Debra K. Brazzel - Sermon Untitled (July 31, 1994)
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Transcript
Transcripts may contain inaccuracies.
- | Good morning. | 0:23 |
I'd like to welcome you to Duke Chapel. | 0:23 | |
We welcome especially this morning the singers, | 0:26 | |
instrumentalists of the Brightleaf Music Workshop, | 0:29 | |
their families and their director, Mr. Thomas Jaber | 0:33 | |
to our service of worship. | 0:36 | |
Would you please stand as we continue our worship | 0:38 | |
with the greeting. | 0:40 | |
The Spirit of God moves among us, | 0:48 | |
binding us in covenant | 0:51 | |
with faithful people of every time and place. | 0:52 | |
(congregation mumbling) | 0:56 | |
The Spirit moves through us, | 1:03 | |
making us channels of God's love. | 1:05 | |
All | As we gather to worship, | 1:09 |
we open ourselves to the Spirit of the living God, | 1:11 | |
made known to us in Jesus Christ. | 1:15 | |
(lively organ music) | 1:19 | |
(congregation singing) | 1:57 | |
♪ Hallelujah, amen ♪ | 2:03 | |
(congregation singing) | 2:07 | |
♪ Hallelujah, amen ♪ | 2:11 | |
(congregation singing) | 2:16 | |
♪ Hallelujah, amen ♪ | 2:30 | |
(congregation singing) | 2:37 | |
♪ Hallelujah, amen ♪ | 2:42 | |
(congregation singing) | 2:46 | |
♪ Hallelujah, amen ♪ | 2:52 | |
(congregation singing) | 2:55 | |
♪ Hallelujah, amen ♪ | 3:08 | |
(congregation singing) | 3:24 | |
♪ Hallelujah, amen ♪ | 3:29 | |
(congregation singing) | 3:33 | |
♪ Hallelujah, amen ♪ | 3:38 | |
(congregation singing) | 3:42 | |
♪ Hallelujah, amen ♪ | 3:57 | |
- | Let us pray. | 4:11 |
Precious God, | 4:18 | |
we come giving praise to your glorious and precious name. | 4:20 | |
We confess that we have sinned against you | 4:26 | |
in words and deeds. | 4:29 | |
Purge us of all unrighteousness | 4:33 | |
and grant to us a true hunger | 4:36 | |
and thirsting for your righteousness. | 4:39 | |
Fill us and display us with your presence | 4:42 | |
so that we may be able to worship you | 4:47 | |
in spirit and in truth. | 4:51 | |
These and all other mercies we ask | 4:54 | |
through the forgiveness of our sins. | 4:58 | |
In Jesus Christ, amen. | 5:01 | |
Congregation | Amen. | 5:05 |
- | Let us pray together the prayer for illumination. | 5:20 |
All | Open our hearts and minds, oh God | 5:24 |
by the power of your Holy Spirit | 5:28 | |
so that as the word is read and proclaimed, | 5:31 | |
we might hear your word with joy this day. | 5:35 | |
Amen. | 5:39 | |
- | The Old Testament lesson | 5:40 |
is taken from the second book of Samuel, | 5:42 | |
the 11th chapter, beginning with verse 26 | 5:45 | |
and continuing through chapter 12 verses one | 5:49 | |
through 13 a. | 5:52 | |
When the wife of Uriah heard | 5:56 | |
that her husband was dead, | 5:59 | |
she made lamentation for him. | 6:01 | |
When the morning was over, | 6:05 | |
David sent and brought her to his house | 6:07 | |
and she became his wife | 6:10 | |
and bore him a son. | 6:13 | |
But the thing that David had done displeased the Lord. | 6:16 | |
And the Lord sent Nathan to David. | 6:20 | |
He came to him and said to him, | 6:24 | |
there were two men in a certain city. | 6:27 | |
The one rich and the other poor. | 6:30 | |
The rich man had very many flocks and herds | 6:34 | |
but the poor man had nothing but one little ewe lamb | 6:38 | |
which he had bought. | 6:43 | |
He brought it up | 6:45 | |
and it grew with him | 6:46 | |
and with his children. | 6:48 | |
It used to eat of his meager fare | 6:50 | |
and drink from his cup | 6:53 | |
and lie in his bosom | 6:56 | |
and it was like a daughter to him. | 6:58 | |
Now there came a traveler to the rich man | 7:02 | |
and he was loathe to take one | 7:05 | |
of his own flock or herd | 7:07 | |
to prepare for the wayfarer | 7:10 | |
who had come to him | 7:12 | |
but he took the poor man's lamb | 7:13 | |
and prepared that for the guest | 7:16 | |
who had come to him. | 7:18 | |
Then David's anger was greatly kindled | 7:21 | |
against the man. | 7:23 | |
He said to Nathan, | 7:25 | |
as the Lord lives, | 7:27 | |
