Psalm 105 O Thank the Lord

O the deep, deep love of Jesus A song giving thanks for God’s love surrounding us

Opening our hearts to God Almighty God, to whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hidden: cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you, and worthily magnify your holy name; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Acknowledging our need of Forgiveness Remembering that God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son Jesus Christ to save us from our sins, to be our advocate in heaven and to bring us to eternal life: We confess our sins in penitence and faith, firmly resolved to keep God’s commandments and to live in love and peace with all. (We keep a moment of quiet for silent reflection) Almighty God, our heavenly Father, we have sinned against you and against our neighbourin thought and word and deed, through negligence, through weakness, through our own deliberate fault. We are truly sorry and repent of all our sins. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, who died for us, forgive us all that is past and grant that we may serve you in newness of life; to the glory of your name. Amen. Affirming God’s Forgiveness Almighty God, who forgives all who truly repent, have mercy upon us, pardon and deliver us from all our sins, confirm and strengthen us in all goodness, and keep us in life eternal; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Collect Prayer Almighty God,who sent your Holy Spiritto be the life and light of your Church:open our hearts to the riches of your grace,that we may bring forth the fruit of the Spiritin love and joy and peace;through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,who is alive and reigns with you,in the unity of the Holy Spirit,one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Bible Readings Exodus 16.2-4, 9-15 2 The whole congregation of the Israelites complained against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. 3 The Israelites said to them, ‘If only we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the fleshpots and ate our fill of bread; for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.’ 4 Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘I am going to rain bread from heaven for you, and each day the people shall go out and gather enough for that day. In that way I will test them, whether they will follow my instruction or not. 9 Then Moses said to Aaron, ‘Say to the whole congregation of the Israelites, “Draw near to the Lord, for he has heard your complaining.” ’ 10 And as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the Israelites, they looked towards the wilderness, and the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud. 11 The Lord spoke to Moses and said, 12 ‘I have heard the complaining of the Israelites; say to them, “At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall have your fill of bread; then you shall know that I am the Lord your God.” ’ 13 In the evening quails came up and covered the camp; and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp. 14 When the layer of dew lifted, there on the surface of the wilderness was a fine flaky substance, as fine as frost on the ground. 15 When the Israelites saw it, they said to one another, ‘What is it?’ * For they did not know what it was. Moses said to them, ‘It is the bread that the Lord has given you to eat.

