TEN TWEETS OF WISDOM

A Sermon for 13th Sunday after Pentecost + August 30, 2009
Pastor Laura Gentry

James 1:17-27

When I read the critical bits of wisdom contained in our Epistle reading for today from James, I get the sense that I’m reading a Twitter feed. If you haven’t already heard the buzz about Twitter, it is a popular social networking Web site that allows users to share little messages with the world. The messages are short because they are limited to 140 characters—about a sentence in length. These fragmented bits of information are called “tweets” and there are a lot of tweeters out there. According to an article in the New York Times I recently read, there are 14 million users, who visited the site 99 million times last month to post messages and read the messages of others.

Because Twitter limits these communications to 140 characters, it forces people to be extremely concise. Messages simply can’t be long and flowery—it they have to get right at the heart of what needs to be conveyed. In our day and age, we expect this kind of economy of words, not just with tweets, but with just about everything. It’s a busy world and we have developed pretty short attention spans as a result.

That’s why I find the words of James’ so contemporary even though they were written for an ancient audience. The writer of this book, traditionally believed to be James, the brother of Jesus, is passionate about helping the believers of the early Christian community live our their faith. The authorship has been disputed but regardless of who wrote it, the wisdom contained within it is still valuable.

Lutherans don’t dig into this book all that much because Martin Luther didn’t like it. He called it the “Epistle of Straw” because he felt the emphasis upon good works might diminish our understand of salvation by grace. We are saved, Luther insisted, by the grace of God through Jesus Christ and not at all by our works. Other Christian scholars have argued that James seems to understand that we are saved by grace but that he is also interested in what we do with this gift of grace. Do we just hide it under a bushel or do we live it, thus allowing the light of Christ to grow within us and illuminate the world?

Reading James we get the sense that Christianity is an ongoing journey. You can’t ever just say: I AM a Christian. It is more like: every day, I am becoming a Christian. We don’t ever walk in the footsteps of Jesus perfectly, but with each step of our journey, we can work to walk in those footsteps more closely. Mother Teresa understood this. She once wrote: “Keep in mind that our community is not composed of those who are already saints, but of those who are trying to become saints. Therefore let us be extremely patient with each other's faults and failures.”

This entire book of James is only 108 verses long—many of them the length of a tweet or less—but it is steeped in wise and timeless advise designed to help us walk the walk of faith so that we can become Christians and we can be patient with our fellow becomers. So let’s take the 10 verse passage from the lectionary reading today and look at it one tweet at a time in hopes that we can be inspired by God’s word anew.

1. Every generous act of giving, with every perfect gift, is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. —James 1:17

Giving is a gift? Have you ever thought of giving a gift? That kind of makes the giving we do like a double gift—the gift we give it coupled with the fact that God’s spirit gave us the gift to enable us to give it. Generosity is a good thing and we must be grateful that God helps us to be grateful, as it is a “perfect gift” that is given to us from the Father of lights. This God is pure light and will always be pure light. God’s light doesn’t have a “dark side” like the Force in Star Wars. We can trust in God’s goodness and we don’t need to fear that it will ever change.

Imagine you are reading this verse at Twitter and it stands all by itself. Just this tweet alone gives us wisdom if we contemplate it and allow it to shape our ideas and behaviors. It bids us ask ourselves important questions.

• In your Christian walk, how do you act generously?
• Think of a gift you recently gave. How did you feel blessed in the giving of it?
• What can you do to invite the Father of lights to give you even more generosity and other perfects gifts such as wisdom, love and joy?

2. In fulfillment of his own purpose he gave us birth by the word of truth, so that we would become a kind of first fruits of his creatures. —James 1:18

Now in the second tweet here, James reminds us that we have been given new birth by the “word of truth.” This refers to the good news of the Gospel. The world may speak a word of discouragement. The Media, for example, presents only 1 positive story out of 17 negative ones. But that’s not at all the way God words. The word of truth which our Lord speaks is all positive, all good because it is about redemption through Christ.

