Recipe for the “Bread of Life” – thanks to Jessica Herrera
Ingredients:
• Wheat – Psalm 81:16, Matthew 3:12, Matthew 13:24-30, John 12:24
• Oil – Hebrews 1:9, James 5:14
• Honey – Psalm 81:16, Psalm 119:103, Proverbs 16:24
• Salt – Matthew 5:13, Colossians 4:6
• Yeast – Matthew 13:33, Galatians 5:9, 1 Corinthians 5:7-13

Directions:
1. Mix Ingredients
“Therefore, I remind you to stir up the gift of God, which is in you by the laying on of my hands.” 2 Timothy 1:6

2. Knead Until Dough is Well Formed and Mature
“My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, nor be weary of His correction; for whom the Lord loves He corrects, even as a father the son in whom he delights.” Proverbs 3:11

3. Rest
“Come to Me, all you who labour and are heavily burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon learn from Me. For I am meek and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

4. Bake (With Fire)
“That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold which perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.” 1 Peter 1:7

5. Eat, Be Nourished and Feed Others
“O taste and see the Lord is good…” Psalm 34:8
“I am the Living Bread that came down from Heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread also which I will give for the life of the world is My flesh.” John 6:51

Sometimes we look to Scripture to enjoy stories, to learn, sometimes as a guide for prayer, perhaps as a source for acts of worship. All good. But none of these form the basis of Paul’s instructions at the end of his letter to the Ephesians (and others – the guidelines are intended to be shared widely among new believers). I’ll precis what his message means to me: ‘Forget your surroundings, put aside your worries, leave your questions and doubts at the door – rest in the glory of a cloudless night sky with its billions of stars and consider the awesome, boundless gift of His love for you. Words are not enough – so simply keep silence and consider God’s creation and His love for you.’

When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars that you have established; what is man that you are mindful of him, mortals that you care for them?
Ps. 8:3, 4

For he is our peace; in his flesh he has made both groups into one and has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us.

Ephesians 2:14

Try reading that verse after watching the News. It just doesn’t ring true. Paul might have been talking about the hostility between Jew and Gentile, but he could have been talking about any conflict in the last two thousand years, based on differences of culture, race, tradition, tribalism, prejudice and beliefs. If anything, today’s hostility is worse, with media reporting fuelling the flames.

But his assertion is true, nonetheless – it’s just that even though the dividing wall has indeed been broken down at the foot of the Cross, people still have to make the effort to walk across it, and unfortunately they rarely do. To walk across demands an understanding and acceptance that reaching a consensus takes an effort of will, but it does not mean our own beliefs have to be compromised – rather, instead, it means respect and tolerance for difference.

I have no need to be threatened by the worldview held by other people – I have enough trouble worrying about my own failure to live according to the challenges of my faith. It is all too easy to look at the speck in another’s eye while ignoring the plank in our own. We live in God’s created world with many different people; but when it comes down to it, we are all His children, brothers and sisters. In Christ, there is no East nor West. No dividing wall – unless we make one.

You may remember (of course, you may not) that last week we considered the question asked by people who had heard of John the Baptist’s somewhat unusual naming ceremony, when his dad Zechariah was released from his months of silence. ‘What then is this child to be?’

We considered life’s journey – even though we know that through Christ our destiny is sure, we have no idea of the route by which we’ll get there, each of us in different ways.

But there is one thing we all have in common. We were children once. And our grown-up personalities and beliefs have been hugely influenced by our experiences in the first few years of our lives – some good, and some, sadly, not so good.

I remember Marjorie’s Mum Lily asking a new nurse trainee ‘Who is the most important person in the Hospital?’ “Matron” the student replied. “The Patient” corrected Lily.

Who is the most important person in Church? Well, it sure ain’t me.

It’s every one of God’s children, irrespective of their age. When we come to worship, we come as family. It’s the one time in the week when we are together around the table – and each has an individual need. Some look for teaching, some to offer praise and thanksgiving, some for fellowship. Our very young ones simply want to be made welcome and loved as members of that family. You will often hear it said that “Children are the future of the Church”. Wrong. They are it’s present, the here and now.

