Theological Status: ACTIVE HERESY
Biblical Parallel(Archetype): Thyatira
❓ What do these grades mean?
🔍 Biblical Discernment: The 7 Church Parallels
The Cold Orthodox Parallel
Ephesus
Teaching that upholds doctrinal precision yet parallels the loss of the "first love"—the vital, motivating power of the Gospel (Rev 2:4).
The Compromised Parallel
Pergamum
Teaching that parallels churches tolerating the "doctrine of Balaam" through cultural accommodation (Rev 2:14), characterized by weak boundaries, sloppy theology, and worldly compromise.
Why strictly "Mark & Avoid"?
We do not issue this rating to attack the speaker, but to protect the listener. This ministry's overall teaching trend consistently deviates from sound doctrine. As per Romans 16:17, we identify these patterns so believers can guard their hearts.
We do not issue this rating to attack the speaker, but to protect the listener. This ministry's overall teaching trend consistently deviates from sound doctrine. As per Romans 16:17, we identify these patterns so believers can guard their hearts.
🧐 Overview
Theological Verdict & Summary
Sermon Summary: A compelling exploration of contentment and food justice, yet fundamentally compromised by a moralistic approach to holiness and a theologically unsound view of the Lord's Supper.
Pastoral Analysis: While the sermon offers practical wisdom on distinguishing need from desire and highlights the importance of social justice, it critically fails to anchor these ethical demands in the power of the Gospel. Furthermore, the invitation to communion bypasses essential biblical safeguards regarding self-examination and covenantal membership. The message shifts from a proclamation of grace to a set of behavioral instructions, leaving the congregation without the spiritual power to fulfill the commands given.
Biblical Parallel (Archetype): Thyatira — The sermon exhibits fundamental doctrinal deviations in two critical areas: it promotes an open table communion that disregards the biblical requirement for self-examination and covenantal standing (active sacramental heresy), and it relies entirely on moralistic self-help strategies while omitting the Gospel and the Holy Spirit's power for transformation (dead orthodoxy/moralism). This combination of compromised sacramental theology and a failure to anchor ethical living in Gospel grace places the teaching in a state of fundamental error.
Big Idea: God is the provider of daily bread, and the prayer for 'enough' calls believers to recognize their dependence on God, reject the addiction to 'more,' and practice food justice by sharing provision with all. [00:29:27 ▶️ 📄]
📖 How they Handle Scripture & Jesus
- Primary Text: Exodus 16
- Usage Classification: Thematic
- Text-to-Talk Ratio: High
- Pulpit Decorum: ⚠️ CAUTION - The use of secular pop-culture references ('The Shining', 'Naturally Slim') and casual language ('Kid you not') is present. While not offensive, it risks trivializing the solemnity of the sacramental and spiritual themes discussed.
✝️ Christological Focus: Absent
"The sermon focuses on human behavior, self-control, and social justice without connecting these duties to the finished work of Christ or the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit."
Scripture Saturation: Verses Read: 26 | Referenced: 5 | Alluded: 4
📖 View 1 Passages Read Aloud
-
Exodus 16:2-27
[00:26:44 ▶️ 📄]
"The whole congregation of the Israelites complained against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. And the Israelites said to them, If only we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots and ate our fill of bread. For you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill us, kill the whole assembly with hunger. Then the Lord said to Moses, I'm going to rain bread from heaven for you. And each day the people shall go out and gather enough for that day. And in that way, I will test them whether they will follow my instructions or not. On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather on the other days. And so it was. And then, let's see, here it is, 15. I'm looking for it. It's one of those Bibles I need some glasses for. When the Israelites saw it, they said to one another, What is it? For they did not know what it was Moses said to them. It is the bread that the Lord has given to you to eat. This is what the Lord has commanded. Gather as much of it as each of you needs, an omer to a person, according to the number of persons, all providing for their own tents. The Israelites did so, and some gathering more, some less. But when they measured it with an omer, those who had gathered much had nothing over, and those who had gathered little had no shortage. And then on 22. On the sixth day, they gathered twice as much food, two omers apiece. And when all the leaders of the congregation came and told Moses, he said to them, this is what the Lord has commanded. Tomorrow is a day of solemn rest, a holy Sabbath to the Lord. Bake what you want to bake and boil what you want to boil. And all that is left over, put aside to be kept until morning. And so they put it aside until morning, as Moses commanded, and it did not become foul, and there were no worms in it."
Key References: Exodus 16, Luke 7:34, Psalm 34:8, Matthew 14:13-21, Matthew 15:32-38
💧 Liturgy & Sacraments
Fencing the Table (Communion):
- Believers Only Stated: ❌ No (Open Table Risk)
- Warning Against Unworthy Manner: ⚠️ None Detected
- Open Invitation: 🔴 Active Commission (Unbelievers Explicitly Invited)
- Verbatim Warning: "And that means all of you who are present are invited to come."
🎙️ Sermon Content & Delivery
Word Count: 3,347 words
📌 View 11 Key Topics Addressed
-
Addiction and Recovery
[00:30:06 ▶️ 📄]
> The pastor uses Anne Lamott and a friend's recovery story to illustrate the human tendency toward insatiability ('addiction to more'). -
Manna and Divine Provision
[00:31:48 ▶️ 📄]
> Retelling the Exodus story of manna to demonstrate God's provision and the Israelites' reliance on daily bread. -
Sufficiency vs. Desire
[00:34:05 ▶️ 📄]
> Teaching that the prayer 'give us this day our daily bread' is about eating what is needed, not what is desired or in massive quantities. -
Divine Provision and Reliance
[00:33:21 ▶️ 📄]
> The pastor argues that God is the provider of all good gifts, including manna and modern food, and that humans must rely on the miracle of life and God's creation rather than their own power. -
The Concept of 'Enough' vs. Insatiability
[00:34:13 ▶️ 📄]
> Drawing on Rabbi Harold Kushner and Scott Galloway, the pastor discusses the human capacity for insatiability, noting that money cannot buy happiness and that the addiction to 'more' is unhealthy and grotesque. -
Practical Wisdom of Eating
[00:38:51 ▶️ 📄]
> Using a 'Naturally Slim' program anecdote, the pastor explains physiological wisdom: eat only when hungry, chew slowly to allow the 'apostat' (hunger regulator) to kick in after 20 minutes, and limit sugar to maintain proper hunger signals. -
Gluttony and Food Justice
[00:43:11 ▶️ 📄]
> The pastor references Gregory the Great's five forms of gluttony (eating too soon, expensively, much, eagerly, daintily) and connects the prayer for daily bread to social justice, citing Jesus feeding both Jews and Gentiles. -
Food Justice and Provision
[00:46:42 ▶️ 📄]
> The pastor connects the physical act of eating to spiritual justice, citing Jesus feeding both Jews and Gentiles to illustrate that food is for everyone, regardless of worthiness or ability to pay. -
Rethinking Dietary Laws
[00:47:56 ▶️ 📄]
> Using an anecdote about a Rabbi, the pastor distinguishes between ritual kosher laws and true 'clean' or healthy food, arguing for a broader understanding of food justice that includes animal welfare and worker justice. -
The Manna Story and 'Enough'
[00:49:35 ▶️ 📄]
> The pastor interprets the manna story as a lesson on sufficiency ('enough') and communal provision, emphasizing that God's provision is for 'everyone's daily bread,' not just the individual's. -
Communion as Remembrance
[00:50:16 ▶️ 📄]
> The sermon transitions to the liturgy, framing the communion table as the 'table of Jesus' where believers remember God's provision and are called to share love with the world.
🖼️ View 7 Illustrations & Stories
-
Sermon Illustration
[00:31:28 ▶️ 📄]
> The pastor shares a story about a friend in recovery who identified her core problem not as alcohol, but as an 'addiction to more,' illustrating the spiritual truth that 'one is too many and a thousand is never enough.' -
Sermon Illustration
[00:32:22 ▶️ 📄]
> The pastor recounts the biblical story of the Israelites in the wilderness receiving manna, noting how they were instructed to gather only enough for each day, with extra spoiling unless gathered on the sixth day for the Sabbath. -
Sermon Illustration
[00:37:28 ▶️ 📄]
> The pastor recounts a clergy health retreat at Canuga where 25 pastors were snowed in, comparing the situation to 'The Shining with pastors,' and describes a weight loss program called 'Naturally Slim' that taught them to eat slowly and limit sugar. -
Sermon Illustration
[00:39:03 ▶️ 📄]
> A humorous anecdote about comedian Jim Gaffigan being offered nachos when he was already full, illustrating how people eat because food is present rather than because they are hungry. -
Sermon Illustration
[00:44:28 ▶️ 📄]
> The pastor shares a story about a friend who wrote a dissertation on the body of Christ while wrestling with anorexia, highlighting the tension between communion and starvation. -
Sermon Illustration
[00:45:23 ▶️ 📄]
> The pastor references Jesus being accused of being a 'gluttonous man and a wine-bibber' in Luke 7:34 to illustrate that eating for pleasure is not inherently sinful, but the struggle is wanting more than needed. -
Sermon Illustration
[00:47:56 ▶️ 📄]
> The pastor shares a personal anecdote about a Rabbi in Winston-Salem who wrote an article on kosher laws that went viral. The Rabbi explained that while kosher laws maintain Jewish identity and started with sanitation, modern 'kosher' processed foods (like Trix cereal) are not healthy, suggesting a need to rethink food justice beyond ritual compliance.