the man who has done this deserves to die. | 7:29 | |
He shall restore the lamb four fold | 7:33 | |
because he did this thing | 7:36 | |
and because he had no pity. | 7:38 | |
Nathan said to David, | 7:41 | |
you are the man. | 7:43 | |
Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, | 7:45 | |
I anointed you king over Israel | 7:48 | |
and I rescued you from the hand of Saul. | 7:51 | |
I gave you your master's house | 7:55 | |
and your master's wives into your bosom | 7:58 | |
and gave you the house of Israel | 8:02 | |
and of Judah | 8:05 | |
and if that had been too little, | 8:07 | |
I would have added as much more. | 8:11 | |
Why have you despised the word of the Lord | 8:14 | |
to do what is evil in his sight? | 8:17 | |
You have struck down Uriah the Hittite | 8:20 | |
with the sword | 8:23 | |
and have taken his wife | 8:25 | |
to be your wife | 8:27 | |
and have killed him with the sword | 8:29 | |
of the Ammonites. | 8:31 | |
Now therefore, the sword shall never depart | 8:33 | |
from your house for you have despised me | 8:37 | |
and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite | 8:41 | |
to be your wife. | 8:44 | |
Thus says the Lord, | 8:47 | |
I will raise up trouble against you | 8:48 | |
from within your own house | 8:51 | |
and I will take your wives before your eyes | 8:53 | |
and give them to your neighbor. | 8:57 | |
And he shall lie with your wives | 9:00 | |
in the sight of this very sun. | 9:02 | |
For you did it secretly | 9:05 | |
but I will do this thing before all Israel | 9:08 | |
and before the sun. | 9:11 | |
David said to Nathan, | 9:13 | |
I have sinned against the Lord. | 9:15 | |
This is the word of the Lord. | 9:18 | |
Congregation | Thanks be to God. | 9:21 |
- | The Epistle lesson is taken | 9:26 |
from Ephesians chapter four, | 9:28 | |
verses one through 16. | 9:30 | |
I therefore, a prisoner in the Lord, | 9:37 | |
beg you to lead a life worthy | 9:41 | |
of the calling to which you have been called, | 9:43 | |
with all humility and gentleness, | 9:47 | |
with patience, bearing with one another in love, | 9:51 | |
making every effort to maintain the unity | 9:55 | |
of the Spirit in the bond of peace. | 9:59 | |
There is one body and one spirit. | 10:03 | |
Just as you were called to the one hope | 10:07 | |
of your calling. | 10:09 | |
One Lord, one faith, one baptism, | 10:11 | |
one God and father of all | 10:17 | |
who is above all and through all and in all. | 10:20 | |
But each of us was given grace according | 10:25 | |
to the measure of Christ's gift. | 10:28 | |
Therefore it is said | 10:31 | |
when he ascended on high, | 10:33 | |
he made captivity itself a captive. | 10:35 | |
He gave gifts to his people. | 10:39 | |
When it says he ascended, | 10:43 | |
what does it mean | 10:46 | |
but that he had also descended | 10:47 | |
into the lower parts of the Earth. | 10:49 | |
He who descended is the same one | 10:52 | |
who ascended far above all the heavens | 10:55 | |
so that he might fill all things. | 10:58 | |
The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, | 11:03 | |
some prophets, some evangelists, | 11:06 | |
some pastors and teachers | 11:10 | |
to equip the saints for the work of ministry, | 11:12 | |
for the building up the body of Christ | 11:16 | |
until all of us come to the unity | 11:19 | |
of the faith and of the knowledge | 11:22 | |
of the Son of God. | 11:25 | |
To maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ. | 11:27 | |
We must no longer be children, | 11:33 | |
tossed to and fro | 11:36 | |
and blown about by every wind of doctrine, | 11:37 | |
by people's trickery, | 11:41 | |
by their craftiness and deceitful scheming | 11:43 | |
but speaking the truth in love, | 11:47 | |
we must grow up in every way | 11:50 | |
into him who is the head, | 11:52 | |
into Christ from whom the whole body joined | 11:54 | |
and knit together by every ligament | 11:58 | |
with which it is equipped | 12:01 | |
as each part is working properly promotes the body's growth | 12:03 | |
and building itself up in love. | 12:07 | |
