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7 PentecostThis past week while running errands I found myself circling the labyrinth of roads surrounding the Cottonwood Mall. At one point in my circuitous wanderings I found myself dangerously close to a Krispy Kreme Donuts. And wouldn’t you know it the “HOT Now” sign was on. Meaning that inside that sinful establishment there were fresh, delicious, warm wonders ready for the eating. How incredibly easy it is to turn into a Krispy Kreme Donuts, and find yourself, almost against your will, in the drive-thru lane ordering a dozen of these delicious warm wonders. Donuts are what I would call real comfort food, sin in doughy form, and personally I’m at risk every time they’re near. In fact I’m getting hungry just thinking about them right now. Perhaps this is an unwise way to begin a sermon. Is your stomach growling? Have you had breakfast? Of course I realize that no one here today would be tempted by such high calorie fare. I realize that one Krispy Kreme Donut is equal to eight Weight Watchers points or about 1/3 of the daily points a person of my size is allowed for an entire day, and I don’t really want to talk about it.
However, passing by the Krispy Kreme Donut shop with the “Hot Now” sign beckoning me into its sanctuary got me thinking. What if we at St. Michael’s were to put up a lighted neon sign on Montano with an arrow pointing into our church that we could turn on during services that something like: Fresh Bread and Wine being served Now, Holy Eucharist Now in Progress, Bread Now, or Love Feast in Progress. I admit it is not a particularly Episcopal idea but I would love to see the looks on peoples’ faces as they drove by our sign announcing fresh bread or worship in progress. I would love for them to slam on the brakes, jump out of their cars and come and join the feast. I would love for them to find the Church at its best, when we are gathered for Holy Eucharist. The Church is most the church when gathered for the Holy Eucharist. It is our Sacrament of nurture and transformation. A time during which we are nurtured by God through the mystery of Christ’s presence in bread and wine - empowered, equipped, nourished, and energized to be the people of God in the world.
Today’s gospel lesson from Mark is a story about bread and a remarkable meal - this is unmistakably Eucharistic. Jesus provides bread for people in the wilderness in a way that is both compassionate in the meeting of the real needs of the crowds that are pursuing him and deeply symbolic. It reminds us of God’s provision of manna for the people of Israel on their forty-year trek through the wilderness. Encountering this story of bread we should not forget our daily prayer for bread nor should we forget the words of Gandhi, “To a hungry person, God can only come as bread.” There are places on this planet that our Lord’s words to his disciples,“You give them something to eat” need to be spoken in the most literal of ways. Even in our midst the ongoing ministry of the food pantry is a reminder. We dare not pray for our daily bread in a world of abundance without being mindful of the real needs of others this day.
The passage tells us that Jesus’ ministry around the region of Galilee was drawing crowds. Jesus had sent his disciples out in pairs to preach and to heal and to cast out evil spirits in the villages. They had been busy, working hard and had returned to report to Jesus “all that they had done and taught.” However, there was such a commotion around Jesus they were constantly being interrupted. Seeing that his disciples were weary and had not even had leisure to eat, Jesus invites them to take a vacation. “Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while.” So they jumped into a boat and headed for a deserted place away from the crowds and toward some much needed R and R.
Unfortunately when they arrived at that lonely place it wasn’t all that lonely. The crowds had raced ahead of them and were waiting to see Jesus. Mark tells us that Jesus, “saw a great crowd and had compassion for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd.”
The day stretched on and the disciples begin to realize that they could be headed for real problems with a hungry crowd and nowhere to buy food. In their excitement to see Jesus they had neglected to think about food. The people may have begun with some food, but their resources were gone. The disciples make a very practical suggestion to Jesus. “Send them away so that they may go into the surrounding country and villages and buy something for themselves to eat.”
With a twinkle in his eye, Jesus responds to his disciple’s anxiety about food with a surprising command, “You give them something to eat.”
The disciples are incredulous, “Do you expect us to go and buy bread for all these people?” You can sense the treasurer in the group growing uncomfortable. This seems like mission impossible for them.