🚀 View 5 Calls to Action
-
Pastoral Charge
[00:37:14 ▶️ 📄]
> Identify any billionaires in the congregation for the pastor to confront. -
Pastoral Charge
[00:40:26 ▶️ 📄]
> Practice mindful eating by chewing slowly, savoring food, pausing for five minutes after ten minutes of eating, and waiting another ten minutes before resuming. -
Pastoral Charge
[00:50:37 ▶️ 📄]
> The pastor invites the congregation to join him in a corporate prayer. -
Pastoral Charge
[00:53:39 ▶️ 📄]
> The pastor invites the congregation to recite the Lord's Prayer together. -
Pastoral Charge
[00:54:49 ▶️ 📄]
> The pastor issues an open invitation for all present, regardless of denomination, to participate in communion.
🧭 Biblical Alignment Dashboard
Overall Verdict: Fundamentally in Error
| Category | Status | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| Gospel Presentation | ❌ FAIL | The Gospel Engine is not intact. The sermon relies exclusively on secular self-help strategies and behavioral commands for contentment, completely omitting the Holy Spirit and Gospel grace as the necessary power for spiritual transformation. The 'Safe Harbor' of Gospel grace failed to activate. |
| Soteriology | ❌ FAIL | The sermon presents a moralistic framework where holiness is achieved through willpower and behavioral modification rather than through the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit and the grace of Christ. |
| Bibliology | ✅ PASS | The sermon references Scripture appropriately, though the hermeneutical application leans heavily toward moralism rather than redemptive-historical fulfillment. |
| Hermeneutic | ⚠️ WEAK | The hermeneutic is heavily skewed toward moralistic application (behavioral commands) without sufficient grounding in the redemptive work of Christ that empowers such behavior. |
| Theology Proper | ✅ PASS | The sermon acknowledges God as the provider, though it focuses more on human response than on the nature of God's sovereign grace. |
| Sacramentology | ❌ FAIL | The pastor explicitly invites all present to communion without requiring self-examination or covenantal standing, directly contradicting the apostolic instruction in 1 Corinthians 11 regarding partaking in an unworthy manner. |
| Confessional Depth | ❌ SHALLOW | The sermon relies on secular psychology and self-help frameworks ('Naturally Slim', 'addiction to more') rather than deep theological reflection on sin, grace, and sanctification. |
⚙️ The Core Gospel Framework
What is this? This section checks if the sermon contains the essential building blocks of the Gospel. We look for explicit, substantive mentions of God's holy standard, human inability, and Christ's finished work on the cross.
Why it matters for the final verdict: A complete Gospel framework protects a sermon from becoming man-centered. If a preacher gives commands for good behavior but leaves out the grace and atonement of the Gospel, it often results in a 🔴 Critical or 🟠 Major error for Moralism (teaching human self-improvement rather than reliance on Christ). However, if these Gospel elements are missing simply because the pastor is preaching a highly focused, practical message to mature believers (e.g., instructions on biblical marriage), our system applies a "Safe Harbor" pardon, graciously reducing the omission to a 🟡 Minor error.
Why it matters for the final verdict: A complete Gospel framework protects a sermon from becoming man-centered. If a preacher gives commands for good behavior but leaves out the grace and atonement of the Gospel, it often results in a 🔴 Critical or 🟠 Major error for Moralism (teaching human self-improvement rather than reliance on Christ). However, if these Gospel elements are missing simply because the pastor is preaching a highly focused, practical message to mature believers (e.g., instructions on biblical marriage), our system applies a "Safe Harbor" pardon, graciously reducing the omission to a 🟡 Minor error.
❌ The Law And Wrath: Not observed in the sermon.
❌ Total Depravity And Inability: Not observed in the sermon.
❌ Active Obedience Of Christ: Not observed in the sermon.
✅ The Cross And Atonement:
"take this and drink from it, all of you, for this is the blood of the new covenant poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sin." [00:53:00 ▶️ 📄]
⚠️ Theological Concerns
🔴 Critical Radically Open Table
Root Cause: Radically Open Table
"I remind you, friends, this is not the table of our congregation or denomination. This is the table of Jesus. And that means all of you who are present are invited to come." [00:54:49 ▶️ 📄]
The Belief/Behavior: The pastor explicitly states, 'This is the table of Jesus... all of you who are present are invited to come,' bypassing the requirement for self-examination and covenantal standing.
Why It's Dangerous: This exposes individuals to spiritual judgment by allowing them to partake without discerning the Lord's body or being in right fellowship with the church.
Biblical Correction: 1 Corinthians 11:27-29: Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body.
🟠 Major Homiletical Imbalance (Moralism)
Root Cause: Homiletical Imbalance (Moralism)
The Belief/Behavior: The sermon relies exclusively on secular self-help strategies and behavioral commands, omitting the Holy Spirit and Gospel grace as the necessary power for transformation.
Why It's Dangerous: The congregation is given commands they cannot fulfill in their own strength, leading to despair or pride rather than true holiness.
Biblical Correction: Romans 8:13: For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
✅ Commendations
Social Justice | Commitment to Universal Provision
The pastor effectively expands the concept of 'daily bread' from personal sufficiency to a broader ethical framework of food justice, urging the congregation to be mindful of those who lack food.
Practical Wisdom | Distinguishing Need from Desire
The sermon provides clear, actionable distinctions between physical hunger and habitual eating, offering practical tools for mindfulness and satiety awareness.
📜 Full Sermon Transcript (Audit)
Use the 📄 icons next to quotes above to automatically jump to their location in this raw transcript.
[00:00:29] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]
[00:00:29] Oh hey good morning you guys happy Sunday thanks for being here thanks for being so polite you don't have to do that anymore not on our account you guys would stand as you're able and sing some with us
[00:01:04] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_12]
[00:01:04] Ages on, a storm and tempest roar. We cannot win this fight inside our real hearts.
[00:03:20] Lifted high, lifted high. Cross lifted high, lifted high.
[00:03:30] The cross lifted high, lifted high. Cross lifted high, lifted high.
[00:03:39] Peace of Christ be with you. Y'all take a moment to pass the peace of Christ.
[00:07:13] Well, good morning, friends.
[00:10:01] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]
[00:10:01] It's so good to see everyone today.
[00:10:03] If you are visiting in person, we welcome you.
[00:10:06] We are so glad you have joined us today.
[00:10:08] We would love to connect with you and help you learn about our church.
[00:10:11] We would really like to connect with you, so please fill out our visitor card so we can be in touch.
[00:10:18] You can learn more about Ardmore UMC on our website.
[00:10:21] We also want to welcome those of you who have joined us today through live stream.
[00:10:25] We hope that this service is meaningful to you as well.
[00:10:29] Please take a look at our appeal for school supplies.
[00:10:32] We will be partnering with Bolton Elementary School this year.
[00:10:35] You have about five weeks to help us with this project, so take a look over the supply list in your bulletin.
[00:10:42] You can bring these supplies and put them in the boxes at the entrances into the church.
[00:10:48] The Sounds of the Summer Organ Concert Series is in motion.
[00:10:52] You can see the poster for this in the elevator and the bulletin boards.
[00:10:56] Make sure you can...
[00:10:57] I'm lost there, sorry.
[00:11:00] Make sure you mark your calendars for July 14th when we'll host the series in the Ardmore Sanctuary.
[00:11:06] Last week and today, in the 10 a.m. service, the Klopp Portative Organ was played in the balcony of the sanctuary, and next Monday you can hear both organs play and a 16-voice choir, eight in the balcony and eight in the loft.
[00:11:20] You won't want to miss it.
[00:11:21] Bring a friend if you want to.
[00:11:24] Finally, we call your attention to the announcement about the Big Chill, the Shalom Project's annual fundraiser taking place on Saturday, July 19th.
[00:11:34] You can help us out by making or scooping ice cream, or Carolyn and Pastor Kelly would love your support of a donation so they don't have to sit on the ice all night.
[00:11:47] Tomorrow, the church will send out an announcement with links to the places where you can donate.
[00:11:52] Pastor Kelly will come and lead us in a time of prayer and share a special moment about our graduates today.
[00:12:15] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]
[00:12:15] It's good to be with you all.
[00:12:16] I would like to know if you have brought with you some joys or concerns that you would like to share with everybody.
[00:12:24] And for us to write those down as we get ready for a time of prayer.
[00:12:28] What you got? What you got?
[00:12:31] I need a pencil.
[00:12:37] Yeah.
[00:12:44] Boy, isn't that scary?
[00:12:46] I don't think they've found all the campers yet, have they?
[00:12:49] No.
[00:12:55] Yep.
