Proper 13B, August 5, 2018
2 Samuel 11:26-12:13a
Psalm 51,Ephesians 4: 1-16
John 6:24-35
St Thomas the Apostle
The Rev’d Joy A. Daley
Has anyone tried any of those Healthy Choice Meals? They have all kinds frozen entrees and even canned soup. I’ve tried many of them and some are pretty good but I have to say the name is more appealing than the product itself. We all know we should have a physically healthy diet so we can feel good and move through the world without too much difficulty. You may have seen the article in our newsletter on Thursday titled Healthy Eating is a Snap about our own Stephen Toon and Virginia Holleman about how they educate others in Healthy diets. What they do in these sessions is part of their ministry in the world. There is actually lots t of information about healthy physical eating but what about our Spiritual health and nourishment?
I read an article this week that said that this week’s gospel is promoting the Jesus Diet which is all about healthy choices. Rather than a fad diet it guarantees results because it comes with a personal trainer, Jesus who feeds us, leads us into the ways of eternity. Jesus feeds us with himself. We consume him we don’t just gaze at him from a distance. There is no space between us. In a Eucharistic community such as this one our encounter with God is a physical one. Sara Miles in her book, Take this Bread, says that we ingest God physically and spiritually when we receive what is prepared at this table. Then what? After Communion today we will give thanks for being fed with the spiritual food in the sacrament of Christ’s body and blood in our post communion prayer and we ask God to send us out into the world in peace; to grant us strength and courage to love and serve God with gladness and singleness of heart. In other words, this Thanksgiving feast is not like the physical one in November when we eat our fill get very sleepy and all that is expected of us is to take a nap or become couch potatoes for the rest of the day as we cheer for our favorite football team! The food we receive equips us for a purpose for our ministry in the world. Our reading from Ephesians tells us that we are all gifted for ministry some are evangelists some teachers some pastors and so on, all equipped in different ways to speak the truth in love and when that happens we grow up into him we go about healing and teaching and giving hope and when we live into this calling the whole body of the church grows and is built up in love. What a wonderful calling for all of us. The feeding that we get here is primary but it takes us being intentional to grow into it and for people to experience the bread of life through us. I remember when I used to bake bread. As soon as you came into the house you could tell that bread had been baked. You could smell it. You could almost taste it in the air. When we take the bread of life into ourselves I think the world should experience something similar in their encounter with us. The appeal of something nourishing coming through us who are filled with the bread of life. Reuben Welch once said, “Yes, people need Jesus but most of the time what they really need is for someone to be Jesus to them.” How do we do that? Since we are not Jesus, in order to be like him we need not only to be fed by him here on Sundays but be centered on him. As we are sent out into the world at the end of this feast how do we live a Jesus centered life?
Recently at General Convention our Presiding Bishop talked about practices for Jesus Centered life which he calls the Way of Love (click diagram to enlarge). There are also copies and more explanations in trifold brochures on the table that I encourage you to pick up on your way out. First we Turn from the ways of the world hatred negativity, injustice toward the way of hope and love and justice reorienting our lives. We are then called to Learn to reflect on scripture each day This helps us to see God’s story in our story and in the circumstances around us. Maybe you read just one verse a day and reflect on it or pick up a Forward Day by Day. However we do this when we study the scriptures we are living into the prayer that says Blessed Lord who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning: Grant us so to hear, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life…” Then we Pray. I know I couldn’t walk in this way of love without daily prayer in whatever way works for us to turn to him with humble and contrite hearts asking for grace and guidance. We Pray individually but also we are called to Worship in community every week to thank, praise and dwell with God. We are fueled up here to be that bread in the world to Bless others by giving, forgiving, teaching and healing in his name. Where are we to Go and do this not only here but beyond our circles of comfort going out into the world joining God in healing a hurting world. Then we Rest. We remember that in the creation story after God did the work of creating God rested. We are called to be restored in mind body and spirit so then we will be ready to Turn again and repeat the pattern.
This is how Jesus lived in the world. This is how Jesus was the Bread of Life for us. If we are part of the Jesus Movement we are called to live like him to be in this way of love and that is how others will meet Jesus through us how we can bring the Bread of life into others. If we follow this way of Love, We will be like the fresh smell of bread wafting in the atmosphere and people will be drawn to us not because of who we are but because of who he is present in us. This is what people in this world are hungry for. Food that does not perish but food that endures for eternal life. The bread of God which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world. If we follow this way we are a part of the way of love, the Jesus Diet. It is essential now more than ever because people are spiritually starving out there. So may we Feed on him in our hearts and then bring nourishment to others. May this Way of Love become our Healthy Choice.
