August 18, 2024
John 6:51-58
Introduction
Many of you have been listening to me preach for more than a few years now. And if you have, you know I am a manuscript preacher—meaning I write out my sermons in their entirety, and then preach from a printed manuscript. I’m glad some of you appreciate having copies of the sermon in hand while I preach, to follow along with, whether it be for hearing issues or just staying focused.
I have always preached from a manuscript because that is how I was taught in seminary. However, I have always wanted to be an extemporaneous preacher. The kind of preacher who prepares for Sunday’s sermon, but then only uses an outline, or a few notes, or maybe nothing at all—and just preaches. But that’s not me. And trust me, I’ve tried. And Julie would always know when I was trying because whenever I tried, I would end up repeating the same point over and over again.
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I share all that because when I hear today’s Gospel I can’t help but wonder if Jesus has gone off script because he repeats the same point over and over— six times actually.
- “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever.”
- “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.”
- “Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them.”
- “Whoever eats me will live because of me.”
- “The one who eats this bread will live forever.”
We’ve all heard this before. We hear a version of this every week when we gather around the communion table and partake in the Lord’s Supper. We know the words Jesus speaks; we take in the elements as reminders of these truths and promises.
But when doing so we should ask if we have the life of which Jesus speaks? Is there Life within… you and me? That question is the thread that runs through each of Jesus’ six statements. He isn’t forgetful of what he has said. He’s not repeating himself because he’s off script. Rather he’s repeatedly calling us into life. And he is doing this because Jesus is mindful of our hunger for new and renewed life, and he’s trying to get our attention. He’s trying to wake us up; he is trying move us from the set points of faith we have stopped at.
By asking the incredibly important question… Is there Life within… you and me?… Jesus is trying to get us to look at—really look at— the life we are living.
Move 1
“Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.” Jesus is asking again: Is there Life within… you and me? This is of course not a question about physical or biological life. It’s about much more. It’s about Life with a capital L. It’s beyond words, it’s actually indescribable, and yet we know it when we taste and see it.
Think about those experiences when you felt larger than life— not because you had done or accomplished something, but because you felt connected to and part of something larger than yourself—those moments when you said to yourself, “This moment is perfect. I never want it to end.”
Perhaps it was your wedding day, or the day a child or grandchild was born. Maybe it was a special family celebration where everyone was there. Maybe it was simply an unexpected and happenstance as you walked through nature. Perhaps it was when you prioritized a time of service to someone who needed your help, and you saw how it made not only an impact, but it made a difference.
Whatever it was… Whenever it was… it was perfect, and you never wanted it to end. When was the last time Life tasted that good, looked that good, and you wanted more? Was it not too long ago? Or was it a long, long time ago?
A life that tastes good, that looks good, that we want more and more of, is the life Jesus is talking about in each of the six statements he makes in our text for today.
And so I wonder if that’s the life you and I are living today. Is there Life within… you and me?
Move 2
At some level we all know the “taste and see” kind of life is available because we have experienced it. And because we have, we hunger for it. And it’s a holy hunger that causes us to ask ourselves, “What am I doing with my life?” Which then leads us to wonder if this—the life we are living today— is all there is or ever will be? Asking questions like, “Is this as good as it gets? Surely there is more to life than this. Right?!”
When we ask these questions, what we really want to know is… Is there Life within… us? So do that. Ask yourself. Is there life within…? But not just any life—the kind of life Jesus wants for us.
It’s such an important question because my guess is that all of us at some point live less than fully alive lives. We go through the motions. We put life on autopilot—even though we hunger for more life. We want to taste and see the goodness and joy and exuberance we experienced before; we want to feed that hunger… but too often we don’t…do we? Why? Are we too busy? Are we too scared? Do we convince ourselves we’ll get around to it? When have you felt that holy hunger? Are you feeling it today? If you are, what are you feeding it? How would you describe your life today? Is there life within…?