[00:12:59] Who else?
[00:12:59] Yeah, Joy.
[00:13:01] We had some fire alarms on July 4th.
[00:13:04] Yeah.
[00:13:05] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_06]
[00:13:05] My granddaughter, a beautiful Hannah Elizabeth.
[00:13:12] All right.
[00:13:13] She weighed 17 pounds, 8 ounces.
[00:13:16] She's 19 inches tall.
[00:13:18] I like to say to all my mom.
[00:13:21] She'll be taught how to do that.
[00:13:24] Now I, her mom went to three weeks ago here and her mom and dad lived in the house next door.
[00:13:34] They had a house for us.
[00:13:38] They're part of our church family but they're a rich family.
[00:13:41] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]
[00:13:41] Very good. Joy was sharing that she has a, this is a great grandchild, right?
[00:13:46] For you? Alright.
[00:13:47] I know you didn't want to say that but uh hannah elizabeth was born seven pounds eight ounces wasn't that kate's let me go okay kate's birthday this is today so that's on my mind uh but um yeah and uh so they had her mom had attended
[00:14:05] the preschool here right and nice very nice all right great great celebration now born on the 4th of July. So got to get her together with Mary Jo, because, you know,
[00:14:23] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]
[00:14:23] it's our...
[00:14:26] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]
[00:14:26] Yeah, yeah.
[00:14:29] Others?
[00:14:35] Any others?
[00:14:37] What's that kid there?
[00:14:42] I didn't notice that little baby.
[00:14:44] I thought that was Doug for a second, but you know, they have similar haircuts, and you know, I thought...
[00:14:51] Awesome, awesome. Thank you for the work of art.
[00:14:57] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]
[00:14:57] oh man man so dave got attacked by yellow jackets uh who one were guarding their blueberries i'm
[00:15:16] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]
[00:15:16] sorry sorry to hear that that's that's rough prayers and um neosporin so yeah yeah layoffs
[00:15:36] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]
[00:15:36] all right sorry to hear that any others any others well some of you i feel like we could salute, Nancy, because you've got that flag going on. That's awesome.
[00:15:52] I saw Don come in today with a bow tie, and I was like, I really want that bow tie. That was nice.
[00:16:00] So yeah, let's as we celebrate our country's independence, and as we think about the state of our country now, let's be in prayer, and let's pray for the people of Texas who've been affected by the
[00:16:15] floods, and especially all those missing people.
[00:16:17] All right, friends, would you join with me as we go to a time of prayer?
[00:16:22] Are you coming to play?
[00:16:23] Yeah.
[00:16:23] Cool.
[00:16:24] Yeah, that's good.
[00:16:32] Let us pray.
[00:17:23] Gracious God, we give thanks to you this day, and we give thanks for the freedom in our country and for those who have put their lives on the line to help us help it stay that way.
[00:17:38] We give thanks to you, O God, for the ways in which you have provided us time during the seasons between school, between work, time away, so that we may rest and relax and give ourselves a Sabbath.
[00:18:02] Today, O God, we think about food together.
[00:18:05] We think about the daily bread that we are given and that sustains us And help us reflect on the ways in which you have made all food holy, for it is the daily bread that we need to be sustained.
[00:18:20] And help us, God, remember all those who are in need of food and for whom food is a daily struggle.
[00:18:32] God, we pray for the people of Texas as they have been affected by floods and for all the missing people and their families.
[00:18:39] such a difficult type of grief and we pray that your presence will break through and be present in the lives of other people to give them a sense of comfort in the midst of this tragedy.
[00:18:57] God, we pray for Dave and pray for his healing.
[00:19:02] We pray for the people who have lost jobs, their ability to sustain themselves and we ask you, God, that you will help us and sustain us and make a way in this world so that we may share
[00:19:20] all the gifts that you have given to us and you have given us enough.
[00:19:27] We give thanks for a new life in our midst for the birth of Hannah Elizabeth for the sign of a new generation that is coming.
[00:19:39] And God, we give thanks to you for being with us in ages past and ages to come.
[00:19:48] Sustain us this day and feed us with your food, the spiritual food we need of your very presence so that we may find satisfaction and that we may know inside ourselves what is enough.
[00:20:07] As we approach our communion table later today, oh God, help us be mindful of your presence in the midst of the food that we share.
[00:20:18] All of these things, oh God, we pray in your holy name.
[00:20:22] Amen.
[00:20:49] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_08]
[00:20:49] Since I saw that burning bush
[00:20:51] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]
[00:20:51] You're still Since I felt that heat from that flame
[00:21:04] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_11]
[00:21:04] I mean, I sure hope there'd be a few
[00:21:16] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]
[00:21:16] So long the way
[00:21:19] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_11]
[00:21:19] We're waiting
[00:21:28] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_12]
[00:21:28] After all these, I still love you After all these, I'll still praise Your holy name My taste for men will sing Every day Your hope, my taste for man Comes from heaven all the same
[00:23:29] Every day all the same Cause I still pray Your hope comes from heaven all the same Every day all the same
[00:24:48] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]
[00:24:48] The miracle hidden in the mundane
[00:24:57] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]
[00:24:57] Breath of heaven's offered either way
[00:25:04] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]
[00:25:04] The thing that I steal, was it yours?
[00:25:19] Thank you.
[00:25:20] Speaking of manna, and we will, Our scripture lesson is the story of manna.
[00:25:35] And I am not going to read the whole thing.
[00:25:37] And you are welcome.
[00:25:39] Because I'll tell you, it's long.
[00:25:46] I just realized I don't even have my Bible with me.
[00:25:48] Anybody got a Bible around?
[00:25:51] In church?
[00:25:52] Can you believe it?
[00:25:58] No one's got a Bible.
[00:26:00] Oh, Doug had a Bible.
[00:26:02] Who would have thought?
[00:26:03] Thank you, sir.
[00:26:04] Thank you.
[00:26:05] This is in Exodus, and it's in chapter 16.
[00:26:09] And the story of manna is really, it's kind of humorous and very strange, and yet it's pretty powerful and has some things to teach us.
[00:26:22] So I'm sitting here standing on top of Ali.
[00:26:25] I think I'll not do that this morning.
[00:26:28] So I'm going to read to you some selections from this.
[00:26:32] So, as you know, the children of Israel are in the wilderness, and while they're there, they are hungry.
[00:26:41] They have just left Egypt, and here's the story.
[00:26:44] The whole congregation of the Israelites complained against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness.
[00:26:51] And the Israelites said to them that, oh, the whole congregation complained against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness.
[00:27:01] And the Israelites said to them, If only we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots and ate our fill of bread.
[00:27:12] For you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill us, kill the whole assembly with hunger.
[00:27:19] Then the Lord said to Moses, I'm going to rain bread from heaven for you.
[00:27:23] And each day the people shall go out and gather enough for that day.
[00:27:29] And in that way, I will test them whether they will follow my instructions or not.
[00:27:33] On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather on the other days.
[00:27:41] And so it was.
[00:27:46] And then, let's see, here it is, 15.
[00:27:48] I'm looking for it.
[00:27:51] It's one of those Bibles I need some glasses for.
[00:27:53] When the Israelites saw it, they said to one another, What is it?
[00:27:58] For they did not know what it was Moses said to them.
[00:28:01] It is the bread that the Lord has given to you to eat.
[00:28:04] This is what the Lord has commanded.
[00:28:06] Gather as much of it as each of you needs, an omer to a person, according to the number of persons, all providing for their own tents.
[00:28:17] The Israelites did so, and some gathering more, some less.
[00:28:21] But when they measured it with an omer, those who had gathered much had nothing over, and those who had gathered little had no shortage.
[00:28:31] And then on 22.
[00:28:32] On the sixth day, they gathered twice as much food, two omers apiece.
[00:28:39] And when all the leaders of the congregation came and told Moses, he said to them, this is what the Lord has commanded.
[00:28:46] Tomorrow is a day of solemn rest, a holy Sabbath to the Lord.
[00:28:49] Bake what you want to bake and boil what you want to boil.
[00:28:53] And all that is left over, put aside to be kept until morning.
[00:28:58] And so they put it aside until morning, as Moses commanded, and it did not become foul, and there were no worms in it.
[00:29:05] The word of God for the people of God.
[00:29:07] Thanks be to God.
[00:29:10] Would you pray with me?
[00:29:16] May the words of my mouth and the meditation of the hearts of all of us be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, our rock and our reaper.
[00:29:24] Amen.
[00:29:27] So we're doing a series where we're walking through phrases that are in the Lord's Prayer, and we're using them to reflect on it.
[00:29:37] Oftentimes we say the Lord's Prayer not really thinking about what we say, today we take a deep dive into one little section. Today we're doing, give us this day our daily bread. Give us this day our daily bread. Anne Lamott is a wonderful writer. She
[00:29:53] finds humor and wisdom even in her own story of recovery. And one of the things that she has said about addiction and people in recovery, she says, you know, you can get the monkey off your back,
[00:30:06] but the circus is always in town. A wise friend of mine in recovery once talked with me about the spiritual truths that she found in and through recovery. She was always armed with aphorisms, these little pithy observations of truth that she was quick to draw out and sling if she needed to.