And so with this new birth as children of God, we become the first fruist of God’s creatures. In biblical tradition, the first fruits are the first ripe sheaves of grain or the first fruits that appear on a tree. They are signs of a greater harvest that is to come. They give hope. That’s why these first fruits were offered to God to show that they trusted in God for not just these fruits, but the entire harvest. So for us to be first fruits is to be the sign of hope and change. We are not going to listen to the word of the world. Instead, we are going to listen to the word of truth. We are going to give God our hearts and really belong to God, to walk in God’s ways.

Being the first fruits of creation means we’ve got to put our heart and soul into the living of our faith. We can’t do it half-heartedly. It reminds me of the abolitionist Wendell Phillips, who, after making an impassioned speech condemning slavery, was asked, "Wendell, why are you so on fire?"

Phillips looked at his friend and said: "Brother, I'm on fire because I have mountains of ice before me to melt."

Indeed, we have mountains of ice before us even today. 

• Are you on fire with the Spirit’s passion?
• Do you want more than anything to let your lives reflect your status as a first fruits of God’s creation?

3. You must understand this, my beloved: let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger;
—James 1:19

This one certainly reads like a tweet. But it is not detached from the tweet that came before it about being the first fruits of creation. Here, he is giving us absolutely concrete advise for how to live as a first fruit. It is so simple but so important. I think this is one we ought to commit to memory: “be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger.”

Not enough people are quick to listen these days. G.K. Chesterton once said that there is no such thing as an uninteresting subject, only uninterested people. The average speaker says about 125 words a minute in normal conversation. Yet our brains have the ability to comprehend about 400 words a minute. So we can get bored with a speaker and let our minds wander—thus, not really hearing and comprehending what’s being said. When we turn all of our focus to someone and really hear them out without judging immediately, we can connect with them in a most powerful way.

Think of people who you consider to be good listeners: folks that give you their full attention when you talk to them and ask meaningful questions to help you further unpack your ideas. What a gift they are giving you when they listen attentively! Being a good listener is key to forming strong relationships with others. That’s why James reminds us to listen first, being quick and eager to do so.

Then, only after careful consideration, should we speak. This would really keep us from putting our foot in our mouth as we so often do. Slow to speak, it says. Some people love to say whatever is on their minds. They brag of themselves: “I just tell it like it is.” But these words can often be hurtful and damaging. James would advise these folks to be much more cautious about speaking. Furthermore, we should also aim to be slow to get angry.

• Am I quicker to listen, to speak, or to get angry?
• What can I do to learn the art of listening better?
• How would being quick to listen improve my relationships?

4. For your anger does not produce God’s righteousness. —James 1:20

Now this one is a no-brainer. Living a life of anger will not make us filled with God’s righteousness. The American Psychological Association says that anger must be expressed when it is felt because if we turn it inward, it can cause hypertension, high blood pressure, or depression. But allowing our anger to fly out at others isn’t helpful either. As people of faith, we are called to turn our anger and other undesireable feelings over to God and ask God to transform us from the inside out. This is why we pray and worship and read scripture. These things help direct our focus upon God and the righteous ways in which God wants us to walk.

• How much do I struggle to manage my anger?
•  What can I do to give my anger over to God so that I can be transformed?

5. Therefore rid yourselves of all sordidness and rank growth of wickedness, and welcome with meekness the implanted word that has the power to save your souls. —James 1:21

As with anger, we are also to let go of other wicked behaviors and welcome the implanted word. This is a wonderful image of how God’s mighty word is given to us and dwells in our hearts, like a seed that has been planted. It is a gift and it must be nurtured just as a plant must be watered. When we focus our hearts upon God’s word, then the word within us can grow and guide us from within.

• How can I work to rid myself of wickeness?
What am I doing to nurture the implanted word in my heart?

6. But be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves. —James 1:22

This is probably the chief tweet of the whole book. James is all about action. If we believe God, it should change the way we live. We should be doers of the word. As Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote:”Go put your creed into your deed. What you do speaks so loud that I cannot hear what you say.”

• If someone didn’t know I was a Christian, could they figure it out based upon my behavior?
• How can I make my actions more consistent with my belief in Jesus?
• If I were a true “doer of the word” how would my life be different?

