Liturgy

God of justice, peace, and righteousness,
be in our midst this morning.
Breathe your breath, your Spirit of life,
your energy, your enlivening,
your imagination on us.

Wake us up, open our eyes,
Open our mouths, and unplug our ears
that we might hear, that we might see,
that we might taste, that we might grieve,
that we might dream, that we might follow
the ways of your extraordinary kingdom.

May we find both rest and strength
in your eternal love for us.

We pray to you,
our God, the Creator,
Christ, the Savior,
and the Holy Spirit, our breath of life.
Amen.

Scripture Reading

We invite you to hear from the Gospel of John 6: 35, 44-51.

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…
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 forever; and the bread that I will
give for the life of the world is my flesh.”

The Good News of the Lord.
Thanks be to God!

The grass withers and the flower fades,
but the Word of the Lord endures forever. Amen.

Homily and Reflection

Homily Podcast – What Does it Mean to Believe? 08.08.2021

How might I practice coming toward God with my hunger and thirst this week?

How might I practice listening to God this week?

How might I “taste” the life of Jesus this week?

Benediction

Today, like everyday, we seek fulfillment.
Let us go from this place with renewed
confidence in the One who is capable
of giving what we need most.

May God reveal what you need in order to
find fulfillment in your friends and family
and in the gifts you have been given.

May we bear each other’s burdens.
Celebrate each other’s victories.
Cry together. Dine together.
Journey together. And love each
other as Christ loved us.

May we do all this in the name
of the Father who provides,
the Son who loves,
and our Guide, the Holy Spirit.
Amen.

Go in peace, and live the church.
May you find belonging and community this week.

[Photo by Mroux Bulikowska]