[00:30:27] Aphorisms could correct a perception that somebody might be voicing, or they could confirm a piece of wisdom that they were living, or they would remind us of a need for a healthy living.
[00:30:41] For instance, one that is always used in all groups of recovery is, one is too many and a thousand. Okay, all the people in recovery said that, so no, that's right. That's right, you've heard that. One is too many and a thousand is never enough. And you know, that's not just true
[00:31:00] about addiction issues.
[00:31:02] Occasionally, my friend would be reflecting on her own life and she would coin her own universal truth that came from her own life, her own individual specific life of recovery.
[00:31:14] And she said to me once, you know, when my addiction to alcohol was a major problem, it was just the tip of the iceberg, I found out after I was able to move into recovery.
[00:31:24] But underneath that was a deeper addiction, she said.
[00:31:28] My real problem is an addiction to more, an addiction to more.
[00:31:38] So in the story of Moses and the children of Israel way out in the wilderness, they cried for hunger, and Moses, why did you bring us out here to die?
[00:31:48] At least in Egypt we had enough to eat, and then God performed a miracle.
[00:31:54] And they woke up in the morning, and all across the ground was this white, flaky substance that, yes, some southern scholars think may have been grits.
[00:32:05] And the people said, what is it?
[00:32:09] In Hebrew, that word, that little phrase, what is it?
[00:32:14] If you translate it into Hebrew, it's manna.
[00:32:18] You just heard about it, manna.
[00:32:22] So they ate it because they were hungry, and it happened the next day, and it happened the next day.
[00:32:28] Bread they called, what is it, each day.
[00:32:31] And on the sixth day, there was even more bread because they could save it.
[00:32:36] They weren't allowed to collect it on the Sabbath, but they could save an extra portion of it for the seventh day.
[00:32:42] On the eighth day, the bread resumed and started coming down from heaven again.
[00:32:46] And people thought it evidently was pretty good.
[00:32:49] They hadn't lost their taste for manna yet.
[00:32:51] So they thought they would save it.
[00:32:54] And they'd say, maybe we should have a little more of this.
[00:32:56] And when they did it, and they saved it, it would spoil, except on the night of the seventh day, that is, going into Sabbath.
[00:33:07] Only the sixth day would there be any extra that didn't spoil.
[00:33:13] You know, there are three pieces of wisdom, I think, from this story that I think we need to draw and think about.
[00:33:21] One is to really remember that God is the provider, that it is God's provision.
[00:33:26] Manna is the story that God has given the good gifts to us.
[00:33:32] When we eat, we have to remember that our reliance, in order for us to live, our reliance is on the miracle of life itself.
[00:33:43] Whether vegetables or whether we're eating meat, our food comes from the earth.
[00:33:48] We are reliant on the gift of God's creation.
[00:33:52] That's the first thing.
[00:33:54] A second thing is the piece of wisdom is a little bit more difficult that we, that is that we are called to eat what we need. I'm using the word need here and not let our desire rule us, rule us. This prayer that we pray, give us this day our daily
[00:34:13] bread. This is not about the best bread. It's not about bread in massive quantities that I can have forever. It's rather daily bread, enough bread for a day. That prayer, in that prayer, Jesus is
[00:34:30] telling us to be good Jews, to recognize our reliance on God, but also to have daily bread, bread that's enough for the day. So we might ask the question, how much is enough? I mean,
[00:34:45] how much is enough? And that is a problem. It's a question that's raised by Rabbi Harold Kushner in his book, When All You Ever Wanted Isn't Enough.
[00:34:56] He names the human capacity for insatiability, never satisfied.
[00:35:00] The impossibility of having what we want and that at its very root there is a desire within us for something beyond our ability to possess.
[00:35:11] Our hunger is greater in some ways than our ability to satisfy it.
[00:35:16] Give us this day our daily bread is a prayer about learning what enough is.
[00:35:23] Now, we all know that money cannot buy happiness.
[00:35:31] I just wish I had about $100 million to test that theory.
[00:35:36] Money can't buy friends, but as they say, it can get you a better class of enemies.
[00:35:42] Of course, Woody Allen once said, Being rich is better than being poor, if only for financial reasons.
[00:35:50] Some of you may have seen a news commentator by the name of Professor Scott Galloway.
[00:35:56] He is a very successful businessman, and he has noted that at some point, the quality of life is not about more.
[00:36:07] He says some is important.
[00:36:09] He quotes a study that shows a certain amount of financial security will relieve us of the pain of hunger, the struggle to get our needs met.
[00:36:18] But at some point, our addiction to more just takes over, and it's unhealthy, and it doesn't make us any more happy.
[00:36:28] Speaking honestly about the problem of wealth in America, he says there's no qualitative difference in being happy between a millionaire and a billionaire.
[00:36:37] They aren't happier. They're no happier.
[00:36:40] They're just as depressed as all of us are.
[00:36:43] And yet, we continue to reward billionaires with tax rates and tax breaks that they don't need, and many don't even want.
[00:36:51] America's addiction to more is really kind of grotesque.
[00:36:56] And this is a problem for us in our country.
[00:36:58] We are so out of balance.
[00:37:00] It's hard to know how are we going to find our way back to sanity?
[00:37:04] How are we going to find our way back to just enough?
[00:37:08] Enough.
[00:37:11] We don't have any billionaires in this church as far as I know.
[00:37:14] If you do know of any, let me know.
[00:37:16] I'd like to reach out to them.
[00:37:17] I'll sick Milton Kern on them.
[00:37:22] About 15 years ago, I'm going to switch back to food and hunger here for a little bit.
[00:37:28] About 15 years ago, the Duke Endowment began a clergy health initiative.
[00:37:34] It was research that showed that as a group, we clergy are an unhealthy bunch.
[00:37:41] We are overweight, we're stressed, we're undisciplined.
[00:37:45] many of us took advantage of the programs that they offered to de-stress, to do some self-care, to exercise. I went on a retreat at Canuga with 25 other clergy, and we were snowed in at Canuga for three days. 25 clergy snowed in. It was like The Shining with pastors.
[00:38:08] One program that they gave to us was a program called Naturally Slim, and it was a weight loss program, the approach was not about telling us what we can eat or what we can't eat. In fact,
[00:38:22] the program, that's one of the best things about the program. You can eat what you want, what you like. But they taught us how to eat and when to eat. They changed our habits.
[00:38:35] Now, for those of you who are familiar, this may be familiar to you if you've ever done Weight Watchers because it's a similar program. But the first principle, I just wanted to share them with
[00:38:44] because it has a lot to do with this concept of enough.
[00:38:49] The first one is this.
[00:38:51] Only eat when you are hungry.
[00:38:54] That makes sense, right?
[00:38:56] Well, you know, when there's food all around you, sometimes we don't eat because we're hungry, right?
[00:39:03] It's like, you know, I think it was Jim Gaffigan was saying, somebody gave him one to say, you want some nachos?
[00:39:10] And he goes, oh, no, I couldn't eat another thing.
[00:39:11] And he goes, well, you know, what does that have to do with it?
[00:39:15] right? We eat because it's present. But in work life, you know, oftentimes we don't pay attention to our hunger until it is too late. And so we land at the table like a ravenous beast because
[00:39:28] we've worked through our lunch hour. The only time I know when I'm hungry is when Jerry is really annoying. Then I know. Tom too, you know? Yeah. The second part of the wisdom of this program is
[00:39:42] that I learned that it takes 20 minutes, about 20 minutes when we start eating for what is called the apostat to kick in. Now, our apostat is what you might call a hunger regulator. An apostat
[00:39:57] is kind of like your appetite thermometer. The average stomach size is loosely the size of a closed fist. But if we eat for 20 minutes at a sprint, we can double the size of that very easily.
[00:40:11] and we often do. We can exceed the stomach's natural size. So the goal is to when we eat when we're hungry but eat in a way that allows your apostat to tell you you are full to pay attention
[00:40:26] to it and this is how you do it. The first thing you do is you just chew your food. I mean you really taste it and I love this part of it because basically this way it was saying hey enjoy the
[00:40:38] food don't rush through it savor it like a fine wine so you you you chew very slowly thoroughly let it go around in your mouth and then after 10 minutes of eating take your fork put it down
[00:40:50] and sit there for five minutes and don't eat you got enough to not be so hungry anymore but then you wait 10 minutes wait five minutes and then you can resume and when you start to resume eating
[00:41:04] what's interesting about it is that your apostat kicks in at 20 minutes and you have not eaten as much does that make sense so i found that really super helpful um the last thing of course
[00:41:20] is something that you're not supposed to eat i mean you can eat but you have to do it in moderation and that is sugars you limit your sugar and here's the reason why your apostat does not function well
[00:41:30] if it's been loaded with sugar.
[00:41:34] Kid you not.
