May 10, 2015 PREP

Theme:"The Bread of Our Life is in Our Hands"  
Please note: This Sunday is Mother's Day. We will be celebrating the "mothering" that takes place in many forms in the kingdom of God. The theme of bread making will take us into the kitchen of our faith to gather around the sort of table our faith mothers have laid over the years to nurture and sustain us.

 Sound Notes:

Reference Scriptures: John 6:22-40
²² The next day the crowd that had stayed on the opposite shore of the lake realized that only one boat had been there, and that Jesus had not entered it with his disciples, but that they had gone away alone. ²³ Then some boats from Tiberias landed near the place where the people had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. ²⁴ Once the crowd realized that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into the boats and went to Capernaum in search of Jesus.
²⁵ When they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, “Rabbi, when did you get here?”
²⁶ Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw the signs I performed but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. ²⁷ Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.”
²⁸ Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?”
²⁹ Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”
³⁰ So they asked him, “What sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? ³¹ Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’^[c]”
³² Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. ³³ For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”
³⁴ “Sir,” they said, “always give us this bread.”
³⁵ Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. ³⁶ But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe. ³⁷ All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. ³⁸ For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. ³⁹ And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. ⁴⁰ For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.”

Call To Worship:

Leader: “Where is bread?” the great crowd murmured--

Thousands strong, yet all in need.

 

People: “Where is bread?” your people wondered,

Faced with such a crowd to feed.

 

Leader: Who, Lord Jesus, could have guessed it?

One small boy brought food to share.

 

People: Taking what he gave, you blessed it;

All were fed, with much to spare.

Text: Copyright © 2000 by Carolyn Winfrey Gillette.  All rights reserved.  

Web site:  www.carolynshymns.com

Permission for free local church use is given to congregations who support the Canadian Foodgrains Bank and the Church World Service. 

Invocation: 

Lord, let us hunger enough that we may not forget the world’s hunger;

Enough that we may have bread to share.

Enough that we may long for the Bread of Heaven.

Enough that we may be filled.

But, O Lord,

let us not hunger so much

that we seek after that which is not bread,

or try to live by bread alone.

Instead, we turn to you and to the one who taught us to pray, saying, Our Father...

~ from Banquet of Praise: A Book of Worship Resources, published by Bread for the World.  http://www.bread.org/

Communion Litany:  (Unison)

Susan, please print this text in the bulletin. Thank you!

We believe that bread comes from grain

that grows in the wind and the sun and the rain

with the farmers’ help.

We believe that bread comes from love

the love of God

the love of the farmer

the love of the baker’s hands

the love of those who bring it to us.

We believe that bread can be

and should be broken

and shared

and given to all persons

until all have enough.

We believe that Jesus loved bread

and took it

and broke it

and blessed it

and gave it to his disciples.

We believe enough in bread

to want to receive it from Jesus

to want it to nurture us.

We want to be bread for others.

We believe the Spirit will help us.

Amen.

~ excerpted from Liturgy for sharing bread and wine by Frank Henderson. Posted on the Third Space website. http://third-space.org.uk/blog

 

Hymn Suggestions:

Opening Music:

Hymn of Praise:  CH #419  All Who Hunger Gather Gladly   ALL

Prayer Hymn: CH #86 Great is Thy Faithfulness       st. 2

      

Communion Hymn:  CH #560 Leaning on the Everlasting Arms
Lisa, could we ask the Singing Disciples to lead this in Early service? to get the more country feel... Thanks for your thoughts!

 Hymn of Invitation: CH # 556 Trust and Obey  ALL

 

Closing Music: