiritual realm. He is spiritual bread that brings eternal life.
A unifying theme in today’s passages is the reminder that living for God includes living for the welfare of others, and not putting our own desires first, for our own desires lead to giving into temptations and lead us away from God. And our response to those in need must be to meet the needs first, not to judge or complain. We are called to help and heal, not blame and condemn. We are called to live out the life of Christ in our own lives, to seek to be last and servant of all rather than first and right. We are called to put aside our own desire to be right to do what is right.
The scripture last week also included the story of Jesus walking on the water, Jesus is the one who transcends limits. In the process we need to allow Jesus to transform us which we more than often than not are unable to accept.
Read more about the lectionary
"Pay it Forward Pizza"- Sustaining and Being the Servant of Others
As Jesus said, “They need not go away; you give them something to eat." Two pizza owners, one in Philadelphia and one in Fort Lauderdale are living out spirit of the Gospel by feeding those in need.
At Rosa’s in Philadelphia you buy a slice of pizza for someone in need and sign a post it note. It goes on the wall. The shop then gives away an average of more than 40 slices of pizza every day now, and warmly welcomes any homeless person to sit down, enjoy the music and dine for free. More than 8,000 of the cheese slices have been donated in the nine months since the program was born.
In Florida a similar thing goes on at Slice Pizza in Fort Lauderdaile. Customers simply donate $1 to the cause and the Gatos family provides a slice of pizza to those in need. This was the brainchild of Rev. Mark Sims, Episcopal priest at St. Mary Magdalene Episcopal. In five months they served 3,000 meals. "A mosaic of generosity" – and it has helped stimulate business.
2. The Ft. Launderdale example
And in Fredericksburg… Hometown heroes
Full story which appeared in the July 30 edition. The story includes Chris Hall, the Caroline deputy hit by a car while performing his duty at Caroline High School.
The story provides many examples – people who work long hours in jobs but find time to volunteer; a teacher diagnosed with cancer but who focuses on family and students; a lady cooking meals for others in need; a hospice nurse; one man wracked by paralysis who rearranged his life and provides inspiration and hope for others; a rescue squad volunteer for 20 years also serving as a teacher.
As Paul writes in Ephesians "But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body’s growth in building itself up in love."
Expanding our Visions – Jesus as the Bread of Life
"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." – John 6:27.
The challenge in life is to find which things perish and which things endure, and to embed ourselves – to abide in, to focus our living on – the things that endure. Because only the things that endure truly satisfy, and only the things that endure bring true life. These are the essentials.
Here are four individuals that have considered what is essential to their lives, what is eternal and like Jesus what is motivational. They have been transformed by what we can call "Life’s Lessons."
These individuals have been given gifts – wisdom, understanding and courage. As Paul writes this week in Ephesians, "The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ. "
Most importantly, they act not on what they can get out of life personally but how they can contribute extravagantly to the whole. Two are fictional and two are not:
A. Life’s Lessons – Steve Jobs
"Sometimes life can hit you in the head with a brick, don’t lose faith"
See this video which covers each of the lessons
B. Life’s Lessons – Indiana Jones
By Dan Seddon
These are lessons Mr. Seddon derived these from watching Indiana Jones and the last Crusade
Childhood has a massive effect on our adulthood.
"Throughout the film we see the tense relationship between Indiana and his Father. There are also a number of flashbacks if his childhood. On the silver screen as in life our childhood can have a bearing on our lives. Some people have a great childhood and emerge as a well rounded individual. But it can also leave you with a lot of hang-ups.
" Recognizing your hand-ups where they have come from and making a shift and effort to change these hang-ups can change the total direction of your life. There is a well known quote “your attitude determines your altitude”. This is so true. Sometimes we can have an attitude or mindset which limits us, hinders our progress in life or imposes a ceiling on what we can achieve.
The penitent man will pass. (Movie scene)
" As Indie goes through the series of tests in the pursuit to find the holy grail, the first test is a long cave like chamber. The guidance from his Father’s little notebook says “only the penitent man will pass”. Just in time, Indie realises in order to progress he has to be on his knee’s.
" It doesn’t matter where you arrive at, you must never forget humility. Whatever level of success you achieve, arrogance or rudeness is never warranted. The famous saying of “what goes up must come down” remember to be humble, gracious and polite on your journey especially if you want to afforded to you.