7. For if any are hearers of the word and not doers, they are like those who look at themselves in a mirror; for they look at themselves and, on going away, immediately forget what they were like.
—James 1:23-24

Now if you looked into a mirror and then walked away and forgot what you’d seen in the mirror, we’d say you were pretty ridiculous, now wouldn’t we? James’ point here is that God’s word is like a mirror—it shows you who we are. Who are you? You are someone who has been blessed by God's gifts, someone who has been brought to new life through God's word—a person who is a first fruit, set aside as someone who belongs to God. If you want to walk in God’s way, you have to remember who you are in Christ. And when you do, it will enable you to be a doer of the word.

• How would it change your life if you were more constantly aware of who you are?
• What can you do to keep your identity as God’s child ever in your mind?

8. But those who look into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and persevere, being not hearers who forget but doers who act—they will be blessed in their doing.—James 1:25

Look at yourself again, James says, in the perfect law of liberty. The law brings liberty because it directs us to live in love. Yes, it demands a lot of us but it is freeing. The law it shows us how very loved we are and how much love we can give.

• How does following God’s law free you?
• What will it take for you to persevere in the law of liberty?

9. If any think they are religious, and do not bridle their tongues but deceive their hearts, their religion is worthless. —James 1:26

James has a thing against tongues. This isn’t the only place he talks about their danger. Just a few verses earlier, remember, he said we should be slow to speak. Obviously, he knows how painful words can be and how we must use our ability to communicate wisely. Just as a horse is a great and powerful animal but it must be bridled or it could hurt someone—so our words have the potential for good or ill. Therefore, we must be careful to bridle them. This is about Christian maturity. To be mature in faith means knowing what to say and what not to say.

• How have my words been hurtful?
• How have they been helpful?
• What can I do to bridle my tongue so that my words can honor God and help others?

10. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.—James 1:27

Here we are at the tenth tweet of today’s lesson. James pushes us toward compassionate action. To live in God’s love means that we must help those most vulnerable in our society. In biblical times, it was widows and orphans. They would starve if it were not for the kindness of others. The prophets of old all called out for this same kindness to the widows and orphans. If we want God’s kingdom to come, we must seek out those in trouble and give them what they need. This is what it means to be a doer of the word.

Finally, it says we must keep ourselves unstained by the world. It would be easy to fall into the self-serving patterns of our society. But as Christians, our calling is higher. We’ve got an exciting challenge to live out God’s love each day.

• How can I be more intentional in caring for the vulnerable?
• What can I do to stay unstained by the world?

James has an immense amount of wisdom for us to contemplate in these ten short tweets. May we ponder these insights and allow them to challenge us and move us into a deeper, more meaningful walk of faith. Let us continue to BECOME Christians. Amen.

A PARTY INVITATION FROM WISDOM

A sermon for the 11th Sunday after Pentecost, Year B

by Pastor Laura Gentry

Eph. 5:15-20 • Prov. 9:1-6 • John 6:51-58

I have this habit of personifying objects. For example, my husband got a nice little flashlight from a man named Charlie. It is the best flashlight we’ve ever had. So we started referring to it as “the flashlight from Charlie.” Well, then after time, it got shortened down to just “Charlie” and then we started using a male pronoun for it. We’d say things like: “can you bring Charlie so he can help me find the sock under the bed?” One time a repairman was in our basement and needed a flashlight. William shouted up the steps to me: “Go get Charlie!” Immediately, I showed up with the flashlight, much to the amazement of the repairman.

Perhaps you do this too. Cherished objects almost seem like friends in need of names. I know some people give names to their cars. Well, in the ancient wisdom literature, the concept of wisdom is personified also. Though it is not a person, it has such importance that it is referred to metaphorically as a woman who takes action. There are whole “wisdom” books in the Bible, such as Proverbs. The sayings in this book are collected bits of wisdom from God’s people over the centuries.

In this morning’s reading from the 7th chapter of Proverbs, Wisdom is active as usual. This time she’s throwing a party. She’s got a big house with 7 pillars—which refers to divinity. 7 is a divine, Godly number throughout scripture. And wisdom has made a feast and set the table. She is very serious about this party and wants to make sure that there are lots of people in attendance so she sends out her servants to do the inviting.

“You that are simple, turn in here,” calls out Wisdom from the highest places.

“Come, eat of my bread and drink the wine I have mixed. Lay aside immaturity, and live, and walk in the way of insight.”