This is the word of the Lord. | 12:11 | |
Congregation | Thanks be to God. | 12:14 |
- | Please stand as we read responsively Psalm 51 found | 12:17 |
on page 785 | 12:21 | |
followed by the Gloria which is printed | 12:24 | |
in the bulletin. | 12:26 | |
Have mercy on me, O God | 12:35 | |
according to your steadfast love. | 12:37 | |
Congregation | According to your abundant mercy, | 12:40 |
blot out my transgressions. | 12:42 | |
- | Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity | 12:46 |
and cleanse me from my sin. | 12:48 | |
Congregation | I acknowledge my transgressions. | 12:50 |
My sin is always before me. | 12:53 | |
- | Against you, you only have I sinned | 12:56 |
and done that which is evil in your sight | 12:58 | |
so that you are justified in your sentence | 13:01 | |
and blameless in your judgment. | 13:04 | |
Congregation | Behold, I was born into iniquity. | 13:07 |
And I have been sinful since my mother conceived me. | 13:10 | |
- | Behold, you desire truth | 13:14 |
in the inward being. | 13:16 | |
Therefore, teach me wisdom in my secret heart. | 13:18 | |
Congregation | Purge me with hyssop | 13:22 |
and I shall me clean. | 13:24 | |
Wash me and I shall be whiter than snow. | 13:26 | |
- | Make me hear with joy and gladness. | 13:30 |
Let the bones which you have broken rejoice. | 13:32 | |
Congregation | Hide your face from my sins | 13:36 |
and blot out all my iniquities. | 13:38 | |
- | Create in me a clean heart, O God | 13:41 |
and put a new and right spirit within me. | 13:44 | |
Congregation | Cast me not away from your presence | 13:47 |
and take not your Holy Spirit from me. | 13:50 | |
- | Restore to me the joy of your salvation | 13:53 |
and sustain in me a willing heart. | 13:56 | |
(congregation mumbling) | 13:59 | |
(tranquil organ music) | 14:06 | |
(congregation singing) | 14:14 | |
(tranquil organ music) | 15:11 | |
(lively organ music) | 15:53 | |
(choir singing) | 15:59 | |
- | The Gospel lesson is taken | 19:03 |
from the book of John, | 19:06 | |
chapter six, verses 24 through 35. | 19:07 | |
So when the crowd saw that neither Jesus | 19:13 | |
nor his disciples were there, | 19:16 | |
they themselves got into the boats | 19:19 | |
and went to Capernaum looking for Jesus. | 19:21 | |
When they found him on the other side of the sea, | 19:25 | |
they said to him, | 19:29 | |
rabbi, when did you come here? | 19:30 | |
Jesus answered them, very truly, | 19:34 | |
I tell you, you are looking for me | 19:37 | |
not because you saw signs | 19:40 | |
but because you ate your fill of the loaves. | 19:43 | |
Do not work for the food that perishes | 19:47 | |
but for the food that endures for eternal life | 19:50 | |
which the Son of Man will give you | 19:54 | |
for it is on him that God the Father | 19:57 | |
has set his seal. | 20:00 | |
Then they said to him, | 20:03 | |
what must we do to perform the works of God? | 20:04 | |
Jesus answered them, | 20:09 | |
this is the work of God | 20:10 | |
that you believe in him whom he has sent. | 20:13 | |
So they said to him, | 20:17 | |
what sign are you going to give us then | 20:18 | |
so that we may see it and believe you? | 20:21 | |
What work are you performing? | 20:24 | |
Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness. | 20:26 | |
As it is written, | 20:30 | |
he gave them bread from Heaven to eat. | 20:31 | |
Then Jesus said to them, | 20:35 | |
very truly I tell you, | 20:37 | |
it was not Moses who gave you the bread from Heaven | 20:40 | |
but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from Heaven | 20:44 | |
for the bread of God | 20:49 | |
is that which comes down from Heaven | 20:50 | |
and gives life to the world. | 20:53 | |
Jesus said to them, | 20:56 | |
they said to him, | 20:58 | |
sir, give us this bread always. | 21:00 | |
Jesus said to them, | 21:03 | |
I am the bread of life. | 21:05 | |
Whoever comes to me | 21:07 | |
will never be hungry | 21:09 | |
and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. | 21:10 | |
This is the word of the Lord. | 21:16 | |
Congregation | Thanks be to God. | 21:18 |
