NOTES: With World Communion Sunday only two weeks away, we turn to a familiar metaphor. Bread is a universal idea. Bread is food, provision, nurture, comfort, home. It means so much to us across culture and ideology. Throughout scripture, God's provision is understood as the "bread of heaven" and the "bread of life." This week we have a pair of scriptures that focus on God's provision for God's people. We see that there is a relationship between being able to trust God in the practical physical world and being able to trust God in spiritual matters. What "bread of heaven" are we holding this week? What does it mean to our community when we rely on and share the "bread of life?"
Scripture: John 6:1-14, 22-35 & Exodus 16:1-8, 31-36
John 6:1-14, 22-35
After this Jesus went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, also called the Sea of Tiberias. 2 A large crowd kept following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing for the sick. 3 Jesus went up the mountain and sat down there with his disciples. 4 Now the Passover, the festival of the Jews, was near. 5 When he looked up and saw a large crowd coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread for these people to eat?” 6 He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he was going to do. 7 Philip answered him, “Six months’ wages[ would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little.” 8 One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him, 9 “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish. But what are they among so many people?” 10 Jesus said, “Make the people sit down.” Now there was a great deal of grass in the place; so they sat down, about five thousand in all. 11 Then Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated; so also the fish, as much as they wanted. 12 When they were satisfied, he told his disciples, “Gather up the fragments left over, so that nothing may be lost.” 13 So they gathered them up, and from the fragments of the five barley loaves, left by those who had eaten, they filled twelve baskets. 14 When the people saw the sign that he had done, they began to say, “This is indeed the prophet who is to come into the world.”
25 When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?” 26 Jesus answered them, “Very truly, I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. 27 Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For it is on him that God the Father has set his seal.” 28 Then they said to him, “What must we do to perform the works of God?” 29 Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” 30 So they said to him, “What sign are you going to give us then, so that we may see it and believe you? What work are you performing? 31 Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” 32 Then Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, it was not Moses who gave 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 that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” 34 They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.”
35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.
Exodus 16:1-8, 31-36
The whole congregation of the Israelites set out from Elim; and Israel came to the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had departed from the land of Egypt. 2 The whole congregation of the Israelites complained against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. 3 The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the fleshpots and ate our fill of bread; for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.”
4 Then the Lord said to Moses, “I am going to rain bread from heaven for you, and each day the people shall go out and gather enough for that day. In that way I will test them, whether they will follow my instruction or not. 5 On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather on other days.” 6 So Moses and Aaron said to all the Israelites, “In the evening you shall know that it was the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt, 7 and in the morning you shall see the glory of the Lord, because he has heard your complaining against the Lord. For what are we, that you complain against us?” 8 And Moses said, “When the Lord gives you meat to eat in the evening and your fill of bread in the morning, because the Lord has heard the complaining that you utter against him—what are we? Your complaining is not against us but against the Lord.”
31 The house of Israel called it manna; it was like coriander seed, white, and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey. 32 Moses said, “This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Let an omer of it be kept throughout your generations, in order that they may see the food with which I fed you in the wilderness, when I brought you out of the land of Egypt.’” 33 And Moses said to Aaron, “Take a jar, and put an omer of manna in it, and place it before the Lord, to be kept throughout your generations.” 34 As the Lord commanded Moses, so Aaron placed it before the covenant, for safekeeping. 35 The Israelites ate manna forty years, until they came to a habitable land; they ate manna, until they came to the border of the land of Canaan. 36 An omer is a tenth of an ephah.
8:30 am Order of Service
We Gather in God's Presence
WelcomePrelude
Lighting the Christ Candles
Praise Hymn "His Name is Wonderful" (sing twice)
Call to Worship
Leader: Rejoice, folks, Jesus is in our midst.
People: Feed us, Jesus, and fill us with hope.
Leader: Be glad, friends, Jesus has bread and fish to spare.
People: Free us, Jesus, from the pursuit of empty calories.
Leader: Sing for joy, people of God;
People: God gathers up the pieces of our lives,
that nothing may be lost.
ALL: Thanks be to God!
~ Adapted from The Abingdon Worship Annual 2009, © 2008 Abingdon Press. Posted on the Ministry Matters website. http://www.ministrymatters.com/
Invocation
God of our hopes and dreams,
we are empty, and long to be filled;
we are hungry, and long to be fed;
we are lost, and long to be found.
Gather us into your love,
and pick up the pieces of our lives,
just as Jesus gathered up the fragments
of the five loaves and two fish
that remained after feeding the five thousand.
Call us anew to eat our fill
and to find our true nourishment in Jesus,
the bread of heaven. Amen.
~ Adapted from The Abingdon Worship Annual 2009, © 2008 Abingdon Press. Posted on the Ministry Matters website. http://www.ministrymatters.com/
We Contemplate God's Word
Scripture
Sermon
We Pray Together
Joys & ConcernsPrayer Hymn#339 "Just as I Am, Without One Plea" (verses 1, 2, & 3)
Praying Together
God,
like the Israelites in the wilderness,
we too have known Your love,
and experienced Your care and provision.
