| “Food for All” – John 6:1-21 – July 26, 2009
The scripture lesson today includes two classic stories of our faith: the feeding of the five thousand and Jesus appearing to the disciples on the Sea of Galilee. First, on one side of the sea, we find Jesus and the disciples surrounded by a large crowd who are hungry. Jesus blessed what little food they had and everyone was satisfied. The disciples then headed across the sea but faced a storm. Jesus told them not to be afraid and immediately they reached the other side.
It is no accident that these two events took place on either side of the Sea of Galilee. The sea is symbolic of chaos. Life is frequently like being on a sea facing unexpected conditions. And yet, it is also the see that provides passage to other places and life experiences.
The two events occurred on a single day. Looking back, the disciples must have wondered how they ever got through it. Have you ever had a day like that? A day when you were faced with impossible situations but somehow you managed to survive?
This past week I had a funeral at the church. I still had to prepare my sermon for Sunday but the mid-week service took precedence. During the service I received a phone call from my brother who told me my dad was in a hospital in Georgia and he was going to need surgery. The day was filled with people who had need and for me, an anxious situation. It was not unlike the disciple’s day in John where they were met with a hungry crowd and stormy seas.
For them, the two challenges were overwhelming. On the one hand there wasn’t enough food to feed five thousand people. Philip expressed his dismay by saying, “Six months wages would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little.” And when they encountered the storm, the narrator said, “they were terrified.”
I imagine their reflections at the end of the day went something like this: “How did we ever manage to feed all those people? And somehow, we crossed the Sea of Galilee in the midst of a storm. At the time it seemed impossible. We know we got through it, but how?
Wednesday, I was feeling overwhelmed. Following the funeral service I still had to prepare my sermon. The balance of my week was full and I had little time to work on it. Also, my dad was too far away for me to make a hospital call. I had to rely on telephone calls from my brother to keep me up to date. It was just impossible for me to be in two places at once. Thanks to modern technology I was able to talk with my dad and he assured me it was not necessary for me to go to Georgia. That conversation took place during the time I was preparing this message. Like the disciples, somehow I managed to get through the day.
The disciple Andrew recognized that a young boy was present who had five barley loaves and two fish. It wasn’t enough but at least Andrew identified some available resources. Jesus gave thanks for the food and then distributed it to the people. Amazingly, everyone was fed and there were even twelve baskets left over. Jesus could see what the others couldn’t see. He saw sufficient resources to meet everyone’s needs. By the grace of God everyone was fed.
When we are faced with circumstances beyond our control we fail to see the resources which are at hand. We are limited by our own resources and don’t rely on the grace of God. It rained when we arrived at the cemetery and I was sure everyone was going to get wet. But in a matter of minutes everyone was either under the tent or under an umbrella. Where did all those umbrellas come from I wondered? It had to be by the grace of God.
We all have needs. We all find ourselves in situations when there doesn’t seem to be enough resources to provide for our needs. It could be food, money, clothing or even time. I believe it is important to remember that Jesus gave thanks for what they had. His attitude of gratitude transformed the dilemma of supplying food for a hungry a crowd.
When the disciples encountered the storm on the sea it presented a different need. They needed the calming presence of God. They were afraid and needed assurance. Jesus assured them with his loving voice, “It is I; do not be afraid.” No sooner had they heard those words from Jesus when they found themselves safely on the other side of the sea.
For me, calling my dad was a big help. Although he was the one facing surgery, I needed to hear his voice. He probably helped me more than I helped him. How comforting it is when we can hear the voice of someone we care about although we are separated by great distances.
When we find ourselves in the midst of storms our fears are magnified. When the disciples were in the storm it was dark, the seas were rough and the wind was blowing. Perhaps now you can see why these two stories are tied together. When we have a physical need we see limited resources. But when we have an emotional need, our emotions are exaggerated by the surrounding conditions. Once again, it was the grace of God that calmed the fears of the disciples. In the midst of rough seas, they saw Jesus walking. In the darkness, they heard his voice. The wind that amplified their fear was the same wind that blew them ashore.
We all face times when the winds of life blow us off course. But, we underestimate the power of God’s grace. Last weekend, while on vacation, I received word that a parishioner had a stroke and was not expected to live. Two of my colleagues took the time to visit with her family and be a viable pastoral presence. It was a tremendous help to me to know that I could count on others to take my place. Thankfully they were both available to make a call on two different days. Their help gave the family the assistance they needed until I returned. The parishioner later died and I was able to talk with the family on the telephone and respond by emails until I returned. Thank God for cell phones and lap top computers.
The grace of God is not something we can explain. It is however showered upon us in the midst of overwhelming circumstances or conditions beyond our control. With God there are abundant resources to attend to our needs. We can also be assured that in the midst of any crisis, God is with us.