- | Every fall, one of the programs sponsored | 21:33 |
by Duke Religious Life is the Oxfam Fast. | 21:35 | |
Students get sponsors | 21:39 | |
and then they fast for 24 hours | 21:41 | |
and then at the end of that time, | 21:44 | |
they give what they have raised | 21:45 | |
from their sponsors and what they would have spent | 21:47 | |
on food for that day to Oxfam | 21:49 | |
which is an organization which works | 21:52 | |
to eradicate hunger around the world. | 21:54 | |
That evening, the fasters come together | 21:56 | |
to break the fast with a simple meal. | 21:59 | |
When it's time for the meal to begin, | 22:02 | |
the people are randomly assigned | 22:04 | |
to sit at different places around the room. | 22:06 | |
15% of them sit at a table | 22:09 | |
that's been prepared in advance | 22:11 | |
with a table cloth and flowers and china and silverware. | 22:13 | |
25% of them sit at a plain table | 22:18 | |
and the remaining 60% sit on the floor. | 22:21 | |
Those at the formal table | 22:25 | |
are served a nice dinner with several courses. | 22:27 | |
Now, since students usually prepare the meal, | 22:31 | |
it's often spaghetti | 22:33 | |
but all the same, it's elaborately presented | 22:34 | |
with dessert and bread | 22:37 | |
and salad and coffee and tea. | 22:39 | |
It's a nice meal. | 22:42 | |
And they always prepare at least double | 22:44 | |
what they need to there are lots of leftovers. | 22:46 | |
Those at the plain table | 22:49 | |
are given a simple but abundant meal | 22:51 | |
usually rice and beans with plain water to drink. | 22:54 | |
And those on the floor | 22:58 | |
are given one large communal bowl of rice | 22:59 | |
with just barely enough to go around. | 23:03 | |
There are no utensils | 23:07 | |
and they've given a common container | 23:08 | |
of murky water to drink. | 23:11 | |
Now, it's interesting to watch student reaction | 23:13 | |
to this scenario. | 23:16 | |
Sometimes they struggle through the whole meal | 23:18 | |
awkwardly aware of those who have more or less. | 23:21 | |
Sometimes those with the more abundant meals | 23:26 | |
will share their leftovers with those that have less | 23:29 | |
and sometimes the students take it upon themselves | 23:34 | |
to rearrange the whole room | 23:37 | |
and they put all the food in the middle | 23:38 | |
of the floor and everybody partakes | 23:40 | |
of what has been prepared. | 23:42 | |
It's always a powerful way | 23:45 | |
to dramatize the discrepancies between rich and poor | 23:47 | |
throughout the world. | 23:51 | |
And you can guess which group you and I are in. | 23:53 | |
If you imagine the world as a town of 1,000 people, | 23:57 | |
there would be 60 Americans | 24:01 | |
and a total of 940 of the other nationalities. | 24:03 | |
The 60 Americans would have half the income | 24:07 | |
and the other half would be divided | 24:10 | |
among the rest. | 24:12 | |
The 60 Americans would possess 15 times more | 24:14 | |
per person than anyone else. | 24:18 | |
They would produce 15% of the town's food | 24:20 | |
but consume 40%. | 24:23 | |
They would spend more money on a pet dog | 24:26 | |
than the others would spend on their children. | 24:29 | |
We are a people of abundance, | 24:32 | |
even disproportionate abundance. | 24:35 | |
We have the highest overall standard of living | 24:38 | |
of any country. | 24:41 | |
It's reasonable to assume | 24:43 | |
that given our abundance, we are the happiest, | 24:45 | |
most content people in all the world. | 24:48 | |
Yet the reality is that many of us are discontent | 24:52 | |
and desperately searching for something more. | 24:57 | |
When Mother Teresa visited America, | 25:02 | |
she was asked what we who had been blessed | 25:04 | |
with so much might do | 25:06 | |
to help those less fortunate than us | 25:08 | |
around the world? | 25:11 | |
She responded that we should look | 25:13 | |
to our own needs, | 25:16 | |
that we were the most impoverished people | 25:18 | |
she had even known, | 25:22 | |
surrounded by possessions | 25:23 | |
