August 18, 2024 — Pentecost +13B

[Jesus said,] “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.” The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” So Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day; for my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them. Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever eats me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like that which your ancestors ate, and they died. But the one who eats this bread will live forever.” John 6:51-58

There is one genre of movies I have never been able to watch – and that genre is the vampire themed movies and television shows. I just can’t seem to get excited about people feasting on other people’s blood — and particularly I do not even want to discern the possibility of becoming immortal. I mean, really, who wants to live forever on this earth? I know I don’t want to. And who wants to make blood a part of their regular diet?  I know I don’t – well that is except for the blood of Jesus, which is what we do every time we partake in Holy Communion. We believe that Jesus is in, under and through the bread and wine – that Jesus is in the bread and the wine – as much a part of that wine as your blood and your flesh is a part of you.  It sounds like a mystery – or is it?

One of the alluring aspects of the vampire genre is the mystery of it all.  The vampires are mysterious – they look mysterious, they walk mysteriously, and they talk mysteriously. But the vampires are not part of reality – at least not part of my reality. They are not real. I have discerned that I will never meet a vampire, but many people have discerned something different. In fact, for some people it is easier to believe in vampires than to believe that this bread and wine becomes enmeshed, infused with the body and blood of Jesus. Again, it just takes a little discernment.

As Christians, to gain insight is to discern wisely the ways and the words of G-d. Some readings are easy to do just that. But for the readers of John 6:51-58, well this becomes a difficult task, because this lesson is so fleshy…so bloody. It can be difficult for many to make sense of it; just as it was difficult for those hearing Jesus’ words some two thousand years ago.  In fact, if you read ahead to verse 66, you read this “Because of this (teaching) many of his disciples turned back and no longer went about with him”.  It made the followers of Jesus sound like cannibals.  What could Jesus mean – eat my flesh and drink my blood?

Christ asks us to do some discernment in the Gospel lesson – to discern his very presence, his very “essence” when we partake in Holy Communion.  When we eat the bread, and drink the cup, we need to discern what it means to take Christ into our very beings. It is not just ordinary bread and wine – it is not JUST bread and wine. It is the very essence of Christ – his life – his life-force – his presence that, when taken into our bodies, courses through our veins and sustains our flesh.

Pastor Dave

April 17, 2024 — Suggested Reading: Romans 12:1 – 21

“I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect. For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. For as in one body we have many members, and not all the members have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another. We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us: prophecy, in proportion to faith; ministry, in ministering; the teacher, in teaching; the exhorter, in exhortation; the giver, in generosity; the leader, in diligence; the compassionate, in cheerfulness. Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor. Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer.” Romans 12:1-12

“I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.” We can draw two conclusions from this opening text to chapter 12. First, that each person presents their whole person in obedience and in faith to the commands that Paul will lay out in the following verses. All of our gifts, whether in ministry, or in teaching, etc., are to be used to the glory of G-d. And second, that worship is an act that involves the whole person, in body, performing certain acts of worship. Both points are arguments against the position that many people have today – that they can worship G-d at home by themselves, anytime and anywhere. Paul is appealing to the people that this just is not possible — not for the Romans (not for us) — to worship G-d properly is to be present in worship – and not just present but to be in the moment. This is what our liturgy is about – it is the “work” of the people – where we actively participate in that worship. We present our gifts to G-d, each according to the gifts that we have. We must go through an active assessment of those gifts often, and in accordance with presenting our prayer, praise and thanksgiving to G-d. What are your gifts? Have they changed? Have you prayed about them and have you asked G-d to help you in assessing your gifts — and in using your gifts?

Pastor Dave