Ninth Sunday after Pentecost - Sunday - July 26, 2015

Commentary:  We now enter into the Gospel of John for next 6 Sundays – discourses on the ‘Bread of Life.’  John’s Gospel is unique in that Jesus is portrayed as in total control.  Christ ‘lays down his life.’  It is not taken away from him.  Jesus does not tell any parables in John but speaks in ‘I AM’ metaphors – such as:  “I AM the bread of life…I AM the way, the truth, and the life…I AM the good shepherd.”  The ‘It is I’ in Christ walking on the water is another reference to ‘Yaweh’ – the ‘I AM.’  Be prepared for many layers in John’s narrative.  He is a mystic.

John 6:1-21 - NRSV

6\1After this Jesus went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, also called the Sea of Tiberias. ²A large crowd kept following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing for the sick. ³Jesus went up the mountain and sat down there with his disciples. ⁴Now the Passover, the festival of the Jews, was near. ⁵When 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?” ⁶He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he was going to do. ⁷Philip answered him, “Six months’ wages would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little.” ⁸One 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?” ¹⁰Jesus 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.¹¹Then 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. ¹²When they were satisfied, he told his disciples, “Gather up the fragments left over, so that nothing may be lost.” ¹³So they gathered them up, and from the fragments of the five barley loaves, left by those who had eaten, they filled twelve baskets. ¹⁴When 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.”

¹⁵When Jesus realized that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain by himself.¹⁶When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea, ¹⁷got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. ¹⁸The sea became rough because a strong wind was blowing. ¹⁹When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were terrified. ²⁰But he said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.”²¹Then they wanted to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the land toward which they were going.

Pentecost 9 B - A Poem a Sunday

“And I, when I am lifted up, will draw all people to myself.” St. John 12:32

Scattered / Gathered: Two kingdoms, two worlds, two ways.

Scattered           Gathered

Tribe                 All

Self                   Community

Me                    Others

Alone                 Together

Individual           Common good

Bread at Passover

5,000 fed.

Twelve baskets gathered

after the crowd fled.

Christ, the one

who is lifted up,

gathers us all

through a common cup.

Our mission now

is to share our bread;

to gather all peoples

at the table God spreads.

No one went hungry,

no one was overlooked.

But all appetites were satiated

as everyone partook

of that ancient ritual

where Christ extends

his arms open to all,

compassion without end.

Forget the sacrifice,

the gory tale.

The Holy Meal

is not for sale.

But a universal call

for all creation

to be gathered as one,

one people, one nation.

One with creation

and each other,

this Holy Meal,

this intimate Supper.  

July 20, 2015 - Kenn Storck / ‘A Poem a Sunday’