Move 3
It seems to me that most of the time we describe our lives in terms of history and circumstances. We focus more on what we do than what really matters and enlivens us. We talk about where we are from, where we live, our marital status, and what we do. We talk about our work, roles, and busy schedules. We talk about what’s going on in our life, our town our country. We talk about what we have and what we want. We talk about our age, health, and our struggles or difficulties or frustrations. We talk about the way things used to be, the way they are, and the way they should be. But is any of that really about the life within us? Because, sure, all of that may be a true and accurate description of our lives but the question still remains: Is there Life within… you… us?
The circumstances of our lives are not unimportant. They matter and they make a difference. They’re not, however, the way Jesus thinks about and looks at Life. Jesus said, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?” (Matthew 6:25) Jesus could just as well have said, “Is not life more than your circumstances?” And if Jesus sees life as more than our circumstances—more than just what’s happening—maybe we should too.
Move 4
So what is that “more than your circumstances” for you today? Not sure? That’s fine… Maybe these questions will help…
What if communing with the body and blood of Jesus, ingesting and digesting his life in ours, is about being connected to something larger than, and beyond, ourselves? Could that be the more?
What if we really knew ourselves to be connected to each other—family, friends, neighbor, stranger, immigrant, alien— connected in such a way that we began speaking more about we, us, and ours, and less about me, myself, and mine? Could that be the more?
What if we truly believed—and acted on the belief—that each other’s life, hope, joys, needs, hurts, losses, and sorrow are just as valid and important as our own? Could that be the more?
What if we created a place where everyone belonged— not that they were just tolerated or put up with— but that everyone really belonged and had a place? And not just a place in the building though, but a place in our heart? And that we had a place in their heart? Could that be the more?
What if life really isn’t about you and me, but we are to be about Life…all Life?
Maybe that’s what it means to eat and drink the bread and wine of communion. And, yes often that happens around the communion table. But other times it happens at the dinner table, in our prayers, our reaching out in compassion to another, our acts of justice, our weeping for the pain of the world, our recognition of another human being as a child of God and our brother or sister in Christ.
Could that be the more we are actually hungering for in Life?
Conclusion
There is no shortage of bread and there is no chance of the cup running out—so let’s not dare let ourselves think for a second that we can’t spare any. And let’s not convince or deceive ourselves into believing we’re just not that hungry.
Every time we live the communion life, we are living large and larger than life—not because we individually did or accomplished something, and not because life is all about us. Rather we are living large and larger than life because in that moment we were all about Life—the life Jesus is trying to get us to look at—really look at— and then start living. That’s how I want to live… don’t you?
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So I’m going to ask again… and repeat myself again… Is there Life within… us? Is there Life within… our church? Is there Life within… you? Amen.
Pastoral Prayer, August 18, 2024
God of all life, each new day is a gift from you, and we give you thanks for that gift. For in each new day there’s not only the gift of that day, but there is the gift of new life that abounds within it. New life that comes through connection with family, friends, and even the stranger.
And yes, we are grateful, although admittedly, we often take the gift for granted.
Help us Lord to not take each new day for granted. Help us not through guilt or shame that we should be more aware, or that we should be doing more, or doing something extraordinary. Rather help us by reminding us when a new day begins, it is a gift of life that has purpose, promise, and the chance to embrace all that we love.
We need this reminder Holy God, especially after this past week. You know how our community was impacted by a terrible tragedy. A tragedy that saw the senseless loss of two lives. While unfortunately not an unthinkable tragedy in our world today, and unfortunately not an uncommon occurrence, this time it struck a chord deep within our souls, because this is not common in our community. Naïvely we thought such senseless shootings and the taking of life could not happen here in Stow or Monroe Falls or Cuyahoga Falls or Talmage or Kent. Yet on Tuesday, we learned that not only can such happen here, but it did happen here.
So we pray O God that you speak to the broken hearts of the families who have been directly impacted by this tragic act of violence. We pray your Holy Spirit will ease their pain and grief. We pray too O God for our community, and our neighbors, that we are reminded, daily, that a senseless tragedy like this can be prevented when we strive to love our neighbors as we love you and love ourselves.
God of all life… reveal to each of us, in each new day that you are always at work to gift us and bless us, and bless others through us, with the gift of life, because it is you, and you alone, who have given the life we have within us.
Please hear now the prayers we need to lift to you in this time of Holy Silence.
All this we pray in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ, who taught us to pray, saying, “Our…”