Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost (Sun. Aug 12, 2012)

Full Transcript of Father Swann's Homily:
In John’s Gospel---- Jesus is acutely aware of the problem of human hunger—and the need for “nourishment.” The images in the Gospel are about Jesus providing sustenance- and satisfying those who hunger and thirst for the gifts of God.

Jesus’ ministry was built on the rich foundation of many stories of feeding and being fed. We have one example in today’s reading from the Old Testament. In the reading from 1 Kings, Elijah sets out on a long journey sustained by the gift of the angel of the Lord: food! Not just once does the angel feed him, but twice. The angel commands him: “Get up and eat!” This wasn’t just any food, but bread. Elijah “got up, and ate and drank; then he went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb the mount of God.”

Sometimes we are more concerned about “physical food”-to eat----than we are about “spiritual food” which feeds the soul.

According to the late “curmudgeonly” Andy Rooney of 60 Minutes Fame- the two biggest sellers in any bookstore, are the cookbooks and the diet books. The cookbooks tell you how to prepare the food and the diet books tell you how not to eat any of it.

In one way or another, many of us are obsessed with food--earthly food. Think what a difference it would make in our lives if we were equally obsessed with heavenly food--the food that Christ gives us.

“One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.”

We don’t live by “bread alone”-- but we don’t get far without it either. WE yearn for the “Bread of Life”-- but every 15 seconds we are thinking about “the bread that perishes”-- and how we are going to ‘amass’ more of it. This “bread that perishes” could be almost anything that that we seek BEFORE we seek the “living bread”- Jesus.

Someone once described US-- as a “group of lost hikers.” We have (in the words of the Prayer Book) “erred and strayed like lost sheep.” But- the longer we have ‘strayed’ on these paths--the more we run into “dead ends.” We have searched for “The Goodlife”-- through the ‘forest’ of the world’s promises-- and found ourselves just as “lost” as before.

What the Scripture readings for today maintain is that --pursuing the “good things”-- AS ENDS IN THEMSELVES- is NOT the path to the “good life.” The authentic life, the life of depth and meaning-- is rooted in a relationship with God. The “good life” is a by-product of our life with God-- and how that life is lived with those God gives us.

Jesus said to those who followed him, "I am the bread of life; he who comes to me shall not hunger; and he who believes in me shall never thirst." And again he said, "I am the living bread which comes down from heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread which I shall give for the life of the world is my flesh."

What shall we say to this bold claim that the Savior makes? How is he bread for our lives? Could it have something to do with the sacrament of The Holy Eucharist—with the Mass???

A poll was taken of the national membership of one Presbyterian group. They were asked questions about their devotional practices. One of the questions asked was this: "When do you feel most a sense of being at worship with God?" More than 80 percent of those surveyed said they most felt a sense of worship during the celebration of the Lord's Supper. What is sad- many Presbyterian churches celebrate the Lord’s Supper only from 1 to 4 times a year, or the “more advanced” groups perhaps once a month.

Happily, the central act of worship for Episcopalians is the Mass the -Holy Eucharist-- reflecting our "connectedness" to the Church Catholic. There is something about taking the bread and the wine that lifts us to a higher plane. What is it?

Happily in our Eucharistic Liturgy Rite 2 we finally got our theology straight- WE ARE WORTHY to receive him at His table – not by our own efforts- BUT by being made worthy by the action of Christ. We have no need to pray to be made “worthy” as in the old prayer of Humble Access that contains the phrase- “WE are not worthy to gather up the crumbs under thy Table....” Worthiness is “imputed” to us as a gift of Grace.

When we take the bread and the wine we sense grace: God's unmerited love for sinners. All of us—black- white; gay – straight; rich – poor; conservative- liberal we all need to remember this. “The Church’s One Foundation is Jesus Christ our Lord.”- in the words of an old hymn ----THAT HAS NOT CHANGED. We Episcopalians- are a ‘people’ who have prided ourselves -that we are not a church where you “hang up your God given brains”—at the door when you come in. I ask you-- would your prefer a “dishonest” church—which “pretends”--- OR—a church which is mature enough to be honest—and use our own God given reason. Don’t forget that the ‘Anglican way’—involves Scripture , early catholic tradition and REASON.

Some of you “old timers” will remember the same shrill cries of disaster 30—maybe 35 years ago when the first women priests were ordained. Also- some of you remember those who thought “the church was going to hell in a hand basket”- and predicted disaster-- because the church would dare to revise (and I might say Liturgically improve) the 1928 Book of Common Prayer.

Closer to our time, there were those who were disturbed by the sexuality of some who were allowed to be ordained. Few today- can remember the names of the “splinter” – breakaway (single- issue) congregations—which claimed to be the “true” Anglican, the “true” Episcopal Church???

True Anglicanism—is a broad, tolerant, liberal, accepting, loving Catholic (universal) body. One writer on Church History has aptly said- “The Anglican ( Episcopal) Church is the roomiest church in Christendom.” And that is a compliment. When we start to ‘build fences”- and ‘squeeze in’ the boundaries- and overly define ---we are deviating from the spirit of Anglicanism. And I truly believe that we are deviating from the example of Jesus Christ—who was accepting of all. The Gospel is for ALL!

When we gather at God’s Altar to TAKE THE BREAD AND THE WINE WE DO IT AS HIS FAMILY. WE are all connected. There is something about the Eucharist that is akin to "touching His garments".

In a sense, when we leave here this morning, each of us will take with us "a part of Christ". We have reached out and touched him who loves us as we are in all in our great human diversity.

In a world obsessed with food, he gives us the bread that is eternal. As Anglicans ( Episcopalians) we truly and absolutely believe in the “Real Presence” of Christ in the Eucharist-- (this is NOT an empty ‘memorial’)-As you receive the bread and wine- think on this-- “behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.” He is the living bread whose promise is eternal life. AMEN
First Kings 19:4-8

Psalm 130

Ephesians 4:25-5:2

John 6:37-51

Tenth Sunday after Pentecost (Sun. Aug 5, 2012)

Full Transcript of Father Swann's Homily:
WE human beings are rarely satisfied. This is what our First Lesson from Exodus reveals. What is it that we want? WE long to return from exile, but then—we wish that we had stayed in Egypt. “when we sat by the fleshpots and ate our fill of bread.” The manna falls from heaven, but—we clamor for meat.

These stories are familiar. The people eat their fill and are satiated—but—they are not satisfied. Their ingratitude toward God and God’s servants, and the forgiveness of God who brought them out of Egypt are NOT attractive qualities—BUT they are human qualities.

There is truth hidden beneath these stories—that the literalists fail to recognize. Literalism does NOT reveal truth: it hides it—we will see more of that in today’s Gospel from John.

WE are told that after their liberation in Egypt as they moved across the Sinai wilderness the people accused Moses and Aaron that they had brought then into the desert to starve them, after all at least in Egypt that had enough to eat. The Lord told Moses that, “I am going to rain bread from heaven for you.” I will “test” them whether or not they will follow my instructions, or not.

Moses tells the people that ( in effect) God will provide quail in the evening, and in the morning the ground will be covered with “manna” a fine flaky substance. Scholars tell us that quail migrate across the desert that that time of year, and the “manna” is the substance secreted by scale insects after they feed on tamarisk plants. IN any case, Moses tell the people “this is the bread that the Lord has given you to eat.”

IN today’s Gospel from John, Jesus tries to get the people to “look beyond” the literal—to the truth of God’s revelation. But they refuse to see it. Jesus says, “You are not looking for me because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves.” Here Jesus is being a realist. He knows that they are looking for ACTUAL FOOD that only fills the stomach.

We meet Jesus in today’s gospel just after he has fed the multitudes. (Last Sunday’s Gospel). After everyone has had their fill of bread. They have had the pleasure of eating enough. We know that people have pushed away from the table Jesus set for them in the wilderness feeling sated, satisfied, because according to the story, there are even leftovers.

Funny thing about “enough.” Just what is “enough”?

The people Jesus had fed wanted a guarantee that they would always have enough. Jesus’ provision of plentiful bread seemed to them something they wanted more of. So they pursued him. They thought if they could have him, they could have bread – limitless, wonderful, unending bread. Enough.

Jesus fed hungry people. He knew people need to eat. He told his followers to feed people, real, physical, tangible, nutritious food. But he also promised that he himself would be enough.

He didn’t want to be just a provider of physical bread. He wants to be our bread – our sustenance, our nourishment, our daily strength, our source of satisfaction.

Jesus is bread, but he wants to fill the hunger of our hearts and not just our stomachs. He wants to fill the gnawing, aching emptiness that we try to fill with lesser things, to satisfy the longing or the boredom that we use substances of all sorts to quiet, to put an end to the grasping, fretting, worrying about having enough of anything that will in the end possess us, rather than allowing ourselves to fall into the hands of the one for whom we were made.

Jesus is daily sustenance. He is “bread” to be savored, gathered around. “ Bread” to inspire thanksgiving, to remind us of the wonder of life, to strengthen us. We can contemplate him, but we will gain more if we come to him as hungry beggars, open to whatever he places in our outstretched hands.

He was taken, blessed, and broken. He is to be shared. The sharing of his life invites us to exercise the creativity of an experienced bread-baker.

IN the Eucharist, we don’t merely listen to the words, “Take eat,” but we actually get up, come to the altar rail to take and eat. It Is not just the bread that we take , bless, break and give. God took Jesus’ whole life, blessed, broke, and gave it to us. We are to let that story of God’s love for us—take us, bless us, and give us back to the world.

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

AMEN

Exodus 16:2-4, 9-15

Psalm 51:1-13

Ephesians 4:1-16

John 6:24-35