This Sunday we will be speaking from the famous bread of life discourse in John 6. “I am the bread of life. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever…and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.” John 6:51

Since this is a confirmation service where 17 new members will be confirmed, this reading could not be more relevant to these new members and to us. For example, there are 2 Greek words for life. “Bios” and “Zoe.” Bios means bread that literally feeds our bodies. The biological reality of carbs. Zoe, the word used here, means quality of life. Zoe is the life Jesus gives us and we are called to partake of his flesh. Eating flesh with blood was strictly prohibited in the Jewish law given to us in the old testament. No wonder this is such a scandal to the Jews in Jesus’ time.

Broken bread. So important. This isn’t just bread by itself, whole and untouched, but bread that is broken for us. At the cross this bread of zoe life is offered to us as we become the body of Christ. We do this in community every Sunday. This Holy Communion is really the lifeblood of the church as scripture tells us. What God declares by his word is created. Like Genesis 1, where God spoke the world into existence, Jesus declares at the Last Supper "This is my body. This is my blood." as he refers to the bread and wine. In community he is calling us into relationship to him and each other.

We hear so much about the loneliness and isolation so many people feel. Being hooked to screens and other reasons have brought about, in epidemic proportions, the emptiness so many feel. But notice that in Jesus’ discourse to his disciples and the church, he speaks to us in community. We need to be in community. This Sunday we will talk about how God calls us into an infinite life, not a finite one. There are many ways we offer this at ASD:

Worship together Sundays and Wednesdays

Pastorates, our group life experience

Women and men’s groups that meet regularly

Youth groups for middle and high school age

Novo, our prayer ministry teaching

Parish gatherings

Reforming Faith is a 6 week course for Christian & skeptics alike interested in exploring faith amidst modern objections to Christianity over a shared meal and non-judgmental dialogue.

These are all opportunities to gather and connect in community and feast on who gives us real life.

Come and See

+Philip