So sometimes, us grownups put aside our own preferences for silence and serious Scripture study (we don’t have to be in church to do that anyway). We come together, always aware of the need to bring the children to Him, as He told us we must.

They may wriggle and squawk a bit – sing in the wrong place – toddle up the aisle to have a close look at that strange person standing at the front dressed up in funny clothes – embarrass their parents. So what. I don’t remember the Ten Commandments saying they shouldn’t.

With thanks to Suzanne, you may wish to sing the following to the tune of ‘Wheels on the Bus’

Some grownups in the Church go ‘Tut Tut Tut”…

The parents in the Church say ‘Just sit still”…

Jesus says to everyone ‘Bring them to Me’

God in His heaven says, “You are all mine”

And remember:

If there is no laughter, Jesus has gone somewhere else. If there is no joy and freedom, it is not a church: it is simply a crowd of melancholy people reciting familiar words. If there is no celebration, there is no worship.”
Steve Brown (altd)

What then will this child become?

It is inevitable that people should speculate about a child’s future life – when Zecharia was healed of his inability to speak at the naming ceremony for his son John, all who heard asked ‘what will this child become?’ (Luke 1:66) We know something they didn’t – that he would become ‘The Baptiser’.

It will have been the same for the disciples in their childhood ‘Well, Simon Peter, what would you like to be when you grow up? Fisherman, like your Dad? What do you mean – Bishop of Rome??? Don’t be silly.’

But that’s what happened. Jesus appointed the unlikeliest people to be the ones who would spread the Gospel message of forgiveness, healing and freedom. They would never have believed it, or even thought it would be possible – but clearly, in the presence of Jesus, they are changed and equipped for their chosen task.

And so are we. When you were a child, what did you want to be? Nurse? Scientist? Bus driver? Politician? Put your hand up if you said ‘Apostle’. Yup – thought so. You will notice that my hand wasn’t up either, as it wouldn’t be if I had asked ‘Evangelist’, ‘Disciple’, ‘Prophet’, ‘Teacher’ ‘Healer’, ‘Priest’. But nevertheless some of us are in one or more of those roles, and some of us will be even if we don’t know it yet.

Being a Christian – being the Body of Christ – is the task to which we are called. Sometimes that is being with Him in quiet meditation – sometimes it is being committed to work in His Creation, putting our faith into action according to our gifts and our opportunities. You can’t have one without the other. (James 2:14-17) So be blessed to (and be prepared for) whatever you are called this day, in His name, however unexpected!

If Jesus healed Jairus’ daughter, why didn’t He heal my Grandad?

I try to encourage questions about our Bible readings and the message they contain – but this one, from a child, is perhaps the one I dread most. The passage seems to teach a straightforward lesson about Jesus’ power over Illness and death, as do many other stories – the woman with the haemorrhage, Lazarus and many others. So if them, why not me? Why does Jesus’ healing appear selective? Anyway, why does a loving God allow suffering, illness and death at all?

The answer deserves a reply – but the question and its reply has been around for two thousand years. It involves consideration of human free will, sin and the existence of evil as well as the more practical aspect of death being essential part of the human condition – there would be no room left on earth if everyone were immortal. And the debate continues to this day. Despite having heard and read many such discussions, in truth, for me, I would still have to say I don’t really know the definitive answer. Even Paul didn’t know, actually – he writes of our knowledge being incomplete, like a dim image in a clouded mirror.

But I do know this: that if there were no sadness, I could not know joy: if there were no illness, I could not know health: if there were no hatred, I could not know love: if there were no death, I could not know life. If God fixed all my problems on my behalf, I would be no more than a puppet, not a person with choices. And the Bible teaches that I do have. I can choose love – but am also able to deny love. God gives us that freedom.

So what lesson does this scripture tell us? I suggest it is about faith in the midst of despair. Jesus’ healing is a signpost pointing to the culmination of His divine mission, that encompasses His suffering and torture, His death, His triumph over sin through His cross, and the defeat of evil in His resurrection. So in the face of my uncertainties, I trust Him; and one day, I will know the answer to all the hard questions.