“What are our resources,” says Jesus. And sends them off, into the crowd, to find out. With five loaves and two fish in hand, Jesus has the people make themselves comfortable in green grass. I have always loved Mark’s description of “green grass.” It is a curious detail, but one that helps us to imagine the scene more vividly and gives us a clue that scarcity is not the final word in Jesus’ kingdom.
Jesus takes the loaves and the fish, gives thanks for them and then distributes them among the people. Miraculously, the people eat until they are satisfied. The simple peasant lunch is transformed into a feast for the crowd of 5000 men, to which we need to add in the women and children who were undoubtedly present. There are significant leftovers -- 12 baskets. The hungry are fed with good things. No one is left out. Everyone is treated to a satisfying meal.
Once again God feeds the people in the wilderness with bread from heaven just as he fed the Israelites with manna during their deliverance from their slavery in Egypt. Listen to the words of the prophet Isaiah:
On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wines, of rich food filled with marrow, of well-aged wines strained clear. And he will destroy on this mountain the shroud that is cast over all peoples, the sheet that is spread over all nations; he will swallow up death forever. Then the Lord God will wipe away the tears from all faces, and the disgrace of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the Lord has spoken. It will be said on that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, so that he might save us. This is the Lord for whom we have waited; let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation. (Isaiah 25: 6-9)
The purpose and end of God’s creation is depicted as sumptuous feast at the end of time. Everyone will be satisfied. No one will go hungry. There will be no strife or war but enjoyment around the table of the Lord. This is a vision of God’s justice and love. It’s a beautiful image that easily reminds us of the Eucharistic meal we celebrate every time we come together to worship.
The German philosopher Fauerbach once said that man is what he eats. He meant to reduce humanity down to a mere physical state with no soul or possibility for transcendence. However, the Eastern Orthodox theologian Alexander Schmemann had an interesting response. He simply said yes, you are right we are what we eat. As Christians we feast on the Holy Eucharist: the bread of life, the body and blood of Jesus Christ, food for our journey, the bread of immortality, manna from heaven.
I do not know how it is that you approach the table of bread and wine today. The consecrated bread is a powerful symbol of God’s love and presence in our lives. We all bring different stories to the table. Perhaps your story is like Sheila’s story of finding that the bread of life was just what she needed to recover from her eating disorder that was her way of trying to control the chaos in her world. Though the piece of bread is small it is large enough to fill the corners of her soul, once occupied by self-hatred and darkness. She now finds herself in a world in which she is known and loved by God.
Perhaps you are a businessman like Carl who gradually learned that God was calling him to respond to the gift of the bread of life. When he returned to the church after years of staying away, he began to understand that this gift was not for him to keep, it had to be shared. So, over time he decided that God was asking him to bring the compassion and love of the bread of heaven, with which he was now filled, to his business every day. And slowly he has helped to make his workplace a little kinder, a little more joyful, a little more compassionate as he has continued to hold out his hands to be fed and then endeavored to share that goodness with others.
We all come to receive from this table with different hands and different needs. But this is bread that does not disappoint. It is bread that can be consumed but the loaf will never be used up. The next time we gather for this holy meal, the bread will be here again, confirming that we never cease to be members of God’ s family, never cease to be heirs of God’s eternal kingdom.
As you come to the holy table this day, realize that the Hot Now sign is on. God is present in this bread and wine – the life-sustaining power of God is to be found in this simple meal. You are what you eat. You are the body and blood of Jesus Christ this day. And when you walk outside the doors of this church you are still the body and blood of Jesus Christ to this hurting and sinful world. You carry within you the nourishment that this world needs to know about, needs to be invited into, needs to feast on. You are the bread in the wilderness this day because God is dwelling in you and feeding you and nourishing you. You can offer your lunch – your life – to God and through it people can be fed not just for a day or a week or a month, but for eternity.
Oh, make no mistake, it is Jesus who is the Bread of Life and those who eat of it will live forever. There is plenty for all to be filled. Scarcity is not in charge here; there is more than enough to satisfy everyone. We need only to invite them to the table.
End Document — St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church