[00:41:35] So you take away the sugars and it will, you know, when sugars light up your head, you know, like a Christmas tree, and then it's like, oh God, we're going to eat, right?
[00:41:46] But without the sugars, without so much sugar in our system, our apostat works even better.
[00:41:53] Now, what's all this have to do?
[00:41:55] Listen, for most of us, when we pray our daily bread, we are not whining to God that we are starving.
[00:42:02] like the Hebrew children. It's mostly about gratitude for God's provision, but it's also an appeal for enough. Enough for today. That is our daily bread. That's the way God wanted it.
[00:42:17] That's the way the whole manna system was working. Hunger is a God-given gift. It's a gift that our body gives us to let us know that when we are in need of something to eat. But we often take
[00:42:30] that need, and we twist it. We either ignore it and allow it to get out of hand. We twist it into a prayer to have all of our wants. I mean all of our wants, not just for food. If you think about
[00:42:42] that, our wants become an addiction to more. Some of you all may be reading the book by Will Williman that is about the Lord's Prayer, Will Williman and Stanley Hauerwas. In another book that he
[00:42:59] wrote is on the seven deadly sins, and he talks about gluttony, and he tells a story of the teaching by Gregory the Great, a pope who once talked and said that the sin of gluttony takes
[00:43:11] on five forms. So I'm going to give you a little quick lecture because I think it's kind of interesting. The first one is pre-propore, that is eating too soon. Laute, eating too too expensively. Guilty of that.
[00:43:29] Nimbus, eating too much. Guilty of that.
[00:43:32] Ardenter, eating too eagerly.
[00:43:36] And studiosi, eating too daintily.
[00:43:42] That one struck me. I wonder what that's all about.
[00:43:46] Daintily, I found that fascinating. What Gregory is talking about in the last one is using food to be controlling.
[00:43:55] It could be controlling of other people, but also of ourselves.
[00:43:59] We might use food to look down on others because they eat too much, or people who do not buy organic, we judge them, or people who eat animals that we do not eat.
[00:44:09] Or we use food, sometimes unconsciously even, as a way of self-hatred, trying to control the hunger our body has in the case of eating disorders.
[00:44:23] It's a strange thing, but this is very true.
[00:44:26] I told you this before.
[00:44:28] I have a friend who wrote her dissertation, her senior project at Divinity School, on what does it mean for us to say that we are the body of Christ and we serve communion in a world where half of us are starving
[00:44:44] and the other half are starving themselves.
[00:44:48] She had wrestled with her own anorexia, and it became a very powerful document that she wrote.
[00:44:53] Now listen, I want to be real clear about this whole food thing, okay?
[00:44:59] The scripture is all about celebration with food.
[00:45:06] Are you with me?
[00:45:07] It's all about that.
[00:45:08] Taste and see that the Lord is good.
[00:45:12] That psalm is wonderful.
[00:45:13] A land, you know, God takes the people to the promised land, a land that is filled with milk and honey.
[00:45:21] Even Jesus celebrated with food.
[00:45:23] I have to remember that Jesus was also accused of being a glutton in Luke 7, verse 34.
[00:45:30] The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and people say, what a gluttonous man and a wine-bibber.
[00:45:37] Wine-bibber.
[00:45:38] I think you're talking about you, Jerry.
[00:45:40] And a friend of publicans and sinners.
[00:45:44] We don't just eat out of necessity.
[00:45:48] We eat for pleasure.
[00:45:50] And there's nothing wrong with that.
[00:45:52] So hear me say that, okay?
[00:45:54] I believe in that. But our struggle is that the body often wants more than it needs.
[00:46:05] I'm finding out now that in the age that I am, which is much younger than Jerry or Jeff Patton, I might say, that this age, what I found is that my BMI says that I should be as tall as Matthew
[00:46:24] bacon. I'm not. It's harder to process food, and it's always easier to out-eat our ability to burn the calories, and this is a struggle. There's more that we can say about food, but with regards to
[00:46:42] food justice, we are learning that when we come to a communion table like this, that it behooves us to ask questions about food. For Jesus practiced justice when it came to food. He fed hungry
[00:46:58] people. He didn't just feed Jewish hungry people. He went across the lake and he fed 4,000 Gentile people as well. Food was for everyone. Food was not limited to those that could deserve it or
[00:47:12] afford it or could do the paperwork for it. Our prayer for daily bread is, yes, it is about just what we need. And we have to get that concept of enough, but it's also that, that small quick
[00:47:25] phrase. They just don't, don't miss it. Give us this day, our daily bread. This is not a prayer just about you saying it for yourself. It's a prayer about this practice of justice that all
[00:47:41] may have enough, enough daily bread. It's about being mindful of those who go without. And so our tables can be opened up my friend rabbi mark um he talked about kosher laws and you know he's
[00:47:56] a reformed rabbi so uh you know they tend to be more progressive they're not as strict as the orthodox uh you know and i asked him one time i said um i said do you eat shellfish because that's
[00:48:08] not kosher and he goes i i don't in winston-salem you know but he but for him uh he wrote a really wonderful article and it got caught by the AP and went wild. It was even translated in contemporary
[00:48:23] Hebrew in Israel. And it was all about the kosher laws. And the kosher laws are meant to really keep the identity of who you are as a Jew, but it's also, it probably started with sanitation issues,
[00:48:36] right? And that the foods that you avoid because they were unclean. But he said the problem with that is, you can have kosher, I mean, you know, a box of Trix cereal is kosher, okay? Not healthy
[00:48:53] for you, right? Not really what you would call clean food, highly processed, mostly sugar, right?
[00:49:01] So he was saying that, you know, maybe we need to rethink kosher and rethink food justice.
[00:49:08] And so, you know, it needs to be about thinking about food that isn't cruel to animals or justice to farm workers or knowing where our food comes from and is it what our body needs, being mindful of that, which I thought was really interesting.
[00:49:25] Article took off, and it was very helpful, I think, for a whole lot of folks to learn about.
[00:49:33] So those are your lessons, your three lessons, you know.
[00:49:35] God is our provider, and we are dependent on God and our creation, where our food comes from.
[00:49:41] Also, the manna story is about enough, having enough.
[00:49:47] And even in the manna story, it's about our daily bread, not my daily bread.
[00:49:52] It's about everyone's daily bread.
[00:49:55] Everyone was provided for, regardless of whether they had lost the taste for manna or not.
[00:50:01] There's no telling what it must have tasted like.
[00:50:03] but it makes you wonder with that song, right?
[00:50:08] But this was the food that God had provided, and it was a symbol for us of enough.
[00:50:14] And so this is our challenge.
[00:50:16] As we come to this table to take just a small taste of bread.
[00:50:20] I've been talking about food, and I know you guys are getting hungry.
[00:50:24] But as we come to the table to remind ourselves that this is the bread of enough.
[00:50:29] This is the bread that God provides.
[00:50:32] This is the bread that is not ours alone, but it's for all.
[00:50:37] Would you pray with me?
[00:50:42] Gracious God, as we come to your table and as we eat a small meal, let us be reminded of the way in which you were practicing food justice for us, your provision of love and care by giving us what we need
[00:51:00] and by calling us out to not just possess it for ourselves, but to share it with one another.
[00:51:09] We pray this in your holy name.
[00:51:11] Amen.
[00:51:15] I got some helpers that are going to come up here with me.
[00:51:17] I think the first thing we're going to do is move this altar table so I can get behind it.
[00:51:21] Can you help me do this, Holly?
[00:51:23] If you can grab that, we're going to move it this way.
[00:51:28] Yeah, you will.
[00:51:31] Lightly.
[00:51:31] Perfect.
[00:51:33] Didn't burn the house down or anything.
[00:51:35] Excellent.
[00:51:39] Y'all can come on in here and join around.
[00:51:42] Come on back here with us, Holly.
[00:51:46] And friends, as we gather at the table today, I want to remind you all that we come to this table and that this is not just our table, but it is the table that Jesus calls us to.
[00:52:13] So, God, we give you thanks for this table that you have set for us, for the way in which you provide for us, for our needs.
[00:52:23] And we pray that you will feed us as a reminder that you are enough and that you satisfy the burning desire inside of us for more.
[00:52:35] Help us to know that and to understand and remember the way in which you practiced food justice.
[00:52:44] On the night in which Jesus gave himself up for us, he took bread and he gave thanks to you and he broke the bread.
[00:52:51] He gave it to his disciples and he said, Take, eat, this is my body which is broken for you.
[00:52:57] Do this in remembrance of me.
[00:53:00] And when the supper was over, Jesus took the cup and after giving thanks, gave it to the disciples and said, take this and drink from it, all of you, for this is the blood of the new covenant poured out for you
[00:53:12] and for many for the forgiveness of sin.
[00:53:14] Do this as often as you drink it in remembrance of me.
[00:53:18] And so we who gather at this table and take in these gifts of bread and wine, we ask that you bless them and that you bless all of us today so that you help us know that we are enough
[00:53:32] to share your love with the world.
[00:53:35] We pray this in your holy name. Amen.
[00:53:39] Friends, would you join with me as we pray the prayer that Jesus taught us to pray together?