You call us to extend Your love to the world around us—
to care for others as deeply as we care for ourselves.
And so we bring the needs of our world before You now.
In Your mercy, hear our prayer.
We pray for those who do not have what they need in order to survive;
those without enough food to eat, or shelter to keep them warm;
those without employment, or enough money to pay their bills;
those without access to medical care, or medicine to keep them healthy.
Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
We pray for those who have more than enough to meet their needs,
but who continue to feel empty inside;
who struggle to find meaning and purpose in life,
who turn to alcohol, drugs, or other destructive behaviours
to try and hide the pain,
who entertain thoughts of suicide.
Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
We pray for those who are struggling physically,
who are battling life-threatening disease or injury,
who are living with chronic pain,
who are coping with Alzheimers,
or facing death.
Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
God of the first and the last,
and all those in between,
Your grace reaches out to all of us—
life-long believers or newcomers alike.
You call us to live as citizens of heaven,
to work together with one mind and one purpose,
to reach out in love to those in need.
Strengthen us so that we might live in a manner worthy
of the Good News we have received,
offering our lives to the building up of Your upside-down kingdom,
where the last are first, and the first are last,
and there is grace enough for all.
Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
In the name of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, Amen.
-by Christine Longhurst on re-worship.blogspot.com
We Come to the Lord's Table
Invitation to the TableCommunion Hymn#419 "All Who Hunger, Gather Gladly" (all verses)
Elder's Prayer
Words of Institution
The Lord's Supper with instrumental meditation
Prayer of Thanksgiving
We Go Forth into the World
Challenge for DiscipleshipDiscipleship Hymn#321 "Break Thou the Bread of Life" (all verses)
Blessing
10:40 am Order of Service
We Gather in God's Presence
WelcomePrelude
Call to Worship
Leader: Rejoice, folks, Jesus is in our midst.
People: Feed us, Jesus, and fill us with hope.
Leader: Be glad, friends, Jesus has bread and fish to spare.
People: Free us, Jesus, from the pursuit of empty calories.
Leader: Sing for joy, people of God;
People: God gathers up the pieces of our lives,
that nothing may be lost.
ALL: Thanks be to God!
~ Adapted from The Abingdon Worship Annual 2009, © 2008 Abingdon Press. Posted on the Ministry Matters website. http://www.ministrymatters.com/
Praise Hymn "His Name is Wonderful" (sing twice)
Lighting of the Candles
Invocation
God of our hopes and dreams,
we are empty, and long to be filled;
we are hungry, and long to be fed;
we are lost, and long to be found.
Gather us into your love,
and pick up the pieces of our lives,
just as Jesus gathered up the fragments
of the five loaves and two fish
that remained after feeding the five thousand.
Call us anew to eat our fill
and to find our true nourishment in Jesus,
the bread of heaven. Amen.
~ Adapted from The Abingdon Worship Annual 2009, © 2008 Abingdon Press. Posted on the Ministry Matters website. http://www.ministrymatters.com/
Passing of the Peace
Faith Hymn Psalter # 414
We Contemplate God's Word
ScriptureChoir Anthem
Children's Sermon
Sermon
We Pray Together
Joys & ConcernsPrayer Hymn#339 "Just as I Am, Without One Plea" (verses 1, 2, & 3)
Praying Together
God,
like the Israelites in the wilderness,
we too have known Your love,
and experienced Your care and provision.
You call us to extend Your love to the world around us—
to care for others as deeply as we care for ourselves.
And so we bring the needs of our world before You now.
In Your mercy, hear our prayer.
We pray for those who do not have what they need in order to survive;
those without enough food to eat, or shelter to keep them warm;
those without employment, or enough money to pay their bills;
those without access to medical care, or medicine to keep them healthy.
Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
We pray for those who have more than enough to meet their needs,
but who continue to feel empty inside;
who struggle to find meaning and purpose in life,
who turn to alcohol, drugs, or other destructive behaviours
to try and hide the pain,
who entertain thoughts of suicide.
Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
We pray for those who are struggling physically,
who are battling life-threatening disease or injury,
who are living with chronic pain,
who are coping with Alzheimers,
or facing death.
Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
God of the first and the last,
and all those in between,
Your grace reaches out to all of us—
life-long believers or newcomers alike.
You call us to live as citizens of heaven,
to work together with one mind and one purpose,
to reach out in love to those in need.
Strengthen us so that we might live in a manner worthy
of the Good News we have received,
offering our lives to the building up of Your upside-down kingdom,
where the last are first, and the first are last,
and there is grace enough for all.
Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
In the name of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, Amen.
-by Christine Longhurst on re-worship.blogspot.com
We Come to the Lord's Table
Invitation to the TableCommunion Hymn#419 "All Who Hunger, Gather Gladly" (all verses)
Words of Institution
The Lord's Supper with instrumental meditation
Prayer of Thanksgiving
We Go Forth into the World
Challenge for DiscipleshipDiscipleship Hymn#321 "Break Thou the Bread of Life" (all verses)
Blessing
Closing Hymn #431 "Go My Children, with My Blessing (verse 3)
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