In the chapter before, Wisdom explains that she was with God at the very creation of the world. She was beside him as he spun the universe’s glory and now she delights in his creation. She rejoices before the Lord.

Not only that, she outlines her value. She says: “Take my instruction instead of silver, and knowledge rather than choice gold; for wisdom is better than jewels, and all that you may desire cannot compare with her. (Prov. 8:10-11)

Then, goes on to give this important advise: “My children, listen to me: happy are those who keep my ways. Happy is the one who listens to me, watching daily at my gates, waiting beside my doors. For whoever finds me finds life and obtains favor from the Lord; but those who miss me injure themselves; all who hate me love death.” (Prov. 8:32-36)

The great Wisdom calls to us, even today. She invites us to her party. She fiercely wants us to turn to her no matter how simple we may be, to come and feast at her table—to let go of our immature and foolish ways so that we can truly live. When we live in the bosom of Wisdom, we are happy. When we turn away from it, however, we miss out on a great treasure more valuable than jewels and we injure ourselves. Wisdom is not fooling around here. She means business.

Paul speaks of Wisdom also. In today’s reading he writes that we ought not to live as unwise people. Instead, we should embrace wisdom. He says this is especially important because the days are evil. He doesn’t say this to scare us but simply to remind us of the world from which Christ has redeemed us. He has come to deliver us from these evil days, to move us from brokenness to healing, forgiveness and grace.

So the party is already happening—with or without us. God in his wisdom created the world and went to all efforts to redeem it. Through Christ, we have all been sent an invitation to the party. Wisdom is keenly interested in our RSVP. Will we say yes or will we say no?

Here at worship, Wisdom is celebrating. She is offering us her knowledge when we hear scripture read and preached and when we come to the table to receive the body and blood of Christ who reminds us yet again in today’s Gospel that he is our bread. He is here to nourish our weary bones, to revive us and make us whole and strong. Yes, you’ve come to the right place if you are thinking about saying yes to Wisdom’s kind invitation.

It’s not easy—being wise. The evil days we live in try to draw us away from Wisdom at every turn. We turn on the television or go to a movie or overhear a conversation and it all seems to be about seemingly insignificant matter, what I call the “shallow life.” Everybody’s just going about their routine, doing their own thing, not concerned with much more than their own basic needs. Paul called them fools and said their god is their stomach. They miss out on the riches of God’s grace. They injure themselves. It is all too easy to jump on the world’s bandwagon and miss out on the treasure of Wisdom.

But even when you consciously decide that you want to be wise, that you want to cling to God and live according to it, you still have trouble. Thomas Merton, the monastic theologian, was thought to be so enlightened, so close to God. Yet even he struggled. Once wrote this to God:

”...nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think I am following you will doesn’t mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing.”

Merton was on to something here, I think. We are by nature sinful. We will always miss the mark when it comes to living righteously. But being wise is about desiring God, desiring to please God. That desire alone will please God. Our desire should be to imitate Christ to the degree that we are able and trust that the Spirit will guide us and nudge us in the right direction. We should seek to know Christ so much that his heart become our heart. We will love as he loves. That is true Wisdom. That is the place of abundant living. That’s the party we want to go to. And the party is not just one time or place, the party is LIFE if we are living it in Christ’s love.

That all sounds great, but how do we get to the party? Based on the insights of today’s scriptures, I have two pieces of advise.

LISTEN & LEARN

The first is to listen and learn. We must recognize that the treasure is in God. We are called to seek this treasure with all that is in us. Are we listening to God in scripture? Are we learning God’s ways? Are we listening in the events of our lives? The insights of fellow Christians? Our whole life is a learning experience when we allow it to be. If we want wisdom, we must study. God is eager to give it if only we listen and learn.

LET GO & LOVE

Secondly, we must let go and love. To come to Wisdom’s party, she says we must “turn in here.” That means we have to leave our old path, our selfish, shallow ways and turn into the Wisdom only God can give. The goal of the Christian life is to be one with God. Can we surrender ourselves entirely to the one who loves us infinitely?