Dr. Keith Wagner
"Grounded in Love" - Eph. 3:14-21 - July 27, 2003
If you have been to Yosemite or Sequoia National Park you have enjoyed the beauty of the majestic Redwood. They are so huge that cars can drive through them and dances can be held on their stumps. There is an interesting fact about the giant Sequoia Redwood trees. These trees, which reach so high you can't see their tops, have a very shallow root system. The roots practically lay on top of the ground. When you consider the height and weight of the trees and the high winds in the Sierra Nevada's, it is amazing that these trees don't come crashing down during a storm.
Why Don't they? It is the grove factor, the tree growing in close proximity to one another, that help the great Redwoods to withstand nature's onslaught. What happens is the roots reach out in all directions and they get tangled up with the roots from other Redwoods. The roots grow together, intertwining with each other and creating a stabilizing root bed that helps each tree continue to stand. A lone Redwood tree growing by itself wouldn't last long, but a Redwood forest can last for thousands of years.
That's the way it should be with us as believers. We need to be "knit together in love" to grow strong, to be stable and to be able to stand as people of faith. God has established the forest, which we call the church in which we are to grow. We sink our roots into the local body and become entwined with each other's lives. Then when the storms of life start blowing, we too, are stabilized and able to withstand the winds of affliction, temptation and/or persecution.
To stand tall in our faith means we must have strong roots. Paul told the Church at Ephesus that they should be "rooted and grounded in love." Like the Redwood trees our faith will be stronger when we are tangled with others in close proximity.
In our society faith has become a very private matter. People rarely discuss their religion and almost never share personal experiences that affect the way they believe. In fact, it has almost become taboo to talk about our faith, our lives in the church or how we see God working in the world. But, like the great Redwood trees, without entangled roots we won’t last long, especially when we face difficulties or crises.
To be grounded in love is to have a relationship with others who have faith. The more our roots are entangled with the roots of others who have faith the stronger our faith will be. It’s not enough just to be a member of the church or identify with some denomination or building. We need to develop relationships with others whose lives also have a connection to the community of faith.
During my childhood and youth I remember those folks in my church who we did things with besides sit in the pews. We camped with several other families in the church. I bowled on the church team and played on the church softball team. I went to summer camp with other youth. I remember being in the homes of other church people, going on trips together and attending leisure activities together.
Our lives were intertwined and we celebrated our victories together and mourned our tragedies together. It is strong relationships which enable us to endure not the church as an institution. Paul was speaking to people who had no church structure. The temple was in ruins. They had no sacred altar or any sacred artifacts to use as a centerpiece for their worship. They only had each other.
Paul was also striving to bring both Jews and Christians together. Being grounded in love would require people of different traditions to be together, loving one another instead of competing with one another.
Today we are enjoying the fruits of our vacation Bible school. The children are singing songs they have learned over the past week. They come from different families, different communities and even different school systems. Some live in the city while others live in the country. For a few days they have been entangled, working together and sharing a common journey.
To be grounded in love means we must be willing to reach beyond our families and familiar neighborhood and embrace people who are strangers. It is not sameness that will make us a strong community of faith but rather diversity, people of different backgrounds and faith journeys coming together as one.
One time there was a little boy who wanted to have a puppy. His mother told him he would have to earn the money. He did all kinds of odd jobs until he finally earned enough money to buy a puppy. He went to the pet store and observed a litter of puppies in the window. He went into the store and one of the puppies lying in a corner got his attention. The store manager came over and asked if he could help. The little boy told the store manager that he wanted the puppy in the corner.
But the store manager said that he should choose one of the other puppies. That one was not very healthy. He was the runt of the litter. He said he wouldn’t feel right selling a puppy that was less than normal. But, the little boy insisted. "Mr.," he said, "That little puppy needs me and I need him." The store manager replied, "But, I don’t feel right selling you a puppy who doesn’t have much of a chance." The little boy then rolled up his pants leg, revealing a brace on his leg. "You see Sir, I haven’t had much of a chance to be normal, that’s why we need each other."
Paul also said that to be grounded in love is to comprehend all the breath, length, height and depth. I believe he means our faith is stronger when we can realize that we are part of a bigger picture.
Many of you who are here today are only witnessing one small part of the life of this congregation. Your children participated in VBS and they are singing as a part of worship. But, many other things are happening here. Friday, there was a memorial service for the oldest member of the congregation. Yesterday and next Saturday there are two weddings which involve church families. Last Sunday we observed the sacrament of Holy communion. There were several committee meetings here this past week. The trustees were also here meeting with contractors to discuss possible modifications to the facility.
Each of us lives in a small world. Our faith becomes stronger when we see ourselves as something much larger. Paul wanted his listeners to understand that they didn’t live in a vacuum. They were a part of something much greater and the love of Christ within them would reach beyond their wildest imaginations.
To stand tall as people of faith like the giant Redwood trees in California we need to be "intertwined with others in the faith." We will also stand out as a community of faith when we include people who are different from ourselves. And hopefully, we will be a congregation who can see the forest through the trees by seeing ourselves as a small, but vital part of a much larger faith community.
Dr. Keith Wagner | |