Nourishment

Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life.  John 6: 27

Is this not the heart of Jesus’ message to us?  John’s Gospel is one of mysticism and symbolism. In it, we know to look for the spiritual truths that lie beneath the obvious. In doing so, we discover God’s invitation to wholeness and holiness. 

In proclaiming himself to be The Bread of Life, Jesus reveals the essence of what he hops hopes we will come to understand: that in setting aside the anxieties and stressors that are part of daily life, we will encounter God. As we chafe at that which irritates us or cling to past hurts, we cannot change. We remain stubborn, simmering pots of dissatisfaction and victimization.

But Jesus offers us an alternative: The Bread of Life is not only a salve for our hurts and balm for our battered hearts and minds, it is Christ’s invitation to dwell enter into the very heart of God.  With it, we cannot remain the same. Through it, we are transformed into a new creation, infused with compassion, joy, hope and love. By it, we ingest the fuel necessary to love each other as Christ loves us.

The choice is ours. 

Fear? Fear not?

.....they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were terrified. But he said to them, "It is I; do not be afraid."    John 6: 10-20

                                           The Storm                            Andy Gonzales

How many times in scripture do we hear the words "fear not" or "do not be afraid?" I didn't actually do the counting, but apparently the scriptures contain 365 admonitions about fear: one for every day of the year.  Coincidence?  Probably. But the point is, God has something to say to us about fear. 

Why are so many of us besieged by fear? Fear of change, fear of ill health, fear of poverty, fear of foreigners?       Fear of disappointing others.  Oh my. That's a biggie.

 "Fear not," say the angels. "Do not be afraid," says our Lord. Fear paralyzes  Fear nibbles away at our faith. Fear distorts reality. The Lord wants more from us. The Lord wants us to live into our belovedness and to share it with the world. The Lord wants us to cast out our fears and our demons; to rest in God's mercy and grace. 

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This week, take a look at what's bugging you; what's eroding your own sense of belovedness. And if you find fear to be the culprit, cast it out. Name it. And walk in faith. .

Peace be with you.

Sabbath

The Apostles gathered around Jesus, and told him all that they had done and taught. He said to them, "Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while." For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. Mark 6: 30 - 31 

           

The Woman at the Window                  Salvador Dali, 1925

The Whispering:

Jesus knew.  Jesus knew how tiring it was to be so busy.  He knew what is was like to have people clamoring for his attention: needing money, needing healing, needing to touch him. No peace and quiet. No down time. No day off.

Jesus recognized the need for down time, and knew how hard it is to claim.  

Sabbath time is essential for good health and for perspective. Very often when we take time "off," it is for action packed trips with complicated itineraries - all well and good - but when is there time for this essential Godly rest? Without it, we get road weary. Resentments fester, job performance slips, and relationships suffer.

In the coming weeks, consider how you can carve out a small space of Sabbath time each week. Start by claiming 20 minutes - maybe an hour - for yourself.  

Do it. Dare to do nothing. And dare to dedicate it to God. 

Abuse of Power

"I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter." The king was deeply grieved; yet out of regard for his oaths and for the guests, he did not want to refuse her. Immediately the king sent a soldier of the guard with orders to bring John's head.           Mark 6: 25-26                                                             

Frieze - Amiens Cathedral 

This week's Gospel relates the story of the debacle of the death of John the Baptist. He did not die because he had done anything wrong; he died because a woman was furious with him and wanted revenge. A silly reason. An unjust reason. A miscarriage of justice.

As Christians, we are called to be prophets; yet this is a hard ministry for most of us. The text for Sunday tells us that King Herod "was deeply grieved" about ordering John's beheading, but he gave the order anyway because to refuse the girl would have caused him embarrassment. He valued saving face more than human life.  

This Gospel passages forces us to look at our own hearts and our own actions. In fact, when preparing our hearts for repentance and confession, we must ask ourselves uncomfortable questions.

• Have our actions ever resulted in us becoming the Oppressors?

• Does "being right" matter more to us than "doing the right thing?"

• Who, by our silence or inaction, has experienced a miscarriage of justice?

God calls us to be prophets.  How do you use your prophetic voice? 

 

 

Home Grown Prophets

Jesus said, "Prophets are not without honor, except in their hometown, and among their own kin...... Mark 6: 4

                                      Chapel Island     Squam Lake, NH,

Greetings from the backwoods of New Hampshire where I am vacationing with my family.

They are a loving lot, though not exactly sure what to do with the one Episcopalian in their midst -- and a priest to boot.  Yesterday my agnostic sister sailed me over to Chapel Island in the middle of Squam Lake to see the 125 y.o. outdoor (Episcopal) chapel there. She thought I'd like it. I did. Tall whispering pines, a font made from a slab of granite with a depression in the center; rainwater collects there. The cross is made from local birch trees and the altar and pulpit are also slabs of granite.  Holy ground.

"Do you ever come here to worship," I asked?

Uncomfortable silence.    

                   

Such is the tenuous relationship Jesus has with the people of  his hometown.  

He is able, the text tells us to do a couple of healings, but nothing much more. 

At dinner last night, a couple who I did not know approached me, saying they had heard I was an Episcopal minister. What followed was a conversation of deep blessing and sharing. "How did you  know I was a Episcopal priest?" I finally asked.

"Your brother told us," they said.

Perhaps it is enough.