Illustration by Dan Erlander

A Poem a Sunday

Pentecost 9 – A

August 6, 2017

Matthew 14:13-21 - NRSV

Feeding the Five Thousand

13 Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat to a deserted place by himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns. 14 When he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them and cured their sick. 15 When it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a deserted place, and the hour is now late; send the crowds away so that they may go into the villages and buy food for themselves.” 16 Jesus said to them, “They need not go away; you give them something to eat.” 17 They replied, “We have nothing here but five loaves and two fish.” 18 And he said, “Bring them here to me.” 19 Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. 20 And all ate and were filled; and they took up what was left over of the broken pieces, twelve baskets full. 21 And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.

Pentecost 9 – A 

Common Table Prayer

Come, Lord Jesus be our guest,

but don’t disturb us with the rest

of sisters and brothers

who go without water and food,

lest we find out that they, too,

are guests at your table.

Look up from your bowed head

and see across God’s Table

the least of these and

not out of guilt but out of

love and grace embrace

them as guests.

Save them a place.

So each time you pray

the Common Table Prayer

you are inviting Jesus

and all his hungry friends

to share in the abundant

loaves and fish that God provides.

Food that is shared multiplies.

God’s dream is that no one should die

of want or hunger but as guests

at God’s table be fed and satisfied

enabled to live life full of all

of God’s blessings.

Now you cannot pray

inviting Jesus as guest

without all the rest

of his friends

having a place

at God’s table

of grace.

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