The leap of faith. (Movie scene)
" As Indie reaches the void, he recalls that the next tip is to take a leap of faith. All he can see is a long drop in front of him. A leap of faith will cause him to fall to his death if his eyes are to be trusted. He closes his eyes and makes the leap. If you have seen the film you know that there was a walkway there but his angle of view; his perspective prevented him from seeing it.
" Our perspective can also prevent us from seeing a way forward. Sometimes the way forward his hidden from us and we have to take that step of faith. Pursuing a new career or doing something new can be terrifying, but it the words of Nike: just do it.
Know your stuff. (Movie Scene)
" As Indie enters the chamber, the final test is a series of chalices. He has to choose the one which Jesus used at the last supper. There was probably a 100 different chalices he could choose from. The right one would provide the drinker with eternal youth, the wrong one would kill the drinker.
" The only way Indie could pass this challenge was if he knew his stuff. He had the information and had studied to understand the holy grail in more detail. On face value you would think the holy grail would be a luxurious item decorated with jewels.
" But Indie knew better, Jesus was no rich man, the family business was carpentry, the cup would have been a simple object.
" Knowing your stuff, researching and studying helps you broaden your capabilities and when the crunch moment comes you can rely on your learning to help you make the right decisions. Much of our fears are based on inaccurate information. False evidence appearing real as they say can only be challenged if you have looked more deeply into the issues and subject. Fear is a powerful self protection mechanism, often it prevents us from harm, but it also dislikes anything with risk. Know your stuff and you can re-educate your fears."
C. Life’s Lessons – Rocky Balboa
“Going that one more round when you don’t think you can – that’s what makes all the difference in your life.”
"The world ain’t all sunshine and rainbows. It’s a very mean and nasty place and I don’t care how tough you are it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain’t about how hard ya hit. It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done! "
1. Get the Work Done (Movie scene)
2. Never Quit (Movie scene)
3. Going the Distance Is More Important Than Winning or Losing (Movie scene)
4. Persistence (Movie scene)
See this article which covers each of these lessons and includes additional clips from the moves
D. Life’s Lessons – Warren Buffett
"The only way to get love is to be lovable. It’s very irritating if you have a lot of money. You’d like to think you could write a check: ‘I’ll buy a million dollars’ worth of love.’ But it doesn’t work that way. The more you give love away, the more you get."
See this video which covers each of the lessons.
More Essentials..Religious beliefs are ‘core part of what it is to be human’
Archbishop Justin Welby writes in the Times that our religious beliefs are "a core part of what it is to be human" – and the freedom to practice them must be protected here and abroad.
Humans are made in the image of God, so our religious beliefs are a core part of what it is to be human. To take away a person’s freedom of belief or non-belief is to violate the core of their humanity.
"The village, as we approached it, was the normal collection of straw-roofed huts and a school. It was only as I got out of the car that the destruction was evident. A few days earlier raiders had struck. I found one man, like Job, sitting on a heap of ash. The raiders had killed his wife and six children. He had hidden down a well for three days. On a nearby hill, a raider stood silhouetted with a rifle in his arms and watched us the whole time we were there. The cause of this brutal attack? The village was a Christian community.
"Acts of religious violence and the curtailing of freedom of religion are not only directed at Christians. In the Central African Republic Christians have attacked Muslims. Around the world, Christian churches are burned in south India, Muslim and Christian villages attacked in parts of Myanmar. As for the Levant and Mesopotamia, we are all too terribly aware of extreme violence by Isis and its allies against every other group. Earlier this year I visited Egypt to offer condolences following the murder of 21 Coptic Christians in Libya, who died proclaiming “Jesus Christ is Lord”. Of the 37 Anglican provinces to which I travelled during my first 18 months in office, almost half were living under persecution. They fear for their lives every day.
"Meanwhile, close to home, the firebombing of mosques in this country, and the atrocious attacks on Jewish communities across Europe show that too many people, of all faiths, find their fundamental human right to freedom of religion and belief under attack.
"It is therefore timely that Lord Alton of Liverpool is leading a debate on religious freedom and belief in the House of Lords today. His motion notes violations of Article 18 of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights — the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion — and urges the UK and international community to give greater priority to upholding this hard-won freedom.
"As a Christian, I believe that religious freedom — the choice of how we follow God and, indeed, whether we choose to follow God at all — is given in creation, and in the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. Jesus gave those he encountered absolute freedom of choice as to whether to follow him or not: the thieves on either side of Jesus, as he hung on the cross, were given a choice whether to believe in him: one turned to him, the other cursed him. That is freedom. It is a freedom that should apply to people whatever their faith, or those who are atheists.