Day after day, we must die to ourselves so that we can live to Christ. That is not an easy task. Letting go is so painful because that sinful part inside wants to call the shots instead of letting God do so. To come to Wisdom’s party, however, we absolutely must let go. And when we do, we allow Wisdom to grow and to fill us with the love of Christ. Then, we can love without reason or limits. We can love in a way that heals us and our evil days. We can be a part of Spirit’s effort to bring about the kingdom of God. Then, we will have abundant life. That’s where true happiness can be found. And it all begins with desiring God’s will.

Listen and Learn. Let go and love. Wisdom is having a great big party right here in the midst of our lives. Are you coming?

Let us pray: God of all Wisdom, you have filled us with your Spirit and led us to what the world calls foolishness, the Cross, to give us life eternal. We praise you for feeding us your teaching, filling us with your nourishing love. Lead us away from Foolishness. Direct us toward eating the Bread of Life and helping to feed the world. In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen.

Now may the peace of God which passes all understanding keep our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord.

COMFORT FOOD

A Sermon for the 10th Sunday after Pentecost, Year B

by Pastor Laura Gentry 

1 Kings 19:4-8, John 6:35-51 & Ephesians 4:25-5:2

I have a confession: I love cinnamon rolls. I love them not just because they taste so good but because they remind me of childhood. My Grandma Smith used to make the best cinnamon rolls. I remember my sister, Kathy, was determined to get Grandma’s recipe so she asked her to write it down. Since Grandma never used a recipe, she thought she’d have some fun with Kathy. So Grandma and I sat down and wrote out the whole recipe with humorous ambiguity. As I recall, it went something like this: Heat some milk in a pan. Throw a bit of butter in with it. Add a dab of water and an egg or two. Then dump a whole bunch of flour into it, but not too much. Oh, but before you do that, make sure there is some yeast, sugar and salt in it. Stir it all together and kneed it for a while. Then let it rise until it’s pretty risen. Needless to say, Kathy never could quite replicate those cinnamon rolls they way Grandma did. Nevertheless, even the smell of a good cinnamon roll makes me feel happy inside.

There has been much talk in recent years about “comfort food.” In 1972 it was added to Webster’s Dictionary. The way it works is that when we are children, we associate flavors of foods with pleasant memories. In this way, certain foods become like security blankets for us.

Well, in today’s gospel lesson, Jesus is talking about bread again today. For those of you with perfect worship attendance for the lst few weeks, you know that this is the third week in a row that we’ve had a bread-centric gospel reading. We’ve heard about Jesus being the bread of life in Mark’s gospel and now we hear about it from John’s gospel. And here’re a preview of things to come: we’ve got 2 more weeks of gospels about bread. So what’s with all the bread talk? Did the people who put the lectionary readings together figure that lots of people miss church in the summer time so no one person will have to hear all 5 of these sets of readings? Did they just figure they could stick them all hear in August and nobody would notice? It seems to me that this is an extremely important point and so they keep giving us readings to help us really “get it.”

There’s something really comprehensible about bread. It is a staple in our lives. It is symbolic of all food, really. And food is so very important to us. Think about how much time and energy you put into food preparation. Perhaps you plan menus. Then you have to obtain your groceries or grow them yourself. With all the rain we’ve been having, that’s difficult. Yesterday, I found my tomato plants had crashed into my pond (tomato cages and all), which very much disturbed the little turtles who live in the pond. But back to food preparation. You’ve got to prepare your ingredients into tasty dishes and then when the whole meal is over you’ve got to clean it all up. That’s the worst part, I think. Food is a big deal.

But we have to go to all this work (or else go out to eat) because without food we will die. It’s not a luxury item. We need food for sustenance. Perhaps that is why Jesus as the bread of life is such a powerful metaphor. Without Christ, we die. Without him, we cannot have abundant life or the promise of eternal life.

And as I’ve said, we usually associate food and positive feelings. Food is our comfort. It gives us a sense of warmth, security and connection with those we are eating with. Bread is comfort. Even cinnamon rolls bring comfort.

When Jesus tells his disciples that he is the bread of life and that whoever eats of this bread will live forever, he is not just talking about some happy promise to come. He is saying that he is our comfort in the present tense. By believing in him, we are given abundant life that begins today and lasts for eternity.

