Scripture Readings and Communion Mediation
July 5, 2020
Psalm 135:1-3, 13-21 Common English Bible (CEB)
Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD’s name! All you who serve the LORD, praise God! 2 All you who stand in the LORD’s house— who stand in the courtyards of our God’s temple— 3 praise the LORD, because the LORD is good! Sing praises to God’s name because it is beautiful!
13 LORD, your name is forever! LORD, your fame extends from one generation to the next! 14 The LORD gives justice to his people and has compassion on those who serve him.15 The nations’ idols are just silver and gold— things made by human hands. 16 They have mouths, but they can’t speak. They have eyes, but they can’t see. 17 They have ears, but they can’t listen. No, there’s no breath in their lungs! 18 Let the people who made these idols and all who trust in them become just like them! 19 House of Israel, bless the LORD! House of Aaron, bless the LORD! 20 House of Levi, bless the LORD! You who honor the LORD, bless the LORD! 21 Bless the LORD from Zion—bless the one who lives in Jerusalem! Praise the LORD!
John 6:1-15 Common English Bible (CEB)
After this Jesus went across the Galilee Sea (that is, the Tiberias Sea).
2 A large crowd followed him, because they had seen the miraculous signs he had done among the sick. 3 Jesus went up a mountain and sat there with his disciples. 4 It was nearly time for Passover, the Jewish festival. 5 Jesus looked up and saw the large crowd coming toward him. He asked Philip, “Where will we buy food to feed these people?” 6 Jesus said this to test him, for he already knew what he was going to do. 7 Philip replied, “More than a half year’s salary worth of food wouldn’t be enough for each person to have even a little bit.” 8 One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said, 9 “A youth here has five barley loaves and two fish. But what good is that for a crowd like this?” 10 Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” There was plenty of grass there. They sat down, about five thousand of them. 11 Then Jesus took the bread. When he had given thanks, he distributed it to those who were sitting there. He did the same with the fish, each getting as much as they wanted. 12 When they had plenty to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather up the leftover pieces, so that nothing will be wasted.” 13 So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves that had been left over by those who had eaten. 14 When the people saw that he had done a miraculous sign, they said, “This is truly the prophet who is coming into the world.” 15 Jesus understood that they were about to come and force him to be their king, so he took refuge again, alone on a mountain.
Mystery and Wonder… Rev. Mary Larson
For several weeks we have been exploring the many different ways beauty can be seen and appreciated. In our homes, nature, in our souls, and the stars. Beauty, as we have learned, does not need to be and is not perfection. That the stone or shell we see on our beaches, worn by the waves, is beautiful. We are beautiful, and “Made for the Beloved.”
We will continue to walk on this path, and if you want, you are welcome to reach out to me, and we can continue this discussion. There are so many things in this world, which sing of beauty, mystery, and wonder.
Today we share communion. Some will have the “perfect” bread (whatever that may be) and for others stale pretzels or Cheez-It’s because they weren’t able to get out to shop. For some wine, others juice and for still others of us water might be their choice. And yet throughout our kitchens, living rooms or patios we gather and God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit is with us in all of these places. There are many different liturgies that we tell when we share communion. At times we remember the story of the road to Emmaus and where the two travelers so sad and grieving after their teachers, Jesus’ death couldn’t even stand it to stay in the city. And when Jesus walked with them on their journey, when he shared his story, their eyes were not opened, not until they broke bread with him. And then… their eyes were opened.
Today, we are invited to share the sacred meal of communion, and we come from different places. Some are excited and perhaps already thinking of our virtual coffee hour coming up at noon on Sunday. Others are exhausted, worn out, broken, maybe not doing as well as they want. And we all come to the table and are fed.
Which got me thinking about today’s reading from the Gospel of John and what a story it was. A large crowd kept following him; they saw what he had done. Going back a few chapters in the gospel of John, we see a couple of examples of what the people around Jesus saw that encouraged them to join him on that mountain.
The story of the Samaritan woman at the well. And how even though the culture told him to stay away. That the Samaritan was not considered part of the in-crowd and this woman who came and got water during the heat of the day, but that is another story for another day.
He healed a man on the Sabbath, which angered many of those present. He spoke the truth to all, to those who struggled and those who were considered authoritative. And he spoke truth to power.
And crowds came and gathered. And there weren’t any grocery stores or restaurants the closest places would have been a village and who knows where that would have been. So, Jesus asks, what the gospel goes on to tell us was a trick question, have you ever gotten one of those from a teacher or a friend. They like Jesus already knows the answer, and yet asks the question anyway. In Jesus’ case, he wanted to know what Philip or, as Walter Brueggemann, an Old Testament teacher, and scholar, proposes as the stand-in for the church. And what Jesus heard was Philip coming from a place of scarcity. Of there not being enough. That the people in need couldn’t be taken of…
Now Philip was what many would call a pragmatist. He saw it as it was… and it was not enough. And then we have Andrew, and he found a boy with some food but adds his own story of scarcity, again not enough. “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish.” Great. But not enough.
And what does Jesus do? He also is practical in his way, the way of mystery and wonder that is beyond many of our understanding.
One- Has them sit down. Jesus invited the crowd like we are invited today to the table. All 5,000 of them. Wow. My first time going to the Synod of the United Church of Christ (a gathering of as many from our denomination as possible every two years) was many years ago. It was the largest place I have ever shared communion. I was up halfway up in this auditorium surrounded by; I don’t know if it was 5000, but it sure was more than I have ever seen share communion in one place before. My wondering, my idea of scarcity was a little different, how long would it take? I couldn’t imagine so many people being served in less than an hour and what about the rest of the service. And yet, my own like Andrew and Philips’s concerns were unfounded.
Two- He takes the loaves.
Three- Gives Thanks
And lastly, it says they were all taken care of and satisfied. More than that, there was much leftover. And unlike myself who sometimes wants to explain everything, he doesn’t. Jesus accepts it and expects others will too. I don’t know how many people got this, that Jesus was starting a new way, of thinking of being. He had the “me” and the “we” of living life down. And we are called to follow Jesus’ path and example. When we are challenged by the world and what it offers, the scarcity, whether in food or compassion, we can be that difference in our ways.
I want to close this sermon and begin our time of sharing a holy meal with a prayer/poem of Walter Brueggemann’s.
Truth-telling, wind-blowing, life-giving spirit—we present ourselves now
for our instruction and guidance; breathe your truth among us, breathe your
reality of deep Friday loss, your truth of awesome Sunday joy.
Breathe your story of death and life
That our story may be submitted to your will for life.
We pray I the name of Jesus risen to new life—and him crucified. Amen.