"Those of us who are followers of Jesus are called to obedience to Him. We bear witness to Jesus Christ, of course, yet we must never compel or manipulate people into faith. This is why the church’s sporadic record of compelling obedience to its teachings through violence and coercion is a cause for humility and shame.
"It is all too easy to think that faith is an optional extra or a consumer choice, that choosing whether to believe in God is like deciding which type of car to buy. Humans are made in the image of God, so our religious beliefs are a core part of what it is to be human. To take away a person’s freedom of belief or non-belief is to violate the core of their humanity.
11 Things I Love About the Episcopal Church – the Essentials
By Ben Irwin
"Today it’s the Eucharist, the stained glass windows, and the liturgies of the Episcopal Church that are breathing new life into my faith.
"Many of these things can, of course, be found in other traditions as well. But for me, it’s been the Episcopal Church that has nurtured my faith, breathing new life into me. May you find beauty in whatever tradition you call home. May God breathe new life into your faith—wherever you are."
All the details of the items below:
1. The way the liturgy soaks into your being.
2. The way the liturgy invites me to worship with my whole being, bridging the false divide between body and soul.
3. The way it anchors my faith when no act of will on my part can.
4. The way it embraces orthodoxy without rigidity.
5. How it makes room for those who’ve been burned out, worn out, or otherwise cast out.
6. The way you can simply be, if that’s all you can do.
7. The way their worship can be deeply moving without resorting to emotional manipulation.
8. How the “shared cup” matters more than “shared dogma.”
9. The way everyone is welcome as a full participant, even children.
10. How it reminds me that I’m part of something bigger.
11. How at the altar, we’re all the same.
"Whatever gets you through the Night"…Prayers at the close of day
There are many Anglican prayer books in the world- at least 50. The Prayer book is a treasure trove of spiritual richness. Each has unique prayers as we conclude our day. Here are a sample:
From the New Zealand Prayer Book:
"Holiness; make us pure in heart to see you; make us merciful to receive your kindness and to share our love with all your human family; then will your name be hallowed on earth as in heaven.
"It is night after a long day. What has been done has been done; what has not been done has not been done; let it be. "
"Support us, Lord, all the day long, until the shadows lengthen, and the evening comes, the busy world is hushed, the fever of life is over, and our work done; then Lord, in your mercy, give us safe lodging, a holy rest and peace at the last. God our judge and our companion, we thank you for the good we did this day and for all that has given us joy. Everything we offer as our humble service. Bless those with whom we have worked, and those who are our concern. Amen"
From the Book of Common Prayer (1979)
"O God, your unfailing providence sustains the world we live in and the life we live: Watch over those, both night and day, who work while others sleep, and grant that we may never forget that our rsquo;t matter where you arrive at, you must never forget humility. Whatever level of success you achieve, arrogance or rudeness is never warranted. The famous saying of common life depends upon each other’s toil; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen."
"Keep watch, dear Lord, with those who work, or watch, or weep this night, and give your angels charge over those who sleep. Tend the sick, Lord Christ; give rest to the weary, bless the dying, soothe the suffering, pity the afflicted, shield the joyous; and all for your love’s sake. Amen."
"Guide us waking, O Lord, and guard us sleeping; that awake we may watch with Christ, and asleep we may rest in peace."
"Lord, you now have set your servant free to go in peace as you have promised; for these eyes of mine have seen the Savior, whom you have prepared for all the world to see: a Light to enlighten the nations and the glory of your people Israel. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen."
"Look down, O lord, from your heavenly throne, and illumine this night with your celestial brightness; that by night as by day your people may glorify your holy Name. "
"Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of our fathers and mothers, creator of the changes of day and night, giving rest to the weary, renewing the strength of those who are spent, bestowing upon us occasions of song in the evening. As you have protected us in the day that is past, so be with us in the coming night; keep us from every sin, every evil, and every fear; for you are our light and salvation, and the strength of our life. To you be glory for endless ages. Amen."
"God, we thank you for the blessings of the day that is past, and humbly ask for your protection through the coming night."
From Celtic
"Renew me this night in the image of your love, renew me in the likeness of your mercy, O God." ~ Celtic Benediction, J. Philip Newell
From Scripture: