Welcome to Sunday Worship in Leesfield Parish on the Twelfth Sunday after Trinity. Our Sunday services this week are at the usual times of 9.15 am at St Agnes’ and 11 am at St Thomas’. If you are unabe to be with us in person, you will find resources below to worship at home.
Our first hymn this morning is "Make me a Channel of Your Peace"
Today's Gospel
John 6:51-58 Jesus the Bread of Life
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.”
Reflection
I promised last week that there would be more talk about Jesus as the ‘bread of life’ and it is clearly important to Jesus that we get our heads around this. So much so that he reiterates the same message six times over to the same people.
The message that we need to focus on our spiritual lives as much if not more than our physical existence. Jesus says, “Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life.“
What then is life? How do we live our lives here on earth? Can you think of times when you have been dissatisfied with life?
Perhaps you have been in that state that the Americans refer to as ‘groundhog day’, where each day is a repetition of the previous day. You get up at the same time, have breakfast, go to work, to do same things at work as you do every day, have the same conversations with people about sport, politics, or what you watched on TV last night.
We follow the same routine day in and day out and maybe sometimes muse that; ‘there must be more to life than this’! It’s not necessarily that we have a bad life, certainly when compared to people who are suffering though drought, flood or war. But something deep down inside still prompts you to wonder, what is missing in my life?
It’s not ingratitude, but a yearning for some different purpose. Another piece of the jigsaw that points us to a deeper type of life.
Consider instead when things are going well. Maybe you play in a sports team, or music group, perhaps a team of people at work and everything you do just seems to go right for you. You’re in a group and everything is feels great; your team is getting better results than anyone else or your music group never misses a note and you play to rapturous applause every time you perform. It might be hard work but despite that you strive and hunger for more because the feeling you get is ecstatic and euphoric.
You are part of group that really connects with one another and as the saying goes, the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. So despite the fact that ‘life’ feels great you are still yearning for more.
On the face of it, you might think it’s just more of the same that you want, but deep down there may still be a feeling that there is more to life than good results and success.
I’ve often seen celebrities who when interviewed talk of their success but also the need to do something positive as a result of their good fortune, be that donating money or something far more tangible such as working to make a difference in society. Supporting those who are less fortunate.
When we eat Jesus’ flesh and drink his blood, we are taking part in an act of communion. As such we are called to be part of the worldwide Christian community where we look after the needs of one another and love each other.
It’s about truly feeling the love and sacrifice that Jesus made for us and being in ‘communion’ with one another. Connecting spiritually with Jesus’ team and being part of something so wonderful that we know we are part of something far bigger than ourselves and our own lives – we are part of Jesus’ life and he is part of our lives.
That is the life that Jesus gives to us and wants us to hunger for - where we all sit and eat at the Lord’s table, we partake of his abundant bread of life and care about each other. It’s about life with a capital ‘L’ where we love one another as Jesus loves us. Paul
Our Prayers
Almighty and ever loving Father,
We pray for those who are spiritually hungry and do not know the love of Jesus.
Transform the way live out our faith and
give us a generous spirit to share your love in all we say and do.
We pray for those whose lives feel empty,
forgive us for ignoring the social needs around us,
and open our eyes and our hearts to those in need of your love.
Amen
Today's final hymn is "Love Divine, All Loves Excelling"
Notices
Next Sunday, the 25th August, we have only one service in Leesfield Parish - a Parish Eucharist at 10 am at St Thomas' Church.