Reflections By Reverend Jonathan Hall Jesus said “I am the bread of life, or the living Bread.” This is the first of the 7 great “I am” sayings of Jesus recorded in John’s Gospel. Jesus also said, I am the light of the world, I am the door of the sheepfold I am the Good Shepherd I am the resurrection and the life I am the way the truth and the life I am the true vine. Each one of these statements, helps us to understand the person of Christ – who he is, and how our relationship with him changes our lives. In beginning with the two words, “I am” each statement identifies Jesus with God. Looking back into the Old Testament – God is known by the name “I am.” When Moses is called by the voice of God from the burning bush, he is told to say that “I am” had sent him to demand the freedom of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt. In making each of these statements, Jesus is claiming the power and authority of God. As we think about these statements, I think that it also significant, that they are spoken in the present tense. Jesus, did not say, I was the light of the world, or I will be the Good Shepherd. Jesus said I am the bread of life. Each of these statements speaks to each and every generation – God is with his people in these special ways in every age, from the beginning of time, to the very end of time. Each of these statements provides enough food for thought for a separate sermon – so I shall not attempt to cover them all in one week! In fact, this is the second of three consecutive Sundays, on which our readings focus on the theme of Jesus, the Bread of Life. Jesus’ statement “I am the bread of life” – provides the basis for the ongoing discussion in the 6th Chapter of John’s Gospel. Each week we are reminded of the Manna in the wilderness. The people of Israel, during their journey from slavery in Egypt to the freedom of the promised land, were unable to take supplies of food with them. They very soon became afraid of starvation. God in his care and concern for his people provided Manna from heaven, fine flakes of bread like food, which was gathered from the ground daily, and which sustained the people on their journey. Jesus reminds the crowds that flocked to him, that this manna had been given by God, at a specific time, to sustain the people in their journey. Jesus, said that the bread he would offer would be of eternal quality. In John’s Gospel, the discussion about the Bread of Life comes immediately after the feeding of the five thousand. Crowds had gathered to hear and see Jesus. Like the Israelites in the wilderness, they were a long way from home, and need of food. Again, God in his love and concern for his people miraculously provided enough bread and fish for all to have plenty to eat. The people were so impressed by this miracle, that the crowds follow Jesus the next day. Jesus reminded them that it is not only physical food that they need. They should not be impressed by his ability to provide them with physical food. What he offered, was spiritual nourishment, through his teaching and example. Our readings today, bring together all the different strands as we think about Jesus as the Bread of Life. It is clear that Jesus intends us to see the essence of what he means when he calls himself the Living bread, in his complete giving of himself for the well-being of his people. He gives his own flesh and blood. In Hebrew, flesh and blood is symbolic of the whole person. John, in his Gospel record of the Last Supper, does not give an account of the breaking of the bread and giving of the wine, as the other Gospel writers do. In effect, his description of the Eucharist comes in this 6th Chapter of his Gospel . In Jesus words to the crowds, John clearly wants the readers of his Gospel to see the connection with our celebration of the Eucharist. Each of these themes – the manna in the wilderness, the feeding of the five thousand, and the Eucharist, are essentially about God’s presence with us. The God who is resent in all things and in all places, is preset with us, whenever we gather to share in the bread and wine of the Eucharist. When we receive communion, Jesus comes to each one of us personally – the Jesus who gave his whole self for us, the Jesus who gave us his own flesh and blood. As we are nourished, and built up by this ongoing reminder of Jesus presence with us, we are reminded of and strengthened for our calling to give of ourselves in the service of others, with the same sacrificial quality of love. Sharing in the Eucharist, is one very powerful way in which Jesus’ statement “I am the living bread ” can become real for us. Elsewhere in the Gospels, Jesus emphasises the need for spiritual nourishment by reminding the crowds that, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God. The teaching of Jesus, and the example of his life, provide us with plenty of food for thought. St Paul in his Letter to the Ephesians, encourages his hearers to be fed by the example and teaching of Jesus in such a way that changes our behaviour and attitudes towards one another and makes us more like Christ. If we learn from Jesus, we are indeed being nourished in our journey of faith; and our hunger, our desire to follow God’s will in our lives is being fed. Today, there is a very real hunger for meaning and purpose in world where there are so many different philosophies and moral codes and sets of values competing for allegiance. A hunger for peace in a broken and divided world. A hunger for equality, in world where so often the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. A hunger for love, in a world where fear, hatred and isolation are so common. Into each of these situations Jesus says, “I am the bread of life.” By this he means that if only we would feed on him, if only we would allow ourselves to be nourished by his teaching and example, we would find the strength the energy, the capacity to heal so many of these hurts in our world today. As we reflect on Jesus saying “I am the bread of life,” we give thanks for the spiritual food of the Eucharist to strengthen and sustain us, and we give thanks for the teaching and example of Christ to guide and instruct us. Perhaps we can have both of these things in mind when a little later in our service we join in the words of the Lords Prayer, and ask God to “give us this day, our daily bread.” In saying these words, we usually think of the physical things necessary to sustain us in our life and health – perhaps today, and in future as we pray this part of the prayer, we can think about the spiritual food that Christ longs to give us – through the Eucharist and through our learning from his teaching and example. Lord, give us this day, our daily bread, for you are the bread of life. Amen

Prayers Feed me with your Word Meditation by Jonathan Hall When I am alone and in need of comfort; O Lord, Bread of Life, feed me with your Word. When I am afraid and in need of courage; O Lord, Bread of Life, feed me with your Word. When I am confused and in need of guidance; O Lord, Bread of Life, feed me with your Word. When I have fallen and need lifting up; O Lord, Bread of Life, feed me with your Word. When I am unsure and need encouragement; O Lord, Bread of Life, feed me with your Word. When I am sick and need your healing grace; O Lord, Bread of Life, feed me with your Word. When I am doubting and need reminding of your eternal truths; O Lord, Bread of Life, feed me with your Word. In a moment of quiet, we bring before God, our own special thoughts and prayers at this time – people or situations we place into your care and protection, or things for which we want to give you thanks and praise.

