Tag: I am the bread of life

10th Sunday after Pentecost: 01 Aug 2021 – Exodus 16:2-4/9-15; Psalm 78:23-29; John 6:24-35 ~ “I am the Bread of Life.”

10th Sunday after Pentecost: 01 Aug 2021

+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Opening:

Almighty and merciful God, it is only by your grace that your
faithful people offer you true and laudable service: Grant that we
may run without stumbling to obtain your heavenly promises;
through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you
and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

“Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life;
whoever comes to me shall not hunger,
and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.”
(John 6:35)

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Psalm: Psalm 78:23-29

“The Lord Gave Them Bread From Heaven” – Merlyn MB

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OT Reading: Exodus 16:2-4, 9-15 (ESV)

16:2  And the whole congregation of the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness, and the people of Israel said to them, “Would that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the meat pots and ate bread to the full, for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.”

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I am about to rain bread from heaven for you, and the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in my law or not.

16:9 Then Moses said to Aaron, “Say to the whole congregation of the people of Israel, ‘Come near before the Lord, for he has heard your grumbling.’” And as soon as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the people of Israel, they looked toward the wilderness, and behold, the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud. And the Lord said to Moses, “I have heard the grumbling of the people of Israel. Say to them, ‘At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread. Then you shall know that I am the Lord your God.’”

In the evening quail came up and covered the camp, and in the morning dew lay around the camp. And when the dew had gone up, there was on the face of the wilderness a fine, flake-like thing, fine as frost on the ground. When the people of Israel saw it, they said to one another, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them, “It is the bread that the Lord has given you to eat.

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The Priests – Panis Angelicus (In Concert At Armagh Cathedral)
Latin:
Panis Angelicus fit panis hominum
Dat panis coelicus figuris terminum
O res mirabilis! Manducat Dominum
Pauper, pauper, servus et humilis
Pauper, pauper, servus et humilis

English:
The angel’s bread becomes the bread of men
The heavenly bread ends all symbols
Oh, miraculous thing! The body of the Lord will nourish
The poor, poor, and humble servant
The poor, poor, and humble servant

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Gospel Reading: John 6:24-35 (ESV)

6:24  So when the crowd saw that Jesus was not there, nor his disciples, they themselves got into the boats and went to Capernaum, seeking Jesus.

When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?” Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.” Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” So they said to him, “Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform? Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.”

Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.

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I Am the Bread of Life – Toolan | Notre Dame Folk Choir

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Prayer:

+ Almighty God, to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you no secrets are hid: Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you, and worthily magnify your holy Name; through Christ our Lord. Amen.

+ We do not presume to come to this your table, O merciful Lord, trusting in our own righteousness, but in your abundant and great mercies. We are not worthy so much as to gather up the crumbs under your table; but you are the same Lord whose character is always to have mercy. Grant us, therefore, gracious Lord, so to eat the bread, and to drink the wine, that our sinful bodies may be made clean by his body, and our souls washed through his most precious blood, and that we may evermore dwell in him, and he in us. Amen.

+ And now, Father, send us out to do the work you have given us to do, to love and serve you as faithful witnesses of Christ our Lord. To him, to you, and to the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory, now and for ever. Amen.

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Blessing: Ephesians 4:1-6 (ESV)

“Walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.”

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+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Thursday of The 3rd Week of Easter, 30 April 2020 – John 6:44-51, Acts 8:26-40, Psalm 66:8-9, 16-17, 20 ~ His life saved mine!

Thursday of The 3rd Week of Easter, 30 April 2020

+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Opening:

Almighty God, you gave your only Son to be for us both a sacrifice for sin and an example of godly living: Give us grace to thankfully receive his inestimable benefits, and to daily follow the blessed steps of his most holy life; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

“I am the bread of life.
Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again.”

A Reading from the Gospels: John 6:44-51 (NLT)

For no one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them to me, and at the last day I will raise them up. As it is written in the Scriptures, ‘They will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who listens to the Father and learns from him comes to me. (Not that anyone has ever seen the Father; only I, who was sent from God, have seen him.)

“I tell you the truth, anyone who believes has eternal life. Yes, I am the bread of life! Your ancestors ate manna in the wilderness, but they all died. Anyone who eats the bread from heaven, however, will never die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live forever; and this bread, which I will offer so the world may live, is my flesh.”

A Reading from the Book of Acts: Acts 8:26-40 (NLT)

Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch

As for Philip, an angel of the Lord said to him, “Go south down the desert road that runs from Jerusalem to Gaza.” So he started out, and he met the treasurer of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under the Kandake, the queen of Ethiopia. The eunuch had gone to Jerusalem to worship, and he was now returning. Seated in his carriage, he was reading aloud from the book of the prophet Isaiah.

The Holy Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and walk along beside the carriage.”

Philip ran over and heard the man reading from the prophet Isaiah. Philip asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?”

