Bread of Life

Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For it is on him that God the Father has set his seal.’ Then they said to him, ‘What must we do to perform the works of God?’ Jesus answered them, ‘This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.’ So they said to him, ‘What sign are you going to give us then, so that we may see it and believe you? What work are you performing? Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, “He gave them bread from heaven to eat.” ’ Then Jesus said to them, ‘Very truly, I tell you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.’ They said to him, ‘Sir, give us this bread always.’ 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. But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. Everything that the Father gives me will come to me, and anyone who comes to me I will never drive away; for I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. This is indeed the will of my Father, that all who see the Son and believe in him may have eternal life; and I will raise them up on the last day.’ John 6:27-40

Every culture has a bread that is something more than just bread. Although Frybread is really not historically traditional, since so many of our tribes had to live off of government procured commodity foods, like white flour, white sugar, big blocks of cheese and the like, frybread became for many, the common bread we all crave. Our various people took the handouts and made them revered. We will drive out of our way for a good frybread stand and drive many hours for great powwow frybread. Best of all is the frybread made by one woman who has the gift. Jesus is the bread of life, that food which restores us, heals us and gives us an identity. Whatever bread is special in your tradition, may we all know Christ's presence and his call to belong.

Great Creator, source of all life

we are molded and shaped by you

mysteriously held in your loving hands

and renewed by your life-giving spirit.

You have claimed us as your own

and we often do not trust that belonging

your have poured your spirit upon us

but we often run away and hide from you.

Help us to trust that we will be well fed

help us to embrace the love you give us

make us into your family and people

so we might feed those you send our way. Amen.