phone-in for (audio only) Phone Number: (646) 558-8656
Meeting ID: 825 1215 9155
BREAD OF LIFE
Welcome
Dennis: We gather today to consider the Bread of Life and our call to be the Body of Christ in the world today. Our opening song, All Are Welcome, begins with the words, “Let us build a house” and then goes on to identify for whom the house is being built. It is for everyone and the house is not a building, it is the world in which we live. Jesus identifies as the Bread of Life, nourishing us as we gather around the table breaking open the Word, and in that sharing and the breaking of bread, we become the Body of Christ.
Opening Song: All Are Welcome by Marty Haugen video by MT Streck
Opening Prayer
Dennis: Source of Light and Love, you invite us to share in your creative process, to bring compassion and healing to those in need, to embrace our sisters and brothers when they share their burdens, joys, pains, and celebrations. And so, in this community of faith, we bring our needs to the table of friendship and love so that these needs may be recognized and provided prayerful support. Amen
LITURGY OF THE WORD
First Reading: A reading adapted from Enfleshing Freedom by M. Shawn Copeland
At the center of Jesus’ praxis were the bodies of common people, peasants, economic and political refugees, the poor and destitute. They were the subject of his compassionate care: children, women, men who were materially impoverished as well as those who were socially and religiously marginalized or were physically disabled; those who were possessed and broken in spirit from ostracism and persecution. Jesus did not shun or despise these women and men; he put his body where they were. He handled, touched, and embraced their marked bodies.
Jesus demanded of his hearers and disciples personal conversion and new body practices of solidarity. Chief among those practices was the inclusion of new and “other bodies” at the table.
Jesus acted out just how unrestricted neighbor love must be, just how much “other” bodies matter. The open table embodied egalitarianism, disrupted the “pleasures of hierarchy” and domination… The open table embodied the desire for and the design of the reign of God. All are welcome.
If my sister or brother is not at the table, we are not the flesh of Christ. For it is through and in Christ’s own flesh that the “other” is my sister, is my brother; indeed the “other” is me. Unless our sisters and brothers are beside and with each of us, we are not the flesh of Christ. Gregory of Nyssa wrote: “The establishment of the Church is re-creation of the world. But it is only in the union of all the particular members that the beauty of Christ’s body is complete.
These are inspired words from M. Shawn Copeland, and we affirm them by saying, Amen.
Alleluia: More Light by Christopher Grundy video by MT Streck
Gospel: A reading from the Evangelist referred to as John.
When they found Jesus on the other side of the lake, they said, “Rabbi, when did you get here?” Jesus answered them, “The truth of the matter is, you’re not looking for me because you’ve seen signs, but because you’ve eaten your fill of the bread. You shouldn’t be working for perishable food, but for life-giving food that lasts for all eternity; this the Chosen One can give you, for the Chosen One bears the seal of Abba God.”
At this they said, “What must we do to perform the works of God?” Jesus replied, “This is the work of God: to believe in the one whom God has sent.” So they asked Jesus, “What sign are you going to give to show us that we should believe in you? What will you do? Our ancestors had manna to eat in the desert; as scripture says, ‘God gave them bread from heaven to eat.’ ” Jesus said to them, “The truth of the matter is, Moses hasn’t given you bread from heaven; yet my Abba gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is the one who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”
“Teacher,” they said, “give us this bread from now on.” Jesus explained to them,
“I am the bread of life. No one who comes to me will ever be hungry; no one who believes in me will be thirsty.”
These are inspired words from the Gospel attributed to John, and we affirm them by saying, Amen.
Shared Homily:
As I was preparing today’s homily, I was struck by the reference to Manna by Jesus in the Gospel in comparison to the “bread” that he offers. Patricia Sanchez explains that, “Manna is the natural secretion of two species of scale insects or plant lice. The infestation by these insects results in the sweet secretion on the leaves of the tamarisk shrub during the months of May and June in the central Sinai. As the substance drops from the leaves to the earth, it cools in the night air and becomes firm. If allowed to remain on the ground, it melts but if gathered early enough, it provides a tasty nourishing feast.”1 The Israelites were nourished by this and quail for their survival in the desert.
The gospel today is part of a lengthy discourse on the Bread of Life by Jesus. In this section those following him are looking for more bread, another free meal, with some connecting the miracle of manna in the desert with the coming of the Messiah, since some believed a repeat of that miracle would lead to a new exodus, freedom, for Yahweh’s people.2 Jesus in response promises a different experience, a bread that is beyond physical nourishment. He promises a bread that provides spiritual nourishment, a bread that offers everlasting life. All of this will happen if only you believe in the Chosen One who has been sent by Amma God. You will no longer hunger and thirst but be fully satisfied both physically and spiritually.
This invitation was for all who had followed Jesus to the other side of the lake. All those women and men from all walks of life, invited to the table to eat and drink in the wisdom and teachings of the Chosen One. Of course not all followed him, as future verses in this discourse share, but those who did, were called to a deeper understanding of this call to the table, the call that welcomed all, no matter who they were. According to the Jesus Seminar, the meaning of the word “bread” here is “spirit”. Thus, the call is to consume the “Spirit of Life”. In doing so, we absorb, if you will, the mission and ministry of Jesus.
Thus, when we look at our first reading we understand that being in the “Spirit of Life”, which is the life of Jesus, is to welcome all to the table. This act of welcome is especially a call to welcome the “other”, those who are often left behind, ostracized, persecuted because of who they are. We know that in today’s political climate there are many who are being identified as less than, as interlopers, as the cause of problems in our country. The “power of hierarchy” and domination is alive and well in the world, in both civil and religious bodies. If we truly are to embrace the call to welcome the “other”, then we need to embrace egalitarianism and disrupt those who would prefer to sow division, promote hatred toward others and the domination of others. We are, as Shawn Copeland says, the “flesh of Christ” bringing the kin-dom of God, a kin-dom of acceptance and love to the world, even if that is my small portion of the world. Have we consumed the Spirit of Life, living out the mission and ministry of the Chosen One? If so, then we are the Chosen One to those whose lives we touch, to those who we welcome to the table.
