Living Bread

Then the Jews began to complain about him because he said, ‘I am the bread that came down from heaven.’ 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”?’ Jesus answered them, ‘Do not complain among yourselves. 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. 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. Not that anyone has seen the Father except the one who is from God; he has seen the Father. Very truly, I tell you, whoever believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live for ever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.’ The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, ‘How can this man give us his flesh to eat?’ So Jesus said to them, ‘Very truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day; John 6:41-54

My mother made bread throughout our growing up years. The smell of yeast bread rising reminds me of her wherever I am. Our coat closet had a heating pipe running behind the walls, and since it was a very warm closet, many loaves of bread could be found rising on the shelves. Coming home in deep winter and taking off one's coat became a moment of great welcome, surrounded with the smell of living bread rising around you. You were home. Jesus, the living bread is our home.

Gracious Creator, you live among us

lighting our nights with stars and moon

watering our fields with snow and rain

and feeding our hearts with your own life.

We take your gifts and world for granted

thinking we are able to conquer all challenges

then quickly we realized we are starving

for your love, healing and transformation.

Fill us again with your love, living bread of life

so we might serve the people who are aching

so we might help fill their hearts and their bodies

with your love which brings us safely home. Amen.