Homily
By The Rev. Marcia McRae
St.
John’s Episcopal Church, Bainbridge, GA
16
Aug. 2015
Proper
15 Year
B:
1 Kings:10-12; 3:3-14; Psalm 111; Ephesians 5:15-20; John 6:51-58
Jesus
says: “I am the living bread...”
Then later in our Gospel today he says, & I paraphrase:
You
are what you eat.”
Jesus
says, “...those who eat my flesh and drink my
blood abide in me, and I in them.” Jesus gives
us this bread “for the life of the world...”
We
are what we eat even when we do not understand the science of
nutrition, how our food nourishes us. Even when we do not understand
the how of it, this Body of Christ thrives as the life-enhancing
resource you are for this community & beyond.
Week
by week we share the Mystery of Holy Bread & Wine. This
Mystery feeds our spirits & satisfies us in ways beyond what
we comprehend. We receive nourishment to do the work God gives each
of us to do, to do the work God gives us collectively to do as the
Body of Christ. God's grace is greater than our understanding.
Think
about our recent Gospel readings when Jesus feeds the hungry crowds.
Notice: he feeds them without explaining how the miracle of abundance
happens.2
As
Lutheran Bishop Craig
A. Satterlee of North/West
Lower Michigan Synod, Lansing, Mich., says:
Jesus' “concern
is less
with getting his hearers to understand than
getting them to eat.”3
The
Bishop goes on to say:
Instead of explaining how the miracle happens, Jesus simply promises
to provide us food for the life of the world, “to
nourish the world with the gift of himself.”4
Jesus
gives this gift for us & the world in his life on earth and by
his “very
real death on the cross...”5
By
his cross & precious death “Jesus
nourishes faith, forgives sin, & empowers us to be witnesses to
the Gospel....”6
This happens through God’s
wisdom
that is greater than knowledge, greater than we can understand. This is a relationship for us to trust & embrace...7
We
nourish our relationship with Jesus in many ways, including
nourishing our relationships with each other. In Paul's words to
the Ephesians, we hear details of how we do this. Paul points us to
the creative, artistic aspects of our common life.
In
our Gospel we see the difficulty of creative living: we see people
who are literalistic about what they hear. They just don't get it
when Jesus talks about living bread. Paul points us past literalistic thinking. Paul points us to
creative, joyful interactions: singing psalms & hymns, making
melody to God, giving thanks to God at all times for everything in
the name of our Lord Jesus.
You
beautifully do this kind of grace-filled sharing.
Wednesday night, your singing was spectacular, not just the Happy
Birthday to baby Sam for his 1st
birthday but in the song fest that followed.
We
have had a literalistic mindset here that we don't sing well at St.
John's.
I know 2 things: each
of you has the gift of music in your heart
& I
know the excuses for not singing
[I
read them online at sermons4kids]:8
- “I don't like the songs we sing.” The songs are for God, who created the gift of music & probably likes all kinds of songs!
- “I don't know this song.” In 4 places, the Bible says, “Sing to the Lord a new song."9 How can we sing a new song if we won't try it?
- & the Number 1 excuse for not singing: “I can't carry a tune in a bucket." This excuse won't hold water.
You members of the Bucket Brigade know who you are. Know this: The Bible doesn't say, “Sing...with a beautiful voice;” 6 places in the Psalms & 2 in the Apocrypha say10: “Make a joyful noise to the Lord." [That's what I do! I do it emboldened by our Beloved Sister Naomi, who acknowledges she “can't carry a tune in a bucket” but sings out any way. So I have asked Naomi to lead our Bucket Brigade when we sing - which is why she is receiving her own special red bucket today.]
First we'll sing the Bishop's favorites to get familiar with them, then we'll share a few minutes to sing your favorites.
With
or without the ability to carry a tune in a bucket, let's make a
joyful noise to show
God how much we love God & each other!
Bibliography
Galvin, Garrett. Assistant Professor of Sacred Scripture, Franciscan School of Theology, Berkeley, CA. “Commentary on 1 Kings 2:10-12; 3:3-14.” http://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=2558. Accessed: 10 Aug. 2015.
Holy
Bible with the Apocrypha.
New Revised Standard Version. New York: Oxford University Press.
1989.
https://www.biblegateway.com/quicksearch/?quicksearch=joyful+noise&qs_version=NRSV.
Accessed: 15 Aug. 2015. References to Make
a joyful noise:
Psalm 66:1;
Psalm
95:2;
Psalm 98:4;Psalm
98:6;Psalm
100:1.
In the Apocrapha: Judith
14:9:
When she had finished, the people raised a great shout and made a
joyful noise in their town; 1
Esdras 5:64.
...while many came with trumpets and a joyful noise...
https://www.biblegateway.com/quicksearch/?quicksearch=sing+to+the+Lord+a+new+song&qs_version=NRSV.
Accessed: 15 Aug. 2015. References to Sing
a new song:
Psalm
96:1;
Psalm
98:1;
Psalm
149:1;
Isaiah
42:10.
Jewish
Study Bible: Jewish Publication Society TANAKH Translation. New
York: Oxford University Press. 2004.
Kesselus,
The Rev. Ken Kesselus. “You Are What You Eat”. Sermons That Work.
Accessed 10 Aug. 2015.
http://episcopaldigitalnetwork.com/stw/2009/08/16/eleventh-sunday-after-pentecost-proper-15-b-august-16-2009/
The
New American Bible for Catholics.
South Bend: Greenlawn Press. 1986.
Peterson,
Brian.
Professor of New Testament,
Lutheran
Theological Southern Seminary, Columbia, SC. “
Commentary
on Ephesians 5:15-20”.
http://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=2548.
Accessed:
2 Aug. 2015.
Satterlee,
Bishop Craig A. “Commentary
on John Commentary on John 6:51-58. Accessed: 10 Aug. 2015.
http://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=2552.
1
Kesselus,
The Rev. Ken Kesselus. “You Are What You Eat”. Sermons That
Work. Accessed 10 Aug. 2015.
2
Satterlee,
Bishop Craig A. “Commentary
on John Commentary on John 6:51-58. Accessed: 10 Aug. 2015.
http://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=2552.
3
Ibid.
4
Ibid.
5
Ibid.
6
Ibid.
7
Ibid.
9
Note: Search results from Bible Gateway listed in Bibliography
10
Ibid. Note
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