God’s Blessing May the Lord bless us and keep us, May he make his face shine upon us, And give us his peace, now and always. Amen.

We gather together all our prayers and praises in the words that Jesus taught us… The Lord’s Prayer Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done; on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.

Reflective song: I am the Bread of Life

John 6.24-35 24 So when the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they themselves got into the boats and went to Capernaum looking for Jesus. 25 When they found him on the other side of the lake, they said to him, ‘Rabbi, when did you come here?’ 26 Jesus answered them, ‘Very truly, I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. 27 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.’ 28 Then they said to him, ‘What must we do to perform the works of God?’ 29 Jesus answered them, ‘This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.’ 30 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? 31 Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, “He gave them bread from heaven to eat.” ’ 32 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. 33 For the bread of God is that which * comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.’ 34 They said to him, ‘Sir, give us this bread always.’ 35 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

Ephesians 4.1-16 Unity in the Body of Christ 4I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all. 7 But each of us was given grace according to the measure of Christ’s gift. 8 Therefore it is said,‘When he ascended on high he made captivity itself a captive; he gave gifts to his people.’ 9 (When it says, ‘He ascended’, what does it mean but that he had also descended * into the lower parts of the earth? 10 He who descended is the same one who ascended far above all the heavens, so that he might fill all things.) 11 The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ. 14 We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people’s trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming. 15 But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and knitted together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body’s growth in building itself up in love.

Psalm 105 O Thank the Lord

Opening our hearts to God Almighty God, to whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hidden: cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you, and worthily magnify your holy name; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Acknowledging our need of Forgiveness Remembering that God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son Jesus Christ to save us from our sins, to be our advocate in heaven and to bring us to eternal life: We confess our sins in penitence and faith, firmly resolved to keep God’s commandments and to live in love and peace with all. (We keep a moment of quiet for silent reflection) Almighty God, our heavenly Father, we have sinned against you and against our neighbourin thought and word and deed, through negligence, through weakness, through our own deliberate fault. We are truly sorry and repent of all our sins. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, who died for us, forgive us all that is past and grant that we may serve you in newness of life; to the glory of your name. Amen. Affirming God’s Forgiveness Almighty God, who forgives all who truly repent, have mercy upon us, pardon and deliver us from all our sins, confirm and strengthen us in all goodness, and keep us in life eternal; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Collect Prayer Almighty God,who sent your Holy Spiritto be the life and light of your Church:open our hearts to the riches of your grace,that we may bring forth the fruit of the Spiritin love and joy and peace;through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,who is alive and reigns with you,in the unity of the Holy Spirit,one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Bible Readings Exodus 16.2-4, 9-15 2 The whole congregation of the Israelites complained against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. 3 The Israelites said to them, ‘If only we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the fleshpots and ate our fill of bread; for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.’ 4 Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘I am going to rain bread from heaven for you, and each day the people shall go out and gather enough for that day. In that way I will test them, whether they will follow my instruction or not. 9 Then Moses said to Aaron, ‘Say to the whole congregation of the Israelites, “Draw near to the Lord, for he has heard your complaining.” ’ 10 And as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the Israelites, they looked towards the wilderness, and the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud. 11 The Lord spoke to Moses and said, 12 ‘I have heard the complaining of the Israelites; say to them, “At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall have your fill of bread; then you shall know that I am the Lord your God.” ’ 13 In the evening quails came up and covered the camp; and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp. 14 When the layer of dew lifted, there on the surface of the wilderness was a fine flaky substance, as fine as frost on the ground. 15 When the Israelites saw it, they said to one another, ‘What is it?’ * For they did not know what it was. Moses said to them, ‘It is the bread that the Lord has given you to eat.

