John 6 : 35, 41 - 51 (CEB)
(35) Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.
(41-42) The Jewish opposition grumbled about him because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.”
They asked, “Isn’t this Jesus, Joseph’s son, whose mother and father we know? How can he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?”
(43-51) Jesus responded, “Don’t grumble among yourselves. No one can come to me unless they are drawn to me by the Father who sent me, and I will raise them up at the last day. It is written in the Prophets, And they will all be taught by God. Everyone who has listened to the Father and learned from him comes to me. No one has seen the Father except the one who is from God. He has seen the Father. I assure you, whoever believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your ancestors ate manna in the wilderness and they died. This is the bread that comes down from heaven so that whoever eats from it will never die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever, and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”
REFLECTIONS:
Thoughts from Monica:
I see this thread of being “drawn,” bread, and life…
The drawing by and to the Father is gentle and kind. It’s not coercive, but it's also hard to resist. It's like walking by a shop that's baking bread. I remember when Great Harvest was downtown; stopping by for a sample, slathering a fat pat of butter onto a warm and generous slice. I didn’t feel guilted into buying a loaf or a cup of coffee, but often we did. It felt like a kindness in being there, in receiving the gift.
That’s the corporeal, embodied life of Jesus I’m drawn to—inviting and irresistible, free and freeing. There is a way of being that Jesus models, the way of the Kingdom come and coming: where we move from grumbling to gratitude, from angsty apathy to compassionate and loving action. It’s a shift from the mindset of delaying a death to one of truly living.
PRACTICE:
Outward Mindset Application
Pick a particularly hard meeting or part of a day, and refrain from complaining or grumbling. When the critical thought pops up, thank you brain for its efforts to evaluate, and instead choose something you’re grateful for (even if it’s a small or unrelated thing).
Non-Violent Communication Question of the Week
What is one way you can help someone feel seen, heard and valued in the workplace this week?
Pathways toward Centeredness
Sensates: Loving God with the senses.
Bring enough of a snack, meal or treat to share with someone who hasn’t received from you before. Try to eat alongside them, paying attention both to your senses and to how they are reacting to the unexpected gift.
Questions for Reflection
What are some ways you make assumptions about people based on where they’re from or who their family is (see verse 42)? What would curiosity look or sound like in its place?
“Liturgy” refers to the habits and practices humans use to form community around shared values and meaning. At Church at the Park, we desire to be a community of practice, becoming people who see the world through the eyes of the marginalized, making meaning through the lens of pain and suffering, and committing ourselves to non-violence in a wounded world. This weekly email is intended to provide pathways of practice for becoming the type of people who embody these values.
Many of our reflections on each week's text come from other sources. If you're interested in reading more of what inspires us, here our our two favorite reflections.
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