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Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost • Year B
August 11, 2024 • Proper 14
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Historical Collect
Almighty and merciful God, only by your gift of grace can the faithful offer service that is worthy of you and deserving of praise. Keep us from stumbling as we run to receive your promises; through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. (Leonine Sacramentary, 6th Century)
Thematic Collect
Almighty God, through your extravagant love sustain us with the living bread that is Jesus that so nourished we may live in love for you and love others just as Christ has loved us; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God now and forever. Amen.
The Common Thread
At times ministry, or even the Christian life itself, can seem overwhelming. We take our eyes off the Lord, and flee. We run, it seems in the moment, as though for our lives. Perhaps this is a good thing, though in retrospect, it can feel faithless. We can get worn out, in need of rest and refreshment. In order to taste and see that the Lord is good, sometimes we just need a nap first. At other times, we need to put off an old way of life, or some emotional bondage, before our spirits may be renewed. The goal, of course, is to feast upon the Lord. The one who hungers and thirsts for Christ, will be eternally satisfied, full and at rest.
First Reading • 1 Kings 19:1-8
Elijah had stood up to King Ahab and all of his prophets and prophetesses. But now Queen Jezebel threatened his life, vowing to kill the prophet since he had slaughtered all of her prophets. This not only shows how the stakes are increased when one's life is threatened, it illustrates the weariness and loneliness that comes in ministry when one does not rely upon the Lord in faith. Yet, God is merciful. He provides for his weary servants, drawing them back to faith, often with the simple means of basic sustenance. Even though Elijah ran into a sparse wilderness, God met his needs.
Psalm • Psalm 34:1-8
Though our very lives are threatened, we may exclaim with the psalmist, “I will bless the Lord at all times.” If run away to desolate places, even there we may proclaim that God delivers us from all of our fears. We must taste of his goodness to comprehend the refuge he provides through his patient mercies. Though this day is long and trying, God's mercies are refreshed in the morning. His steadfast love will sustain us forever. (Lam 3:23)
Second Reading • Ephesians 4:17-5:2
The old self is callous and corrupt, full of deceit and desire. Even though that old person in us was buried by God in the waters of baptism, it threatens to resurface and take control again. We are exhorted to put away and be finished with this former way of life. By daily repentance and confession, we put on the new self and are renewed in the spirit of our minds. The old way of life is gone. The new has come! (2 Cor 5:17) We now live as imitators of God in Christ.
Gospel • John 6:35-51
There are two equally bad choices that we might make. One is to look at the world, either with its temptations or its threats. The other is to look to oneself as the answer to these fears. Social media is rife with illustrations of Christians who put too much stock in the threats of the world. We need only look within to see the plethora of temptations. If we focus upon either the fear or our power to overcome them, we have lost the clarity of a Christlike mind. In short order, we will begin to grumble like the Hebrews in the wilderness and the Jews in Capernaum. Our focal point must remain in Christ alone. We must see him in the midst of trials and temptations—and continue to believe and trust. Everyone who looks on the Son and believes will be sustained eternally by him who is the Bread of Life.
Resources
Links to Worship Resources for this Service
