A Poem a Sunday

Proper 14B/Ordinary 19B/Pentecost 12

August 12, 2018

St. John 6: 35, 41-51 – NRSV

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.

~~~

41 Then the Jews began to complain about him because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” 42 They were saying, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?” 43 Jesus answered them, “Do not complain among yourselves. 44 No one can come to me unless drawn by the Father who sent me; and I will raise that person up on the last day. 45 It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me. 46 Not that anyone has seen the Father except the one who is from God; he has seen the Father. 47 Very truly, I tell you, whoever believes has eternal life. 48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. 50 This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. 51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”

A Poem a Sunday

Pentecost 12 - B

Manna Murmur

“We’ve never done it that way before.”

“That new member dare not have a say!”

“Join the choir right away.”

“We need new members.

We pray you’ll stay.”

Yet, discipleship or taking a stand

for divine justice or being bold

and inclusive to the least and the left

seldom, if ever, brings out the best

of a churchly community

only wanting to survive

and murmurs at the manna

God provides:

- the single mother,

- those who cannot give,

- gay and single straight

who simply yearn for space

to be who they are

without making a case,

- those who doubt

in a world full of hate,

murmur churches

continue to close their gates.

“Take this bread,” Christ cries,

“I am bread for the world.

Get out of my way

as I feed all those

you’ve ignored

or murmured

when they

came knocking

at your church door.”

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May be used with permission

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