Prayers Feed me with your Word Meditation by Jonathan Hall When I am alone and in need of comfort; O Lord, Bread of Life, feed me with your Word. When I am afraid and in need of courage; O Lord, Bread of Life, feed me with your Word. When I am confused and in need of guidance; O Lord, Bread of Life, feed me with your Word. When I have fallen and need lifting up; O Lord, Bread of Life, feed me with your Word. When I am unsure and need encouragement; O Lord, Bread of Life, feed me with your Word. When I am sick and need your healing grace; O Lord, Bread of Life, feed me with your Word. When I am doubting and need reminding of your eternal truths; O Lord, Bread of Life, feed me with your Word. In a moment of quiet, we bring before God, our own special thoughts and prayers at this time – people or situations we place into your care and protection, or things for which we want to give you thanks and praise.

God’s Blessing May the Lord bless us and keep us, May he make his face shine upon us, And give us his peace, now and always. Amen.

We gather together all our prayers and praises in the words that Jesus taught us… The Lord’s Prayer Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done; on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.

Reflective song: I am the Bread of Life

Reflections By Reverend Jonathan Hall Jesus said “I am the bread of life, or the living Bread.” This is the first of the 7 great “I am” sayings of Jesus recorded in John’s Gospel. Jesus also said, I am the light of the world, I am the door of the sheepfold I am the Good Shepherd I am the resurrection and the life I am the way the truth and the life I am the true vine. Each one of these statements, helps us to understand the person of Christ – who he is, and how our relationship with him changes our lives. In beginning with the two words, “I am” each statement identifies Jesus with God. Looking back into the Old Testament – God is known by the name “I am.” When Moses is called by the voice of God from the burning bush, he is told to say that “I am” had sent him to demand the freedom of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt. In making each of these statements, Jesus is claiming the power and authority of God. As we think about these statements, I think that it also significant, that they are spoken in the present tense. Jesus, did not say, I was the light of the world, or I will be the Good Shepherd. Jesus said I am the bread of life. Each of these statements speaks to each and every generation – God is with his people in these special ways in every age, from the beginning of time, to the very end of time. Each of these statements provides enough food for thought for a separate sermon – so I shall not attempt to cover them all in one week! In fact, this is the second of three consecutive Sundays, on which our readings focus on the theme of Jesus, the Bread of Life. Jesus’ statement “I am the bread of life” – provides the basis for the ongoing discussion in the 6th Chapter of John’s Gospel. Each week we are reminded of the Manna in the wilderness. The people of Israel, during their journey from slavery in Egypt to the freedom of the promised land, were unable to take supplies of food with them. They very soon became afraid of starvation. God in his care and concern for his people provided Manna from heaven, fine flakes of bread like food, which was gathered from the ground daily, and which sustained the people on their journey. Jesus reminds the crowds that flocked to him, that this manna had been given by God, at a specific time, to sustain the people in their journey. Jesus, said that the bread he would offer would be of eternal quality. In John’s Gospel, the discussion about the Bread of Life comes immediately after the feeding of the five thousand. Crowds had gathered to hear and see Jesus. Like the Israelites in the wilderness, they were a long way from home, and need of food. Again, God in his love and concern for his people miraculously provided enough bread and fish for all to have plenty to eat. The people were so impressed by this miracle, that the crowds follow Jesus the next day. Jesus reminded them that it is not only physical food that they need. They should not be impressed by his ability to provide them with physical food. What he offered, was spiritual nourishment, through his teaching and example. Our readings today, bring together all the different strands as we think about Jesus as the Bread of Life. It is clear that Jesus intends us to see the essence of what he means when he calls himself the Living bread, in his complete giving of himself for the well- being of his people. He gives his own flesh and blood. In Hebrew, flesh and blood is symbolic of the whole person. John, in his Gospel record of the Last Supper, does not give an account of the breaking of the bread and giving of the wine, as the other Gospel writers do. In effect, his description of the Eucharist comes in this 6th Chapter of his Gospel . In Jesus words to the