Sometimes I hear people use the expression: “I’ll rest when I get to heaven.” And this always annoys me. I’m busy too, but it implies that they will just work their way through life being miserable and trust that they’ll eventually get to be happy and rested in the life to come. This seems to miss the point that Jesus is making here that the bread he brings is for NOW, not something that we have to delay enjoying. He said that he has come to bring life and life abundantly, that he has come that his joy may be in us and our joy may be complete. That’s good bread. That’s the ultimate comfort food.

And we hear about comfort food in the reading from First Kings today too. In this section of the story, Elijah has triumphantly defeated the prophets of Bael on Mount Horeb. He has won the prophet showdown. He’s the rock star of the prophet world—amazingly proving that his God is more powerful than the false gods of Bael. So is he happy? No, because now he’s running for his life. Queen Jezebel has ordered him to be killed. Now, on the run, Elijah is zapped of his strength. He cannot go on. But has been faithful and so God provides for him. An angel feeds him bread baked on a stone and gives him a jar of water as well. This supply of food lasted Elijah 40 days and 40 nights. If only my groceries would last that long!

I think this story, combined with our gospel reading, reminds us that God is our sustenance. He provides for us—he give us his very son to feast upon. Sometimes we feel empty and worn out, like Elijah before the angel arrived. The journey can often be a rocky road. As the God-become-flesh in Jesus, God is well aware of how difficult our journey is. And that’s why he gave us himself, the bread of life. And we can partake of this good bread in the word and sacrament. That’s why we show up here in worship. We know we need this bread to live. We are weary and we need to hear the gospel read and preached, we need to participate in the hymns of faith, we need to confess our sins and hear the graceful word of forgiveness, we need to be reminded of our baptisms through which we became God’s own, and we need to come forward and receive Christ’s body and blood in the bread and wine of Holy Communion. The whole service from start to finish is spiritual comfort food to keep us moving forward in this journey of faith.

To have faith means to admit we can’t do it on our own. In the same way my sister could never make Grandma’s secret cinnamon roll recipe, we cannot find the recipe to eternal life on our own. We cannot save ourselves no matter how well we attempt to behave. We are beggars to God. Like Elijah, we are lost in the wilderness and we need God to provide this bread for us. The good news is that God is eager to do so.

In the reading from Ephesians today, Paul urges us to reach out and take this bread of life—to let it change us from the inside out. We ought to let go of the old and allow God to make us new. We ought to leave the darkness behind and enter into the light of God’s glorious new day. We ought to put away our selfish, childishness and behave with the maturity the Spirit gives us. And thus, we should leave foolishness behind and live in wisdom. He says we should let go of these old ways in the same way you would take off your dirty clothes so that you could change them out for new, clean ones. Put off the old ways, he says, and put on Christ.

It is time for us to put off our pity-parties and our oh-poor-me notions that keep us from moving forward in faith. We HAVE the bread of life. We are able to feast on it through faith each and every day. And this strengthens us to be the people we were created to be. We really CAN put off bitterness, rage, anger, slander and every form of malice. We can put on kindness, compassion, and forgiveness. We can shine with the light of Christ, who is our bread!

That’s why we have such good comfort food: because we have important work to do. God wants to heal us and move us into the exciting life of faithfulness. Let’s eat our fill and put on new life! Amen.

Now may the peace of God keep our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.

THE BREAD OF LIFE

A Sermon for the 9th Sunday after Pentecost, Year B

By Pastor Laura Gentry

John 6:41-51 & Ephesians 4:1-16

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  

The crowd that surrounded Jesus in our Gospel lesson in John became angry at what they thought was arrogance. How dare he call himself the bread of life?  He’s just a regular guy from Nazareth. How can he satisfy us? They don’t understand.

 

Yet, just a few verses earlier, this crowd was totally excited about Jesus—so much so that they tried to make him king. They had seen a little boy's lunch turn into a spread for thousands, with 12 baskets of leftovers. The miracle was amazing but they were understanding it more as a magic trick than a sign illustrating who Jesus really was. He tried to get through to them, nevertheless. He said he was the bread of life, something that would last far longer than the bread we eat. What he brings will satisfy the very hunger if their souls. But they can’t see it. They do not have the eyes of faith. And so they miss the bread of life he offers them.

Do we see Jesus as the bread of life? I mean, really know him in that way? Do we feast on this bread that gives life? Or are we missing the banquet? The theologian Karl Barth wrote, "Were we to hear only of a god who measures up to our rule and is able to do what we can also do for ourselves without him, what need have we of such a god? Whenever the church has preached such a tiresome little god it has grown empty."  We need bread that is truly satisfactory.  But where can we find it?

 

In the letter to the church at Ephesus, there is a challenge that sets a high standard: "Therefore be imitators of God as beloved children, and live in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice for God." The point of this passage is that if we want to feast on the bread of life, we must follow in the way of Jesus—we must imitate him.

 

There is a legend of a man with a scarred face. He was embarrassed of it and so he made a mask to cover it. He made the mask look like a saint. It was a beautiful, flawless face on the mask and the man wore it always. He even fell in love and got married but even his wife was not allowed to see his real face.  Years go by and finally the people of his village find out about his scarred face. They legend goes that they are desperate to see who he really is and how what his face looks like behind the mask. So they surround him and rip it off. They are shocked to find out that his face has taken the form of the saintly mask. By pretending to be a saint all these years, he has inadvertently become one! 

 

The lesson of this legend is that we become what we habitually imitate. We become what we think and do. The thoughts that fill our minds, the passions that drive us, the habits we fall into—all of these things are building blocks that form us into who we are. If we fill our hearts and minds with the shallow, empty things of our popular culture—or if we cling to our hurts and angers, our resentments and bitter feelings, we're only hurting ourselves. Martin Luther explained it this way: "You cannot keep the birds from flying over your head, but you can keep them from building a nest in your hair."  What he meant was that we will always have sinful thoughts, but we can’t welcome these thoughts and let them get a foothold in our hearts.  If we do, we are feasting on the world, not the bread of heaven.

We become the patterns by which we live. Christ, the bread of life, wants us to feast on him, not these empty things. He wants us to fill our hearts and minds with God's Word. He wants us to work on loving as he loves, caring as he cares. In all things, we are to be imitators of God. That’s what the Christian life is all about.

 

John Wesley once wrote, "First let us agree what religion is. I take religion to be, not the mere saying over of so many prayers, morning and evening, in public or private, but a constant ruling habit of the soul, a renewal of our beings in the image of God, a recovery of the Divine likeness, a self-increasing conformity of heart and life to the pattern of our most holy redeemer."

In Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, which we heard a reading from today, we hear some good advise for how to create a constant ruling habit of the soul. Keep in mind that things aren’t going well for Paul at the time he writes this—he is imprisoned for his evangelism. But instead of feeling sorry for himself, he is writing powerful letters from prision. Let’s listen again to the beginning of this chapter:

“I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort 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 of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.”

Aha! There is the secret. We’ve got to figure out how we can stand one another. That’s what he said! We need to summon all our humility, gentleness, patience and love so that we can live together in peace. Being an imitator of Christ is no easy work but it is vital because when we do, we can live in love as one body with one faith through our one baptism in our one God.

So you see that having the bread of life to eat is not just a personal matter. We partake of Christ together, as a family. And that means we have to be extra cautious in how we deal with one another. We can’t be mean and self-centered because that would cause hurt to our fellow believers—our brothers and sisters in Christ. We are called to bring our gifts to the table so that together we can build up the body of Christ. That’s what the bread of heaven can do for us and for our community—not just this congregation but all believers in Christ everywhere. But we’ve got to live it. We’ve got to take action.

 

The Danish theologian Søren Kierkegaard told a parable of a community of ducks waddling off to duck church to hear the duck preacher. The duck preacher spoke eloquently of how God had given the ducks wings with which to fly. With these wings there was nowhere the ducks could not go. With those wings they could soar. Shouts of "Amen!" were quacked throughout the duck congregation. At the conclusion of the service, the ducks left commenting on the message and waddled back home. They never flew.

 

There were some who knew Jesus personally and they enjoyed his miracle of the feeding of the 5000 but when they heard him preach, they were like the ducks. They didn’t get it. The waddled home. Let’s learn from them so that we can avoid being waddlers too.  Jesus is offering us himself, the bread of life so that we can live a life worthy of the calling. This is of ultimate importance.   Let us not waddle home today, but let us feast on Jesus and fly home.

Now may the peace of God keep our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord.  Amen.