Gospel: John 6:56-69
A reading from the Gospel of John
Glory to you, O Lord.
[Jesus said,] “Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them. Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever eats me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like that which your ancestors ate, and they died. But the one who eats this bread will live forever.” He said these things while he was teaching in the synagogue at Capernaum. When many of his disciples heard it, they said, “This teaching is difficult; who can accept it?” But Jesus, being aware that his disciples were complaining about it, said to them, “Does this offend you? Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? It is the spirit that gives life; the flesh is useless. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But among you there are some who do not believe.” For Jesus knew from the first who were the ones that did not believe, and who was the one that would betray him. And he said, “For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted by the Father.” Because of this many of his disciples turned back and no longer went about with him. So Jesus asked the twelve, “Do you also wish to go away?” Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, O Christ.
Now let the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable to you O Lord, our strength and Redeemer
INTRO
The calendar says the end of August is near. That means the days of summer are numbered. Summer vacation is nearly over, and many are already back in school. Congregational programs for ministry, discipleship, faith formation and education are about to launch. It’s a time to look back at the summer that was, and to look ahead at the year to come.
But this August has been different for me because my time at GSLC is coming to an end. I’ve had conversations with many of you and our homebound folks. Some of the conversations have gone well, and some of them have been a little harder, but all of them has ended with you all wishing Laura and I well.
Another thing that has been involved in these conversations is fear. Fear of me leaving; fear of ministry stopping; and fear of what the future holds. These fears are not necessary.
- Good Shepherd was around before I came to it and it will be around when I walk out those doors as the pastor.
- Ministry has been going on for a long time, and there are people being put in place to help it continue during the transition.
- The future can always be fearful if we let it, but it can also be a time to grow.
Ministry will not stop when I leave, because the ministries of GSLC are from the people of Good Shepherd, not me personally. Some things will be done differently but ministry will continue to happen. The ministry that has been going on at GSLC, I have played a part in, but the ministry is happening because of the support and participation of the PEOPLE of GSLC.
TEXT
It’s fitting that this week’s first lesson week lands us near the end of the Book of Joshua. Where, “Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem, and summoned the elders, the heads, the judges, and the officers of Israel; and they presented themselves before God.”
Joshua has gathered and called them together for a commitment and renewal of the covenant that their ancestors had made with God and each other. It’s not completely dissimilar to what some might experience when we profess our faith together using the creeds, affirm our baptisms, or even go through a liturgy or litany of installation of new pastors, new congregation members, or even new council members or commissioners. All of these actions are times of commitment.
Joshua leads this litany and invites the people gathered to remember who God is, who they are, and what God has done and will do for them. Joshua commands, “Now therefore revere the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness; put away the gods that your ancestors served beyond the river and in Egypt, and serve the Lord.” Joshua recounts where God’s people have been, and even hints at where they have perhaps fallen short. And then he invites them to respond. Whatever their response might be, Joshua makes clear, “but as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”
LIFE
This proclamation of service is key to stewardship. It’s one’s response from which the rest of one’s life as a disciple and steward follows. Joshua leads by example, inviting others to consider their own lives. The people answer, and in so doing they recall God’s saving work out of Egypt and the wilderness.
They respond that God, “protected us along all the way that we went, and among all the peoples through whom we passed; and the Lord drove out before us all the peoples, the Amorites who lived in the land. Therefore, we also will serve the Lord, for he is our God.”
This feels like liturgy. People are committing or re-committing to their relationship with God and each other and joining with Joshua. Together, affirm the covenant between God and the people Israel. Just as we might gather in worship each week, and particularly as we look to what the year ahead might involve, we commit to God and one another. We are in this together. And we are here—first of all, because of God’s deep, abiding, and abundant love. We are invited to respond. But the question then becomes, as Joshua asks the people, how will we respond? Will we do so with fear and trembling? Will we do so with doubt or scarcity? Will we do so with hope and trust? With joy, praise, and gratitude? That seems to be the question put forth this week. To this question Joshua leaves no doubt by saying, “but as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” From this response then flows our discipleship and stewardship. So we shall say “but as for me and my church, we shall serve the Lord.”
CONC
But what about you and me? Would we be so bold as to declare this? And if so, do we know what we might be getting ourselves into? Did Jesus’ first disciples even know and understand half of what they were getting themselves into? Peter gives us a good example of this in the Gospel story this week. He’s all in, much like Joshua is all in, on following God. Because Peter hears Jesus declare, “The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.” Jesus’ words bring life. Peter knows this deep down within himself to be true. So, Peter responds to Jesus, and in so doing, offers the words of our own response.
Peter asks and professes the words that countless Christians have said in response to the gospel ever since, “Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life.”
Another thing besides Jesus’ words that show us eternal life and that keeps us united…is Holy Communion. The Body and Blood of Christ that we have been reading about for several weeks keeps us united and moving forward, without fear, through change.
Holy Communion keeps us united, fed, and strengthened to answer the call of Jesus and do the Lord’s work in our little corner of Ohio.
- Holy Communion unites us when things are going great, and unites us when things look a little rocky.
- In Holy Communion we are united with not only each other here in this sanctuary, but our brothers and sisters throughout the world who celebrate each week with us.
- In Holy Communion we are united with our saints who have gone before us doing ministry in their lives before they passed on to eternal glory.
- Holy Communion unites us even when we don’t think alike, act alike, or even vote alike.
- Holy Communion strengthen us to take a risk from what the world tells us and encourages us to act and love like Jesus.
Out of Holy Communion we carry on with discipleship and stewardship which involves a willingness to risk, and to follow, and to respond.
- Let us be so bold as to echo Peter and to join in as disciples and stewards.
- Let us be so bold as to respond and serve as Joshua.
- Let us be so bold as to risk and to follow wherever Jesus may be leading us into the future. To come and see that the Lord is good.
- To pay attention, witness, and wonder what new things God might be inviting now, and inviting us to see, join in, commit to and respond to in the days and year ahead.