Please share your thoughts on today’s readings and the homily starter.
Statement of Faith
We believe in the Holy One, a divine mystery
beyond all definition and rational understanding,
the heart of all that has ever existed,
that exists now, or that ever will exist.
We believe in Jesus, messenger of the Divine Word,
bringer of healing, heart of Divine compassion,
bright star in the firmament of the Holy One's
prophets, mystics, and saints.
We believe that We are called to follow Jesus
as a vehicle of divine love,
a source of wisdom and truth,
and an instrument of peace in the world.
We believe in the Spirit of the Holy One,
the life that is our innermost life,
the breath moving in our being,
the depth living in each of us.
We believe that the Divine kin-dom is here and now,
stretched out all around us for those
with eyes to see it, hearts to receive it,
and hands to make it happen.
Prayers of the Community
Dennis: As we prepare for the sacred meal, we lay our stoles upon the table as a sign that just as Jesus is anointed, so is each of us. And we bring to this table our blessings, cares and concerns. Please feel free to voice your concerns beginning with the words “I bring to the table….”
We bring these and all deeply held blessings, cares, and concerns to the table of friendship and peace.
LITURGY OF THE EUCHARIST
Eucharistic Prayer (Michael Morwood)
All: We give you thanks Creator Spirit beyond all imagining, for the wonderful gift of reflective awareness that allows us to recognize and name your presence in our universe.
And so we sing:
Holy, Holy, Holy: Here In This Place by Christopher Grundy
All: Everything we have; everything we see; everything we do; Everyone we love and everyone who loves us reveals your sustaining presence, and our total dependence on your presence.
We marvel and wonder at the size and complexity of our universe. We marvel and wonder at the development of life on this planet.
We thank you that your presence “charges” this life and all that exists. We recognize that human life gives you a particular way of expressing yourself and that in us you can sing and dance, speak and write, love and create.
Conscious that we live, move, and have our being In you, We give you thanks for people throughout history who have affirmed your loving presence in all people and who have challenged us to witness to your presence by lives characterized by mercy, gratitude, compassion, generosity, and forgiveness.
We thank you for Jesus of Nazareth who loved so greatly and taught so clearly and courageously that he was able to set people free from images and ideas and religious practices that bound them into fear and a false sense of separation from you.
Through him we have learned how our loving is a sharing in your life. In him we see your presence challenging us to make Your reign on earth more visible.
(Lift the Bread)
We remember the night before he died, when he took bread,
Gave you thanks for everything he had,
Broke the bread and shared it with his friends
Asking them to remember his total surrender to you
And his enduring love for each of them.
Take and eat, the bread of life for all who hunger. (Pause)
(Lift the Cup)
Take and drink, the Cup of Compassion for a broken world.
Whenever you remember me like this,
I am among you.
What we have heard with our ears, we will live with our lives. As we receive communion we will become communion, both love’s nourishment and love’s challenge.
Please receive the bread with the words, You are the Body of Christ.
Communion Song: Bread of Life by Rory Cooney video by MT Streck
Post-Communion Prayer
We believe that like all people who lived in love and died in love
Jesus died into your eternal loving embrace.
We are thankful that his story grounds our belief in our
Own eternal, loving connectedness with you
And our belief that we are in communion with all our
Relatives and friends who have died.
We pray for all who allow the mind and heart and spirit
of Jesus to motivate their actions.
We pray that Christian leadership may be open and affirming, creative and challenging.
We pray that all Christians might better recognize, acknowledge, and acclaim your
Presence in all people, at all times, in all places.
For ourselves gathered here we ask the grace
To be whom and what we ritualize here: the “body of Christ,”
People committed by our “Amen” to allowing your
Spirit to move freely in our lives.
We thank you that we have gathered here as the body of Christ;
We rejoice in the giftedness of each person here;
We are grateful for who we are for each other.
We consider ourselves blessed in and by you.
May we be truly Eucharistic in all we do.
To this prayer we give our Amen.
Dennis:
Let us join then with the disciples of all ages, as we pray together:
Holy One, you are within, around and among us.
We celebrate your many names.
Your wisdom come; your will be done,
unfolding from the depths within us.
Each day you give us all that we need.
You remind us of our limits and we let go.
You support us in our power, and we act with courage.
For you are the dwelling place within us,
the empowerment around us,
and the celebration among us,
now and forever, Amen.
Adapted by Miriam Therese Winter
FINAL BLESSING
All: May we go forth recognizing that we are “Gospel itself, the joyful good news” of love and harmony. As we go forth from this sacred space of the Upper Room, let us reach out and touch those we meet, always with the purpose of enhancing life and awakening within them the spark of the Divine. Amen.
Closing Song: Go Make a Difference by Steve Angrisano
Resources
Copeland, M. Shawn, Enfleshing Freedom: Body, Race, and Being, Fortress Press, 2010.
Priests for Equality. The Inclusive Bible: The First Egalitarian Translation (pp. 2294-2295). Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. Kindle Edition.
1 Sanchez, Patricia Datchuck, The Word We Celebrate: Commentary on the Sunday Lectionary, Sheed and Ward, 1989, Pg. 219
2 Sanchez, Patricia Datchuck, The Word We Celebrate: Commentary on the Sunday Lectionary, Sheed and Ward, 1989, Pg. 220
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