but impoverished nonetheless. | 25:25 | |
There is a deep hunger at the heart | 25:30 | |
of many of us that we have tried to fill | 25:33 | |
in every possible way. | 25:36 | |
Some of us have gotten fat | 25:40 | |
from stuffing the emptiness with food, | 25:42 | |
seeking to fill the hidden needs within. | 25:45 | |
We're obsessed with food, | 25:48 | |
with thinking about what we will eat | 25:50 | |
or what we have eaten, | 25:52 | |
with losing weight or gaining weight. | 25:54 | |
Many of us have lost hundreds of pounds | 25:56 | |
and gained hundreds of pounds over our lifetime. | 25:59 | |
Durham, made famous by the Rice Diet, | 26:03 | |
has been called the Diet Capital of the World. | 26:05 | |
It's become known as a place where people come | 26:08 | |
to control their eating | 26:11 | |
but for some of us, obsessive control | 26:13 | |
about what we eat is the problem. | 26:16 | |
We deny ourselves food | 26:19 | |
by binging and purging or starving but we too have used food | 26:21 | |
to avoid the emptiness inside. | 26:26 | |
Unless the deeper needs are addressed, | 26:31 | |
no diet will ever work. | 26:33 | |
It matters what we eat but it matters more why we eat | 26:35 | |
and whether we are fat or thin, | 26:41 | |
food can never fill the hunger that has nothing | 26:43 | |
to do with food. | 26:46 | |
Others have looked to our possessions for satisfaction. | 26:50 | |
If we just buy that house | 26:54 | |
or that car or that boat or that summer home | 26:56 | |
or that dress, | 27:00 | |
then we'll be satisfied. | 27:02 | |
But whatever we acquire is never enough. | 27:04 | |
There's a country and western song | 27:08 | |
that I think sums it up so well, | 27:09 | |
why do we want what we know we can't have? | 27:12 | |
Why can't we want what's in the palm in our hand? | 27:15 | |
Whatever we have is never good enough. | 27:19 | |
There's always someone with a bigger house | 27:22 | |
or a better car or more money. | 27:24 | |
This way of acquisition leads only | 27:27 | |
to endless unsatiable desire. | 27:31 | |
Some of us seek to fill our hunger | 27:37 | |
with personal accomplishments. | 27:39 | |
If we can be the smartest in our class | 27:41 | |
or the best basketball player | 27:44 | |
or the best singer, | 27:45 | |
or get the best job or be the best doctor | 27:47 | |
or do the best research, | 27:50 | |
then we'll be satisfied. | 27:52 | |
It isn't that doing your best | 27:55 | |
isn't desirable but most of us type As | 27:57 | |
never feel we've done enough. | 28:01 | |
Whatever we've accomplished, | 28:03 | |
there's always more to be done. | 28:05 | |
We always could have done just a little bit better. | 28:07 | |
We can never relax and just be. | 28:11 | |
Whatever we do, | 28:14 | |
we never feel complete or worthy. | 28:16 | |
There's always more required of us. | 28:19 | |
Some of us look to others to fill the holes in us. | 28:25 | |
We cling to our spouses or our children expecting them | 28:30 | |
to be what we need | 28:34 | |
and they never are exactly what we need | 28:36 | |
and sometimes we get mad at them about that | 28:39 | |
but we cling no less tightly | 28:42 | |
for fear that if we let go, | 28:44 | |
we would have to face the unmet longing inside of us. | 28:46 | |
Some of us seek to fill the hunger | 28:55 | |
by being in control of everything and everyone in our lives. | 28:57 | |
We can't stand the idea | 29:02 | |
of anything happening outside of our control, | 29:03 | |
so we plan every detail of our lives. | 29:06 | |
Our work, our play, our relationships, our finances, | 29:09 | |
everything down to the finest detail. | 29:13 | |
We work hard to make sure everything happens | 29:16 | |
according to plan | 29:19 | |
but the problem is it never does. | 29:21 | |
The economy slows and we lose our job, | 29:23 | |
we lose a spouse or child. | 29:26 | |
We get sick. | 29:29 | |
As hard as we might try to secure our lives | 29:32 | |
through control, there's so much that happens | 29:35 | |
that is beyond our power | 29:38 | |
and eventually we have to face | 29:41 | |
