Church newsletter pastoral column for St. Peter Lutheran Church, Greene, Iowa, for August, 2018.
Refreshed at the Table
“For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world…I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”
– John 6:33-35
Isn’t it amazing how quickly the summer flies by? As I write this, it’s mid-July, right before Vacation Bible School, and I’ve already seen some advertisements for back-to-school sales. As that wise sage Ferris Bueller once observed, “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”
On this fast-paced journey of life, all of us need to be reminded to slow down. It’s easy to get caught up in the day to day busyness of chores and cooking and cleaning and working and traveling and ballgames and…and…and…all the other busyness of life.
And of course, we live in a 24 hour news cycle where it seems like there’s often something new to pay attention to (and get upset about) not just every hour, but every few minutes! There are family concerns, community events, and hopefully, even a little time to sleep!
In the midst of all that and more, it’s often time with God that gets lost, and that’s a problem. I don’t say this to guilt you into coming to church more (the last thing most of us need is yet another item on the to-do list!), but to invite you as often as you can to let worship be a place to of refreshment and renewal for your soul. Worship is an oasis, a place and time to step out of the week’s grind. It’s an opportunity to refocus, to hear the good news of God’s love for you. That good news puts all the other stuff of life in proper perspective.
One image for church might be a restaurant where we come to be fed, to gain energy for the next stage of the journey. In our weekly readings throughout the month of August, we’ll hear Jesus talk about bread. At first, those listening follow him because he gives them literal bread in the miracle of the loaves and fishes. Jesus explains, however, that what they really need is not merely physical bread, but the bread of life, which is himself.
The strength to deal with everything that comes up in life doesn’t just come from physical food or from the things we work so hard to acquire; our strength comes from God. Jesus calls us to eat of his flesh and drink of his blood so that we receive the life that is in him. Our fuel comes from the one who gave himself for us. The bread of life and the living water found in Jesus Christ are exactly what we need for the abundant life God calls us to live.
Every time we worship for the next five weeks, we’ll gather around the Lord’s table together to celebrate Holy Communion. I invite you to make the time (trust me, it’ll only happen intentionally!) to join us for worship. Come and be renewed. Come to the table.
Your servant in Christ,
Pastor Daniel Flucke
Remember, if it’s too difficult for you to come to worship, I’m more than happy to visit and celebrate Communion with you at home. Just call the church office and we’ll set up a time!