The man replied, “How can I, unless someone instructs me?” And he urged Philip to come up into the carriage and sit with him.

The passage of Scripture he had been reading was this:

“He was led like a sheep to the slaughter.
And as a lamb is silent before the shearers,
he did not open his mouth.
He was humiliated and received no justice.
Who can speak of his descendants?
For his life was taken from the earth.”

The eunuch asked Philip, “Tell me, was the prophet talking about himself or someone else?” So beginning with this same Scripture, Philip told him the Good News about Jesus.

As they rode along, they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “Look! There’s some water! Why can’t I be baptized?” He ordered the carriage to stop, and they went down into the water, and Philip baptized him.

When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away. The eunuch never saw him again but went on his way rejoicing. Meanwhile, Philip found himself farther north at the town of Azotus. He preached the Good News there and in every town along the way until he came to Caesarea.
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Psalm 66 (You Are Great) – Robbie Seay Band

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Closing: John 6:51 (NLT)

“I am the living bread that came down from heaven.
Anyone who eats this bread will live forever;
and this bread, which I will offer so the world may live, is my flesh.”

+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Tuesday of The 3rd Week of Easter, 28 April 2020 – John 6:30-35, Acts 7:51-8:1, Psalm 31 ~ “I am the bread of life.”

Tuesday of The 3rd Week of Easter, 28 April 2020

+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Opening:

Almighty God, you gave your only Son to be for us both a sacrifice for sin and an example of godly living: Give us grace to thankfully receive his inestimable benefits, and to daily follow the blessed steps of his most holy life; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

“I am the bread of life.
Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again.”

A Reading from the Gospels: John 6:30-35 (NLT)

They answered, “Show us a miraculous sign if you want us to believe in you. What can you do After all, our ancestors ate manna while they journeyed through the wilderness! The Scriptures say, ‘Moses gave them bread from heaven to eat.’”

Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, Moses didn’t give you bread from heaven. My Father did. And now he offers you the true bread from heaven. The true bread of God is the one who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”

“Sir,” they said, “give us that bread every day.”

Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.

A Reading from the Book of Acts: Acts 7:51-8:1 (NLT)

The Stoning of Stephen

“You stubborn people! You are heathen at heart and deaf to the truth. Must you forever resist the Holy Spirit? That’s what your ancestors did, and so do you! Name one prophet your ancestors didn’t persecute! They even killed the ones who predicted the coming of the Righteous One—the Messiah whom you betrayed and murdered. You deliberately disobeyed God’s law, even though you received it from the hands of angels.”

The Jewish leaders were infuriated by Stephen’s accusation, and they shook their fists at him in rage. But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed steadily into heaven and saw the glory of God, and he saw Jesus standing in the place of honor at God’s right hand. And he told them, “Look, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing in the place of honor at God’s right hand!”

Then they put their hands over their ears and began shouting. They rushed at him and dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. His accusers took off their coats and laid them at the feet of a young man named Saul.

As they stoned him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” He fell to his knees, shouting, “Lord, don’t charge them with this sin!” And with that, he died.

Saul was one of the witnesses, and he agreed completely with the killing of Stephen.

Persecution Scatters the Believers

A great wave of persecution began that day, sweeping over the church in Jerusalem; and all the believers except the apostles were scattered through the regions of Judea and Samaria.
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Psalm 31 (You Are My Strength) – My Soul Among Lions

1  In You, Lord, I’ve taken refuge
Let me never be ashamed
In Your righteousness deliver
Hear as I beseech Your name

Be to me a rock of shelter
Where to run and safely hide
When the wicked’s nets entangle
Pull me out and be my guide

 

2  In You, Lord, I’ve taken refuge
Why must life be spent in tears?
Bones are weak and body’s wasted
Through the groans of bitter years

I’m a joke to them who hate You
I’m the horror of my friends
Some have even schemed and whispered
How to bring about my end

But, You are my strength
I trust to You my very soul
You are my strength
My life is under Your control

Save me, O God
In Your mercy be near
Save me, O God
For it’s You that I fear

Save me, O God
Who will ever be true
I put my trust in You

3  In You, Lord, I’ve taken refuge
For the sake of Your own name
Shine the light of favor on me
But the wicked put to shame

I hate all their filthy idols
And their tongues parading lies
Let them make their beds in sorrow
As for me, though, hear my cries

You are my strength
I trust to You my very soul
You are my strength
My life is under Your control

Save me, O God
In Your mercy be near
Save me, O God
For it’s You that I fear

Save me, O God
Who will ever be true
I put my trust in You
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Closing: Matthew 4:4

+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Thursday Morning: 24 Jan 2019 – John 6:41-58 ~ the mystery behind the man

Thursday Morning

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Opening (Collect for Purity)

Almighty God: to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you no secrets are hid; cleanse the thoughts of my heart through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, that I may perfectly love you, and worthily magnify your holy name, through Christ my Lord. Amen.
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Morning Reading – John 6:41-58 (NLT)

Then the people began to murmur in disagreement because he had said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” They said, “Isn’t this Jesus, the son of Joseph? We know his father and mother. How can he say, ‘I came down from heaven’?”

