Sunday, August 12, 2012

Sermon: Pentecost 11B

Jesus said that he was the bread of life; that whoever eats of his flesh and drinks of his blood will abide in them and they in him. I sure hope that’s true. Because even when we receive God’s mercy and grace through the sacrament of Holy Baptism, we still find ourselves on a path we probably don’t intend.

And you probably have seen the same thing. You might have seen a son or daughter get caught up in a life that brings nothing than pain and misery; rather than the life of joy and abundance that you dreamed for them.

Or maybe it’s YOU. And you find yourself in church wondering if all this God stuff is real.  You wonder in the midst of failed relationships, unfulfilled dreams, a job that does not help you reach the potential God has for, the loneliness of an empty house, where Jesus is in your life.

You wonder quietly if the grief in your life, the pain of loved ones being taken away too early, the injustice of a life’s potential being swallowed by the grave, makes Jesus’ promises seem either too good to be true, or just an idle fantasy we tell ourselves to make the hard times just a little bit easier.

And those are fair questions to ask. If those promises are true than where is the abundant living that Jesus promises? Where is the eternal life that Jesus says begins NOW?

You wonder if the bread of life has gone stale...(whole thing here)