crowds, John clearly wants the readers of his Gospel to see the connection with our celebration of the Eucharist. Each of these themes – the manna in the wilderness, the feeding of the five thousand, and the Eucharist, are essentially about God’s presence with us. The God who is resent in all things and in all places, is preset with us, whenever we gather to share in the bread and wine of the Eucharist. When we receive communion, Jesus comes to each one of us personally – the Jesus who gave his whole self for us, the Jesus who gave us his own flesh and blood. As we are nourished, and built up by this ongoing reminder of Jesus presence with us, we are reminded of and strengthened for our calling to give of ourselves in the service of others, with the same sacrificial quality of love. Sharing in the Eucharist, is one very powerful way in which Jesus’ statement “I am the living bread ” can become real for us. Elsewhere in the Gospels, Jesus emphasises the need for spiritual nourishment by reminding the crowds that, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God. The teaching of Jesus, and the example of his life, provide us with plenty of food for thought. St Paul in his Letter to the Ephesians, encourages his hearers to be fed by the example and teaching of Jesus in such a way that changes our behaviour and attitudes towards one another and makes us more like Christ. If we learn from Jesus, we are indeed being nourished in our journey of faith; and our hunger, our desire to follow God’s will in our lives is being fed. Today, there is a very real hunger for meaning and purpose in world where there are so many different philosophies and moral codes and sets of values competing for allegiance. A hunger for peace in a broken and divided world. A hunger for equality, in world where so often the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. A hunger for love, in a world where fear, hatred and isolation are so common. Into each of these situations Jesus says, “I am the bread of life.” By this he means that if only we would feed on him, if only we would allow ourselves to be nourished by his teaching and example, we would find the strength the energy, the capacity to heal so many of these hurts in our world today. As we reflect on Jesus saying “I am the bread of life,” we give thanks for the spiritual food of the Eucharist to strengthen and sustain us, and we give thanks for the teaching and example of Christ to guide and instruct us. Perhaps we can have both of these things in mind when a little later in our service we join in the words of the Lords Prayer, and ask God to “give us this day, our daily bread.” In saying these words, we usually think of the physical things necessary to sustain us in our life and health – perhaps today, and in future as we pray this part of the prayer, we can think about the spiritual food that Christ longs to give us – through the Eucharist and through our learning from his teaching and example. Lord, give us this day, our daily bread, for you are the bread of life. Amen

John 6.24-35 24 So when the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they themselves got into the boats and went to Capernaum looking for Jesus. 25 When they found him on the other side of the lake, they said to him, ‘Rabbi, when did you come here?’ 26 Jesus answered them, ‘Very truly, I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. 27 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.’ 28 Then they said to him, ‘What must we do to perform the works of God?’ 29 Jesus answered them, ‘This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.’ 30 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? 31 Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, “He gave them bread from heaven to eat.” ’ 32 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. 33 For the bread of God is that which * comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.’ 34 They said to him, ‘Sir, give us this bread always.’ 35 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

Ephesians 4.1-16 Unity in the Body of Christ 4I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all. 7 But each of us was given grace according to the measure of Christ’s gift. 8 Therefore it is said,‘When he ascended on high he made captivity itself a captive; he gave gifts to his people.’ 9 (When it says, ‘He ascended’, what does it mean but that he had also descended * into the lower parts of the earth? 10 He who descended is the same one who ascended far above all the heavens, so that he might fill all things.) 11 The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ. 14 We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people’s trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming. 15 But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and knitted together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body’s growth in building itself up in love.

O the deep, deep love of Jesus A song giving thanks for God’s love surrounding us