[00:53:43] Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.
[00:53:48] Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
[00:53:53] Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
[00:54:07] For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.
[00:54:12] Amen.
[00:54:13] Well, I think you know the drill.
[00:54:33] I'm going to come down here by the center aisle.
[00:54:35] We'll give you a piece of the bread.
[00:54:36] You'll return back to your seats.
[00:54:40] And we'll serve these guys and our musicians first as we prepare to take communion together.
[00:54:49] I remind you, friends, this is not the table of our congregation or denomination.
[00:54:52] This is the table of Jesus.
[00:54:54] And that means all of you who are present are invited to come.
[01:01:07] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_05]
[01:01:07] Guys, stand up.
[01:01:10] Jump your feet and clap your hands up.
[01:02:18] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]
[01:02:18] I wasn't ready.
[01:02:26] Friends, go from this place and say your daily prayers for daily bread.
[01:02:32] But remember that it's not just your bread.
[01:02:35] It's bread for us all.
[01:02:37] And so we go with that blessing and we go to be a blessing for others.
[01:02:42] We go in the name of Christ our Lord, our creator, our sustainer, and our redeemer.
[01:02:47] Amen.
[00:00:29] Oh hey good morning you guys happy Sunday thanks for being here thanks for being so polite you don't have to do that anymore not on our account you guys would stand as you're able and sing some with us
[00:01:04] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_12]
[00:01:04] Ages on, a storm and tempest roar. We cannot win this fight inside our real hearts.
[00:03:20] Lifted high, lifted high. Cross lifted high, lifted high.
[00:03:30] The cross lifted high, lifted high. Cross lifted high, lifted high.
[00:03:39] Peace of Christ be with you. Y'all take a moment to pass the peace of Christ.
[00:07:13] Well, good morning, friends.
[00:10:01] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]
[00:10:01] It's so good to see everyone today.
[00:10:03] If you are visiting in person, we welcome you.
[00:10:06] We are so glad you have joined us today.
[00:10:08] We would love to connect with you and help you learn about our church.
[00:10:11] We would really like to connect with you, so please fill out our visitor card so we can be in touch.
[00:10:18] You can learn more about Ardmore UMC on our website.
[00:10:21] We also want to welcome those of you who have joined us today through live stream.
[00:10:25] We hope that this service is meaningful to you as well.
[00:10:29] Please take a look at our appeal for school supplies.
[00:10:32] We will be partnering with Bolton Elementary School this year.
[00:10:35] You have about five weeks to help us with this project, so take a look over the supply list in your bulletin.
[00:10:42] You can bring these supplies and put them in the boxes at the entrances into the church.
[00:10:48] The Sounds of the Summer Organ Concert Series is in motion.
[00:10:52] You can see the poster for this in the elevator and the bulletin boards.
[00:10:56] Make sure you can...
[00:10:57] I'm lost there, sorry.
[00:11:00] Make sure you mark your calendars for July 14th when we'll host the series in the Ardmore Sanctuary.
[00:11:06] Last week and today, in the 10 a.m. service, the Klopp Portative Organ was played in the balcony of the sanctuary, and next Monday you can hear both organs play and a 16-voice choir, eight in the balcony and eight in the loft.
[00:11:20] You won't want to miss it.
[00:11:21] Bring a friend if you want to.
[00:11:24] Finally, we call your attention to the announcement about the Big Chill, the Shalom Project's annual fundraiser taking place on Saturday, July 19th.
[00:11:34] You can help us out by making or scooping ice cream, or Carolyn and Pastor Kelly would love your support of a donation so they don't have to sit on the ice all night.
[00:11:47] Tomorrow, the church will send out an announcement with links to the places where you can donate.
[00:11:52] Pastor Kelly will come and lead us in a time of prayer and share a special moment about our graduates today.
[00:12:15] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]
[00:12:15] It's good to be with you all.
[00:12:16] I would like to know if you have brought with you some joys or concerns that you would like to share with everybody.
[00:12:24] And for us to write those down as we get ready for a time of prayer.
[00:12:28] What you got? What you got?
[00:12:31] I need a pencil.
[00:12:37] Yeah.
[00:12:44] Boy, isn't that scary?
[00:12:46] I don't think they've found all the campers yet, have they?
[00:12:49] No.
[00:12:55] Yep.
[00:12:59] Who else?
[00:12:59] Yeah, Joy.
[00:13:01] We had some fire alarms on July 4th.
[00:13:04] Yeah.
[00:13:05] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_06]
[00:13:05] My granddaughter, a beautiful Hannah Elizabeth.
[00:13:12] All right.
[00:13:13] She weighed 17 pounds, 8 ounces.
[00:13:16] She's 19 inches tall.
[00:13:18] I like to say to all my mom.
[00:13:21] She'll be taught how to do that.
[00:13:24] Now I, her mom went to three weeks ago here and her mom and dad lived in the house next door.
[00:13:34] They had a house for us.
[00:13:38] They're part of our church family but they're a rich family.
[00:13:41] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]
[00:13:41] Very good. Joy was sharing that she has a, this is a great grandchild, right?
[00:13:46] For you? Alright.
[00:13:47] I know you didn't want to say that but uh hannah elizabeth was born seven pounds eight ounces wasn't that kate's let me go okay kate's birthday this is today so that's on my mind uh but um yeah and uh so they had her mom had attended
[00:14:05] the preschool here right and nice very nice all right great great celebration now born on the 4th of July. So got to get her together with Mary Jo, because, you know,
[00:14:23] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]
[00:14:23] it's our...
[00:14:26] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]
[00:14:26] Yeah, yeah.
[00:14:29] Others?
[00:14:35] Any others?
[00:14:37] What's that kid there?
[00:14:42] I didn't notice that little baby.
[00:14:44] I thought that was Doug for a second, but you know, they have similar haircuts, and you know, I thought...
[00:14:51] Awesome, awesome. Thank you for the work of art.
[00:14:57] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]
[00:14:57] oh man man so dave got attacked by yellow jackets uh who one were guarding their blueberries i'm
[00:15:16] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]
[00:15:16] sorry sorry to hear that that's that's rough prayers and um neosporin so yeah yeah layoffs
[00:15:36] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]
[00:15:36] all right sorry to hear that any others any others well some of you i feel like we could salute, Nancy, because you've got that flag going on. That's awesome.
[00:15:52] I saw Don come in today with a bow tie, and I was like, I really want that bow tie. That was nice.
[00:16:00] So yeah, let's as we celebrate our country's independence, and as we think about the state of our country now, let's be in prayer, and let's pray for the people of Texas who've been affected by the
[00:16:15] floods, and especially all those missing people.
[00:16:17] All right, friends, would you join with me as we go to a time of prayer?
[00:16:22] Are you coming to play?
[00:16:23] Yeah.
[00:16:23] Cool.
[00:16:24] Yeah, that's good.
[00:16:32] Let us pray.
[00:17:23] Gracious God, we give thanks to you this day, and we give thanks for the freedom in our country and for those who have put their lives on the line to help us help it stay that way.
[00:17:38] We give thanks to you, O God, for the ways in which you have provided us time during the seasons between school, between work, time away, so that we may rest and relax and give ourselves a Sabbath.
[00:18:02] Today, O God, we think about food together.
[00:18:05] We think about the daily bread that we are given and that sustains us And help us reflect on the ways in which you have made all food holy, for it is the daily bread that we need to be sustained.
[00:18:20] And help us, God, remember all those who are in need of food and for whom food is a daily struggle.
[00:18:32] God, we pray for the people of Texas as they have been affected by floods and for all the missing people and their families.
[00:18:39] such a difficult type of grief and we pray that your presence will break through and be present in the lives of other people to give them a sense of comfort in the midst of this tragedy.
[00:18:57] God, we pray for Dave and pray for his healing.
[00:19:02] We pray for the people who have lost jobs, their ability to sustain themselves and we ask you, God, that you will help us and sustain us and make a way in this world so that we may share
[00:19:20] all the gifts that you have given to us and you have given us enough.
[00:19:27] We give thanks for a new life in our midst for the birth of Hannah Elizabeth for the sign of a new generation that is coming.
[00:19:39] And God, we give thanks to you for being with us in ages past and ages to come.
[00:19:48] Sustain us this day and feed us with your food, the spiritual food we need of your very presence so that we may find satisfaction and that we may know inside ourselves what is enough.
[00:20:07] As we approach our communion table later today, oh God, help us be mindful of your presence in the midst of the food that we share.
[00:20:18] All of these things, oh God, we pray in your holy name.
[00:20:22] Amen.
[00:20:49] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_08]
[00:20:49] Since I saw that burning bush
[00:20:51] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]
[00:20:51] You're still Since I felt that heat from that flame
[00:21:04] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_11]
[00:21:04] I mean, I sure hope there'd be a few
[00:21:16] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]
[00:21:16] So long the way
[00:21:19] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_11]
[00:21:19] We're waiting
[00:21:28] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_12]
[00:21:28] After all these, I still love you After all these, I'll still praise Your holy name My taste for men will sing Every day Your hope, my taste for man Comes from heaven all the same
[00:23:29] Every day all the same Cause I still pray Your hope comes from heaven all the same Every day all the same
[00:24:48] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]
[00:24:48] The miracle hidden in the mundane
[00:24:57] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]
[00:24:57] Breath of heaven's offered either way
[00:25:04] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]
[00:25:04] The thing that I steal, was it yours?