But Jesus replied, “Stop complaining about what I said. For no one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them to me, and at the last day I will raise them up. As it is written in the Scriptures, ‘They will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who listens to the Father and learns from him comes to me. (Not that anyone has ever seen the Father; only I, who was sent from God, have seen him.)

“I tell you the truth, anyone who believes has eternal life. Yes, I am the bread of life! Your ancestors ate manna in the wilderness, but they all died. Anyone who eats the bread from heaven, however, will never die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live forever; and this bread, which I will offer so the world may live, is my flesh.”

Then the people began arguing with each other about what he meant. “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” they asked.

So Jesus said again, “I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you cannot have eternal life within you. But anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise that person at the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. I live because of the living Father who sent me; in the same way, anyone who feeds on me will live because of me. I am the true bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will not die as your ancestors did (even though they ate the manna) but will live forever.”
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Morning Reflection:

The Mystery behind the Man.

“Anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life,
and I will raise that person at the last day.” – John 6:54

It shouldn’t surprise us that the crowd was confused by Jesus’ response to them in John 6:54. How could the son of Joseph have come down from heaven? How could he give them his flesh to eat? And what did this have to do with living forever? It was all a mystery to them.

And so it remains a mystery today – 2,000 years after Jesus’ instituted these words in the Lord’s Supper, the church continues to debate their meaning. But one thing is certain – ritual aside – eternal life is a gift of God’s grace, received through faith in God’s Son – the Lamb of God who takes way the sins of the world.

“Anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him.”
– John 6:56-57

Questions for consideration:

  • How do you feed your faith – “remain in” Jesus Christ?
  • How do these “means of grace” help you develop intimacy with Christ -Bible reading/study, prayer, worship, and the Lord’s Supper? Something else?
  • Do you have a “healthy eating” plan to feed your faith in Christ?  What’s involved?

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Morning Prayer:

Heavenly Father: You have drawn me to your Son, Jesus Christ, and by your grace I have placed my faith and trust in him. Fill me with your Spirit, that your life might flow in me and through me. Nourish my faith through the means of grace you have given us, that I might remain in your Son, now and forever – all to the glory of your name. Amen.
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“Body Broken (Mystery of Grace)” – Diana Rose Dawson & W. Zachary Taylor

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Closing:

May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever He may send you. May He guide you through the wilderness, and protect you through the storm. May He bring you home rejoicing at the wonders He has shown you. May He bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost – 12 Aug – John 6:41-51 ~ anyone who believes has eternal life

Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost

+ In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen!

Opening Prayer

God, our Father and provider, whose Son has given his flesh for the life of the world, sustain your pilgrim people on our journey with the word of life and the bread of heaven. Draw us nearer to him that, following his way of sacrificial love, we may come to the banquet of eternal life. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever. Amen.
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“Guide Me, Oh Thou Great Jehovah” – Tabernacle Welsh Baptist Church, Cardiff


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Gospel Reading: John 6:41-51 (NLT)

Then the people began to murmur in disagreement because he had said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” They said, “Isn’t this Jesus, the son of Joseph? We know his father and mother. How can he say, ‘I came down from heaven’?”

But Jesus replied, “Stop complaining about what I said. For no one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them to me, and at the last day I will raise them up. As it is written in the Scriptures,‘They will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who listens to the Father and learns from him comes to me. (Not that anyone has ever seen the Father; only I, who was sent from God, have seen him.)

“I tell you the truth, anyone who believes has eternal life. Yes, I am the bread of life! Your ancestors ate manna in the wilderness, but they all died. Anyone who eats the bread from heaven, however, will never die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live forever; and this bread, which I will offer so the world may live, is my flesh.”
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Prayers of Intercession:

Heavenly Father: we enter your presence under the auspices of your Son, Jesus Christ. Hear our prayers and grant us your mercy and help –

+ For all believers who gather in worship this weekend, that we may have fullness of life…
+ For all believers who gather in your name, that we may be bound together in spirit and peace…
+ For all believers who are preparing for another school year, that we may bring out the best in one another…
+ For all who experience despair, to the point of giving up, that you may sustain them with help and hope…
+ For all believers, that they may treat others with love, gentleness, and respect…
+ For all believers travelling during summer holidays, that they may return home refreshed…
+ For all believers who have died, that having received the Bread of Life, they may live forever…

We bless you, O Lord, at all times: from all our terrors you set us free: receive our prayers, and continue your gracious care and provision, we pray, through Christ our Lord. Amen.
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“Draw Me Close” – Michael W. Smith


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Blessing – Ephesians 3:20-21

“Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”

+ In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen!