We are wayfarers, following your paths
To the ends of the earth
Pilgrims on the way to the end of the age
Jesus says Behold I am with you
We are travelers on the road to freedom
A community of love
With good news for all we meet
Jesus says Behold I am with you
Confession-a time of silence
God of love and forgiveness
Save us by your tenderness
From each deed that is destructive
From each act that grieves you
From each thought that is careless
From each idea that is unloving
From each word that hurts.
Help us to face up to your call on our lives,
by creating love and goodness, community,
society where it has been broken.
Amen.
Blessing
May the blessing of the Creator who made the earth be upon you
May the blessing of the Son, the Light of the World be upon you
May the blessing of the Spirit fall like sweet rain upon you
May you ever have a kindly greeting for those you meet
And now may the Lord bless you
And bless you kindly. Amen.
John 6:58-69
Many of the disciples "hear", but don't "understand". At the end of the chapter they say "We don't accept this teaching"- and who would? This group is not the apostles. They are a populist group.
Jesus has talked about being the bread of life and that they have to eat and drink of it. Its hard even crazy talk and led to early Christians being accused by the Romans Governors of canabalism (but they were acquitted). Jesus' teaching at this point is intolerable. The illustration of eating his flesh and drinking his blood is certainly offensive to those who don't understand that it.
The word offend in Greek in scandalize. Does it shake your faith?
If my words have offended you, how much more will your faith be shaken when you see whats coming next!
The words that I have spoken to you are both Spirit and life. They are wisdom like the wisdom texts of old. They nourish us and give us life when life corners us and we dont know where to turn.
Eating the flesh of Jesus is picture language for believing in Jesus, particularly believing in his words, words inspired by the Spirit.
And thats all we have to do-just believe.
Jesus turns on the twelve "Do you want to leave too?
Peter says "Where would we go? You have words of eternal life".Wisdom
There was an East London gangster who was sitting having a beer after a particularly nasty assignment, watching the telly. He started to think about his life and weep. He saw how pitiful and dreadful it was, beating up people. He bacame a Catholic brother and found life. Now he spends his time working with men like boys trying to stop them wasting their lives like he did.