[00:25:19] Thank you.
[00:25:20] Speaking of manna, and we will, Our scripture lesson is the story of manna.
[00:25:35] And I am not going to read the whole thing.
[00:25:37] And you are welcome.
[00:25:39] Because I'll tell you, it's long.
[00:25:46] I just realized I don't even have my Bible with me.
[00:25:48] Anybody got a Bible around?
[00:25:51] In church?
[00:25:52] Can you believe it?
[00:25:58] No one's got a Bible.
[00:26:00] Oh, Doug had a Bible.
[00:26:02] Who would have thought?
[00:26:03] Thank you, sir.
[00:26:04] Thank you.
[00:26:05] This is in Exodus, and it's in chapter 16.
[00:26:09] And the story of manna is really, it's kind of humorous and very strange, and yet it's pretty powerful and has some things to teach us.
[00:26:22] So I'm sitting here standing on top of Ali.
[00:26:25] I think I'll not do that this morning.
[00:26:28] So I'm going to read to you some selections from this.
[00:26:32] So, as you know, the children of Israel are in the wilderness, and while they're there, they are hungry.
[00:26:41] They have just left Egypt, and here's the story.
[00:26:44] The whole congregation of the Israelites complained against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness.
[00:26:51] And the Israelites said to them that, oh, the whole congregation complained against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness.
[00:27:01] And the Israelites said to them, If only we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots and ate our fill of bread.
[00:27:12] For you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill us, kill the whole assembly with hunger.
[00:27:19] Then the Lord said to Moses, I'm going to rain bread from heaven for you.
[00:27:23] And each day the people shall go out and gather enough for that day.
[00:27:29] And in that way, I will test them whether they will follow my instructions or not.
[00:27:33] On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather on the other days.
[00:27:41] And so it was.
[00:27:46] And then, let's see, here it is, 15.
[00:27:48] I'm looking for it.
[00:27:51] It's one of those Bibles I need some glasses for.
[00:27:53] When the Israelites saw it, they said to one another, What is it?
[00:27:58] For they did not know what it was Moses said to them.
[00:28:01] It is the bread that the Lord has given to you to eat.
[00:28:04] This is what the Lord has commanded.
[00:28:06] Gather as much of it as each of you needs, an omer to a person, according to the number of persons, all providing for their own tents.
[00:28:17] The Israelites did so, and some gathering more, some less.
[00:28:21] But when they measured it with an omer, those who had gathered much had nothing over, and those who had gathered little had no shortage.
[00:28:31] And then on 22.
[00:28:32] On the sixth day, they gathered twice as much food, two omers apiece.
[00:28:39] And when all the leaders of the congregation came and told Moses, he said to them, this is what the Lord has commanded.
[00:28:46] Tomorrow is a day of solemn rest, a holy Sabbath to the Lord.
[00:28:49] Bake what you want to bake and boil what you want to boil.
[00:28:53] And all that is left over, put aside to be kept until morning.
[00:28:58] And so they put it aside until morning, as Moses commanded, and it did not become foul, and there were no worms in it.
[00:29:05] The word of God for the people of God.
[00:29:07] Thanks be to God.
[00:29:10] Would you pray with me?
[00:29:16] May the words of my mouth and the meditation of the hearts of all of us be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, our rock and our reaper.
[00:29:24] Amen.
[00:29:27] So we're doing a series where we're walking through phrases that are in the Lord's Prayer, and we're using them to reflect on it.
[00:29:37] Oftentimes we say the Lord's Prayer not really thinking about what we say, today we take a deep dive into one little section. Today we're doing, give us this day our daily bread. Give us this day our daily bread. Anne Lamott is a wonderful writer. She
[00:29:53] finds humor and wisdom even in her own story of recovery. And one of the things that she has said about addiction and people in recovery, she says, you know, you can get the monkey off your back,
[00:30:06] but the circus is always in town. A wise friend of mine in recovery once talked with me about the spiritual truths that she found in and through recovery. She was always armed with aphorisms, these little pithy observations of truth that she was quick to draw out and sling if she needed to.
[00:30:27] Aphorisms could correct a perception that somebody might be voicing, or they could confirm a piece of wisdom that they were living, or they would remind us of a need for a healthy living.
[00:30:41] For instance, one that is always used in all groups of recovery is, one is too many and a thousand. Okay, all the people in recovery said that, so no, that's right. That's right, you've heard that. One is too many and a thousand is never enough. And you know, that's not just true
[00:31:00] about addiction issues.
[00:31:02] Occasionally, my friend would be reflecting on her own life and she would coin her own universal truth that came from her own life, her own individual specific life of recovery.
[00:31:14] And she said to me once, you know, when my addiction to alcohol was a major problem, it was just the tip of the iceberg, I found out after I was able to move into recovery.
[00:31:24] But underneath that was a deeper addiction, she said.
[00:31:28] My real problem is an addiction to more, an addiction to more.
[00:31:38] So in the story of Moses and the children of Israel way out in the wilderness, they cried for hunger, and Moses, why did you bring us out here to die?
[00:31:48] At least in Egypt we had enough to eat, and then God performed a miracle.
[00:31:54] And they woke up in the morning, and all across the ground was this white, flaky substance that, yes, some southern scholars think may have been grits.
[00:32:05] And the people said, what is it?
[00:32:09] In Hebrew, that word, that little phrase, what is it?
[00:32:14] If you translate it into Hebrew, it's manna.
[00:32:18] You just heard about it, manna.
[00:32:22] So they ate it because they were hungry, and it happened the next day, and it happened the next day.
[00:32:28] Bread they called, what is it, each day.
[00:32:31] And on the sixth day, there was even more bread because they could save it.
[00:32:36] They weren't allowed to collect it on the Sabbath, but they could save an extra portion of it for the seventh day.
[00:32:42] On the eighth day, the bread resumed and started coming down from heaven again.
[00:32:46] And people thought it evidently was pretty good.
[00:32:49] They hadn't lost their taste for manna yet.
[00:32:51] So they thought they would save it.
[00:32:54] And they'd say, maybe we should have a little more of this.
[00:32:56] And when they did it, and they saved it, it would spoil, except on the night of the seventh day, that is, going into Sabbath.
[00:33:07] Only the sixth day would there be any extra that didn't spoil.
[00:33:13] You know, there are three pieces of wisdom, I think, from this story that I think we need to draw and think about.
[00:33:21] One is to really remember that God is the provider, that it is God's provision.
[00:33:26] Manna is the story that God has given the good gifts to us.
[00:33:32] When we eat, we have to remember that our reliance, in order for us to live, our reliance is on the miracle of life itself.
[00:33:43] Whether vegetables or whether we're eating meat, our food comes from the earth.
[00:33:48] We are reliant on the gift of God's creation.
[00:33:52] That's the first thing.
[00:33:54] A second thing is the piece of wisdom is a little bit more difficult that we, that is that we are called to eat what we need. I'm using the word need here and not let our desire rule us, rule us. This prayer that we pray, give us this day our daily
[00:34:13] bread. This is not about the best bread. It's not about bread in massive quantities that I can have forever. It's rather daily bread, enough bread for a day. That prayer, in that prayer, Jesus is
[00:34:30] telling us to be good Jews, to recognize our reliance on God, but also to have daily bread, bread that's enough for the day. So we might ask the question, how much is enough? I mean,
[00:34:45] how much is enough? And that is a problem. It's a question that's raised by Rabbi Harold Kushner in his book, When All You Ever Wanted Isn't Enough.
[00:34:56] He names the human capacity for insatiability, never satisfied.
[00:35:00] The impossibility of having what we want and that at its very root there is a desire within us for something beyond our ability to possess.
[00:35:11] Our hunger is greater in some ways than our ability to satisfy it.
[00:35:16] Give us this day our daily bread is a prayer about learning what enough is.
[00:35:23] Now, we all know that money cannot buy happiness.
[00:35:31] I just wish I had about $100 million to test that theory.
[00:35:36] Money can't buy friends, but as they say, it can get you a better class of enemies.
[00:35:42] Of course, Woody Allen once said, Being rich is better than being poor, if only for financial reasons.
[00:35:50] Some of you may have seen a news commentator by the name of Professor Scott Galloway.
[00:35:56] He is a very successful businessman, and he has noted that at some point, the quality of life is not about more.
[00:36:07] He says some is important.
[00:36:09] He quotes a study that shows a certain amount of financial security will relieve us of the pain of hunger, the struggle to get our needs met.
[00:36:18] But at some point, our addiction to more just takes over, and it's unhealthy, and it doesn't make us any more happy.