that place deep within | 29:43 | |
where we acknowledge that ultimately we are not in control. | 29:45 | |
Some of us seek to avoid | 29:53 | |
or fill the hunger through play. | 29:55 | |
We fill up all the empty moments of our lives | 29:58 | |
with sports, television, friends, books, music, travel, | 30:01 | |
alcohol, sex, drugs. | 30:06 | |
Though we are only 5% of the world's population, | 30:10 | |
we consume 50% of the world's drugs, | 30:13 | |
this the most abundant culture of all. | 30:17 | |
We spend $160 billion a year on entertainment. | 30:20 | |
We believe that if we keep busy enough | 30:26 | |
and have enough fun, | 30:28 | |
then we won't have to look at the anxiety, | 30:30 | |
the pain or the emptiness | 30:32 | |
but even the clamor of MTV or PBS | 30:35 | |
cannot still the inner voice of longing | 30:38 | |
for something more. | 30:42 | |
In unguarded moments, sometimes in the moment | 30:44 | |
between wakefulness and sleep, | 30:47 | |
we know that even our frantic play | 30:50 | |
is not enough. | 30:54 | |
There are so many ways we try to fill our hunger | 30:59 | |
but there's only one way that truly satisfies. | 31:03 | |
In the Gospel reading, | 31:09 | |
the crowds follow Jesus to Capernaum | 31:10 | |
because they had been fed. | 31:13 | |
They had witnessed him feed more than 5,000 men, | 31:15 | |
women and children and they wanted more. | 31:19 | |
You fed us once, do it again, | 31:22 | |
do it every day, in fact, | 31:24 | |
we'll make you king | 31:26 | |
so you can give us more of what we want all the time. | 31:27 | |
But Jesus responded to them, | 31:31 | |
you're seeking the wrong thing. | 31:33 | |
You want only the bread which lasts for one meal, | 31:37 | |
even if it's given anew every day, | 31:40 | |
it's still temporal, it's fleeting. | 31:43 | |
It doesn't last | 31:46 | |
and it won't satisfy the hunger within you. | 31:48 | |
There is only one thing that can satisfy that hunger. | 31:53 | |
It is the bread of God which comes down from Heaven | 31:59 | |
and gives life to the world. | 32:03 | |
They said to him, | 32:06 | |
sir, give us this bread always. | 32:07 | |
Jesus said to them I am the bread of life. | 32:10 | |
Whoever comes to me will never be hungry | 32:13 | |
and whoever believes in me | 32:17 | |
will never be thirsty. | 32:19 | |
This is a profound promise. | 32:22 | |
Whoever comes to me will never be hungry | 32:24 | |
and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. | 32:27 | |
Does it mean that no one who believes in Christ | 32:32 | |
ever goes without food or drink? | 32:35 | |
Given the reality of hunger in most of the world, | 32:39 | |
this can't be what the promise means. | 32:42 | |
Millions of believing and non-believing men, | 32:44 | |
women and children go without adequate food every day. | 32:47 | |
We've witnessed so much hunger | 32:51 | |
that we've almost become indifferent to it. | 32:53 | |
But Christ is never indifferent | 32:57 | |
to the physical needs of anyone. | 32:59 | |
Remember that this is the one | 33:01 | |
who had fed the 5,000. | 33:03 | |
This is the one who had healed the sick. | 33:05 | |
This is the one who said that we would be judged | 33:08 | |
on the basis of how we treated the hungry | 33:10 | |
and the sick. | 33:13 | |
Physical needs matter | 33:15 | |
and Jesus attended to the needs | 33:17 | |
of those he encountered | 33:19 | |
and he cares about your physical needs | 33:21 | |
and my physical needs | 33:23 | |
and he gives us the means to provide for them | 33:25 | |
and for the needs of others as well. | 33:29 | |
In fact, it's an obligation of our faith | 33:31 | |
that those who have the ability | 33:33 | |
to meet the physical requirements of the needy must do so. | 33:35 | |
But Jesus also knew that it was not enough | 33:41 | |
to meet people's physical needs | 33:44 | |
and not attend to their deeper spiritual hunger. | 33:47 | |
This promise that anyone who comes to Christ | 33:51 | |
will never be hungry | 33:55 | |
and that anyone who believes in Christ | 33:57 | |
will never be thirsty | 33:59 | |
is much more than a promise to attend | 34:02 | |
to a temporal need that will be here today | 34:05 | |
and then again tomorrow and then again the day after that. | 34:08 | |
Jesus is concerned to touch us | 34:13 | |
at a much more intimate level | 34:15 | |
than our daily temporal needs. | 34:18 | |
This is deep calling to deep, | 34:21 | |
soul calling to soul. | 34:24 | |
It is the image of the divine | 34:27 | |
which is planted in each human heart | 34:29 | |
which knows it can never be satisfied | 34:32 | |
with anything less than the divine presence. | 34:35 | |
It is the intense longing | 34:39 | |
within each one of us | 34:41 | |
to consume and be united | 34:44 | |
with the God who is the bread of life, | 34:46 | |
the sustenance of life. | 34:49 | |
Jesus reveals a God who gives God self fully for us | 34:53 | |
that our deepest longings | 34:58 | |
and our deepest needs might be finally | 35:00 | |
and completely satisfied. | 35:03 | |
This is the promise of God | 35:07 | |
to fill all the emptiness | 35:09 | |
that nothing and no one has been able to reach. | 35:11 | |
It is the promise of God to heal the hidden wounds | 35:16 | |
and satisfy the deepest desires | 35:21 | |
until we are brimming with the fullness of God. | 35:24 | |
The fullness of God. | 35:28 | |
Not a little piece, | 35:30 | |
not an occasional blessing | 35:32 | |
but the very fullness of God. | 35:34 | |
This is the God who wants to give us so much more | 35:38 | |
than what we ask for. | 35:41 | |
This is the God who wants us to experience life | 35:44 | |
to the very fullest | 35:48 | |
with all the blessings that God has to bestow upon us. | 35:49 | |
Instead of trying to fill our emptiness | 35:56 | |
from without, we are filled from within | 35:58 | |
and it affects every aspect of our lives. | 36:02 | |
It reshapes our concern for food, | 36:06 | |
possessions, work, play, relationships, | 36:08 | |
every dimension of life is encountered | 36:11 | |
from fullness rather than emptiness. | 36:14 | |
When we start with fullness, | 36:20 | |
we're able to take pleasure | 36:22 | |
in even the most simple things of life. | 36:23 | |
We don't have the need to grasp so tightly | 36:27 | |
to our relationships | 36:29 | |
and our possessions. | 36:31 | |
When we're sustained by the bread of life, | 36:33 | |
we don't have to prove our worth | 36:35 | |
and we don't have to fear what we can't control. | 36:37 | |
We know that God is fully present with us | 36:40 | |
through every circumstance of life | 36:43 | |
so we can face the future with confidence knowing | 36:46 | |
who we are and to whom we belong. | 36:49 | |
This promise of Christ, | 36:54 | |
to be the bread of life for us, | 36:56 | |
to satisfy our deepest hunger, | 36:59 | |
to quench our undying thirst, | 37:02 | |
this promise is not a promise for today only | 37:07 | |
but tomorrow and the day after that | 37:10 | |
and the day after that to all eternity. | 37:14 | |
This is the bread that truly satisfies. | 37:18 | |
Nothing else will do. | 37:22 | |
Let us say to the Lord, | 37:26 | |
give us this bread always. | 37:28 | |
Amen. | 37:33 | |
(tranquil organ music) | 37:35 | |
(congregation singing) | 38:28 | |
- | The Lord be with you. | 40:28 |
Congregation | And also with you. | 40:30 |
- | Let us pray. | 40:32 |
Lord, we realize today | 40:38 | |
that like the woman at the well, | 40:41 | |
we keep seeking for things | 40:44 | |
that do not satisfy. | 40:46 | |
Therefore, help us today | 40:52 | |
to heed your invitation | 40:56 | |
to drink from the living water, | 41:00 | |
and to feed from your bread | 41:04 | |
which gives eternal life. | 41:06 | |
We come today resting in your faithfulness | 41:11 | |
and praying that you would not turn us away empty handed. | 41:16 | |
Fill us today with the fruits of your spirit | 41:22 | |
so that we will bear witness | 41:26 | |
of your love, your justice, your peace, | 41:28 | |
your kindness, your gentleness | 41:35 | |
and your patience. | 41:39 | |
We remember today the sick and the distressed. | 41:43 | |
Grant, we pray, your healing touch. | 41:49 | |
We also remember those who minister to the sick | 41:53 | |
and ask that you would give them a loving | 41:58 | |
and compassionate heart | 42:02 | |
so that they can be true instruments | 42:05 | |
of your presence. | 42:08 | |
We pray today especially for those | 42:11 | |
who fight the deadly diseases | 42:14 | |
of cholera, AIDS, and cancer. | 42:16 | |
Grant hope amidst hopelessness | 42:23 | |
and courage to those who despair. | 42:28 | |
We pray for those who are troubled and distressed, | 42:34 | |
remembering those who have lost all their earthly possession | 42:39 | |
in natural disasters. | 42:44 | |
Provide for them a safe place | 42:48 | |
and increase their faith. | 42:52 | |
We lift up before you today | 42:56 | |
the church in the world | 43:00 | |
and pray, oh God, | 43:03 | |
that you might grant to your church the spirit | 43:04 | |
of love and unity. | 43:07 | |
We ask a special blessing upon this congregation. | 43:11 | |
Continue, oh God, to shape your people | 43:18 | |
and to make us more after your image and likeness. | 43:21 | |
We lift up the nations of the world. | 43:29 | |
Grant your peace today | 43:34 | |
and fill your people with a true thirsting | 43:37 | |
for your righteousness. | 43:40 | |
We remember the millions of people | 43:44 | |
who are refugees. | 43:46 | |
Be for them an anchor and a provider | 43:49 | |
in this great time of need. | 43:54 | |
Be also, Lord, a person who would provide | 43:58 | |
for all of them in you a resting place. | 44:01 | |
Hear these our prayers | 44:05 | |
and all other petitions | 44:08 | |
as we come through Jesus Christ our Lord. | 44:10 | |
Amen. | 44:14 | |
Let us worship God with thanksgiving | 44:20 | |
through our gifts. | 44:23 | |
(tranquil organ music) | 44:32 | |
(choir singing) | 46:11 | |
(lively organ music) | 50:44 | |
♪ Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow ♪ | 51:25 | |
♪ Praise Him, all creatures here below ♪ | 51:32 | |
♪ Hallelujah, hallelujah ♪ | 51:39 | |
♪ Praise Him above, ye heavenly host ♪ | 51:46 | |
♪ Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost ♪ | 51:53 | |
♪ Hallelujah, hallelujah ♪ | 51:59 | |
♪ Hallelujah, hallelujah ♪ | 52:06 | |
♪ Hallelujah ♪ | 52:13 | |
- | Let us give thanks to the Lord. | 52:26 |
All things come from you, oh God. | 52:30 | |
And so with gratitude, we return to you | 52:34 | |
that which is yours. | 52:38 | |
We give you praise and we give you thanks | 52:41 | |
for your many mercies. | 52:45 | |
We thank you for the daily strength | 52:47 | |
that you bestow upon us, | 52:50 | |
for our many gifts and talents | 52:53 | |
that we can bring to your house | 52:55 | |
and use to worship and adore your wonderful name. | 52:57 | |
We thank you for your goodness | 53:03 | |
because you created us. | 53:06 | |
For your bounty because you sustain us. | 53:09 | |
Give us a heart of love | 53:13 | |
to serve you by cheerfully submitting all things to you | 53:16 | |
and to your will. | 53:23 | |
We ask all these things with thanksgiving | 53:25 | |
through our Lord Jesus Christ | 53:29 | |
who taught us when we pray to say. | 53:31 | |
All | Our Father, who art in Heaven, | 53:35 |
hallowed be thy name, | 53:39 | |
thy kingdom come, thy will be done | 53:41 | |
on Earth as it is in Heaven. | 53:45 | |
Give us this day our daily bread | 53:48 | |
and forgive us our trespasses | 53:51 | |
as we forgive those who trespass against us | 53:54 | |
and lead us not into temptation | 53:58 | |
but deliver us from evil | 54:01 | |
for thine is the kingdom, | 54:04 | |
the power and the glory forever. | 54:05 | |
Amen. | 54:10 | |
(tranquil organ music) | 54:12 | |
(congregation singing) | 54:53 | |
- | May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, | 57:16 |
the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit | 57:19 | |
fill you with the abundant life | 57:22 | |
of Almighty God now and always. | 57:25 | |
Amen. | 57:29 | |
♪ Amen ♪ | 57:37 | |
♪ Amen ♪ | 57:43 | |
♪ Amen ♪ | 57:51 | |
♪ Amen ♪ | 57:58 | |
(lively organ music) | 58:17 |