[00:36:28] Speaking honestly about the problem of wealth in America, he says there's no qualitative difference in being happy between a millionaire and a billionaire.
[00:36:37] They aren't happier. They're no happier.
[00:36:40] They're just as depressed as all of us are.
[00:36:43] And yet, we continue to reward billionaires with tax rates and tax breaks that they don't need, and many don't even want.
[00:36:51] America's addiction to more is really kind of grotesque.
[00:36:56] And this is a problem for us in our country.
[00:36:58] We are so out of balance.
[00:37:00] It's hard to know how are we going to find our way back to sanity?
[00:37:04] How are we going to find our way back to just enough?
[00:37:08] Enough.
[00:37:11] We don't have any billionaires in this church as far as I know.
[00:37:14] If you do know of any, let me know.
[00:37:16] I'd like to reach out to them.
[00:37:17] I'll sick Milton Kern on them.
[00:37:22] About 15 years ago, I'm going to switch back to food and hunger here for a little bit.
[00:37:28] About 15 years ago, the Duke Endowment began a clergy health initiative.
[00:37:34] It was research that showed that as a group, we clergy are an unhealthy bunch.
[00:37:41] We are overweight, we're stressed, we're undisciplined.
[00:37:45] many of us took advantage of the programs that they offered to de-stress, to do some self-care, to exercise. I went on a retreat at Canuga with 25 other clergy, and we were snowed in at Canuga for three days. 25 clergy snowed in. It was like The Shining with pastors.
[00:38:08] One program that they gave to us was a program called Naturally Slim, and it was a weight loss program, the approach was not about telling us what we can eat or what we can't eat. In fact,
[00:38:22] the program, that's one of the best things about the program. You can eat what you want, what you like. But they taught us how to eat and when to eat. They changed our habits.
[00:38:35] Now, for those of you who are familiar, this may be familiar to you if you've ever done Weight Watchers because it's a similar program. But the first principle, I just wanted to share them with
[00:38:44] because it has a lot to do with this concept of enough.
[00:38:49] The first one is this.
[00:38:51] Only eat when you are hungry.
[00:38:54] That makes sense, right?
[00:38:56] Well, you know, when there's food all around you, sometimes we don't eat because we're hungry, right?
[00:39:03] It's like, you know, I think it was Jim Gaffigan was saying, somebody gave him one to say, you want some nachos?
[00:39:10] And he goes, oh, no, I couldn't eat another thing.
[00:39:11] And he goes, well, you know, what does that have to do with it?
[00:39:15] right? We eat because it's present. But in work life, you know, oftentimes we don't pay attention to our hunger until it is too late. And so we land at the table like a ravenous beast because
[00:39:28] we've worked through our lunch hour. The only time I know when I'm hungry is when Jerry is really annoying. Then I know. Tom too, you know? Yeah. The second part of the wisdom of this program is
[00:39:42] that I learned that it takes 20 minutes, about 20 minutes when we start eating for what is called the apostat to kick in. Now, our apostat is what you might call a hunger regulator. An apostat
[00:39:57] is kind of like your appetite thermometer. The average stomach size is loosely the size of a closed fist. But if we eat for 20 minutes at a sprint, we can double the size of that very easily.
[00:40:11] and we often do. We can exceed the stomach's natural size. So the goal is to when we eat when we're hungry but eat in a way that allows your apostat to tell you you are full to pay attention
[00:40:26] to it and this is how you do it. The first thing you do is you just chew your food. I mean you really taste it and I love this part of it because basically this way it was saying hey enjoy the
[00:40:38] food don't rush through it savor it like a fine wine so you you you chew very slowly thoroughly let it go around in your mouth and then after 10 minutes of eating take your fork put it down
[00:40:50] and sit there for five minutes and don't eat you got enough to not be so hungry anymore but then you wait 10 minutes wait five minutes and then you can resume and when you start to resume eating
[00:41:04] what's interesting about it is that your apostat kicks in at 20 minutes and you have not eaten as much does that make sense so i found that really super helpful um the last thing of course
[00:41:20] is something that you're not supposed to eat i mean you can eat but you have to do it in moderation and that is sugars you limit your sugar and here's the reason why your apostat does not function well
[00:41:30] if it's been loaded with sugar.
[00:41:34] Kid you not.
[00:41:35] So you take away the sugars and it will, you know, when sugars light up your head, you know, like a Christmas tree, and then it's like, oh God, we're going to eat, right?
[00:41:46] But without the sugars, without so much sugar in our system, our apostat works even better.
[00:41:53] Now, what's all this have to do?
[00:41:55] Listen, for most of us, when we pray our daily bread, we are not whining to God that we are starving.
[00:42:02] like the Hebrew children. It's mostly about gratitude for God's provision, but it's also an appeal for enough. Enough for today. That is our daily bread. That's the way God wanted it.
[00:42:17] That's the way the whole manna system was working. Hunger is a God-given gift. It's a gift that our body gives us to let us know that when we are in need of something to eat. But we often take
[00:42:30] that need, and we twist it. We either ignore it and allow it to get out of hand. We twist it into a prayer to have all of our wants. I mean all of our wants, not just for food. If you think about
[00:42:42] that, our wants become an addiction to more. Some of you all may be reading the book by Will Williman that is about the Lord's Prayer, Will Williman and Stanley Hauerwas. In another book that he
[00:42:59] wrote is on the seven deadly sins, and he talks about gluttony, and he tells a story of the teaching by Gregory the Great, a pope who once talked and said that the sin of gluttony takes
[00:43:11] on five forms. So I'm going to give you a little quick lecture because I think it's kind of interesting. The first one is pre-propore, that is eating too soon. Laute, eating too too expensively. Guilty of that.
[00:43:29] Nimbus, eating too much. Guilty of that.
[00:43:32] Ardenter, eating too eagerly.
[00:43:36] And studiosi, eating too daintily.
[00:43:42] That one struck me. I wonder what that's all about.
[00:43:46] Daintily, I found that fascinating. What Gregory is talking about in the last one is using food to be controlling.
[00:43:55] It could be controlling of other people, but also of ourselves.
[00:43:59] We might use food to look down on others because they eat too much, or people who do not buy organic, we judge them, or people who eat animals that we do not eat.
[00:44:09] Or we use food, sometimes unconsciously even, as a way of self-hatred, trying to control the hunger our body has in the case of eating disorders.
[00:44:23] It's a strange thing, but this is very true.
[00:44:26] I told you this before.
[00:44:28] I have a friend who wrote her dissertation, her senior project at Divinity School, on what does it mean for us to say that we are the body of Christ and we serve communion in a world where half of us are starving
[00:44:44] and the other half are starving themselves.
[00:44:48] She had wrestled with her own anorexia, and it became a very powerful document that she wrote.
[00:44:53] Now listen, I want to be real clear about this whole food thing, okay?
[00:44:59] The scripture is all about celebration with food.
[00:45:06] Are you with me?
[00:45:07] It's all about that.
[00:45:08] Taste and see that the Lord is good.
[00:45:12] That psalm is wonderful.
[00:45:13] A land, you know, God takes the people to the promised land, a land that is filled with milk and honey.
[00:45:21] Even Jesus celebrated with food.
[00:45:23] I have to remember that Jesus was also accused of being a glutton in Luke 7, verse 34.
[00:45:30] The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and people say, what a gluttonous man and a wine-bibber.
[00:45:37] Wine-bibber.
[00:45:38] I think you're talking about you, Jerry.
[00:45:40] And a friend of publicans and sinners.
[00:45:44] We don't just eat out of necessity.
[00:45:48] We eat for pleasure.
[00:45:50] And there's nothing wrong with that.
[00:45:52] So hear me say that, okay?
[00:45:54] I believe in that. But our struggle is that the body often wants more than it needs.
[00:46:05] I'm finding out now that in the age that I am, which is much younger than Jerry or Jeff Patton, I might say, that this age, what I found is that my BMI says that I should be as tall as Matthew
[00:46:24] bacon. I'm not. It's harder to process food, and it's always easier to out-eat our ability to burn the calories, and this is a struggle. There's more that we can say about food, but with regards to
[00:46:42] food justice, we are learning that when we come to a communion table like this, that it behooves us to ask questions about food. For Jesus practiced justice when it came to food. He fed hungry
[00:46:58] people. He didn't just feed Jewish hungry people. He went across the lake and he fed 4,000 Gentile people as well. Food was for everyone. Food was not limited to those that could deserve it or
[00:47:12] afford it or could do the paperwork for it. Our prayer for daily bread is, yes, it is about just what we need. And we have to get that concept of enough, but it's also that, that small quick
[00:47:25] phrase. They just don't, don't miss it. Give us this day, our daily bread. This is not a prayer just about you saying it for yourself. It's a prayer about this practice of justice that all
[00:47:41] may have enough, enough daily bread. It's about being mindful of those who go without. And so our tables can be opened up my friend rabbi mark um he talked about kosher laws and you know he's
[00:47:56] a reformed rabbi so uh you know they tend to be more progressive they're not as strict as the orthodox uh you know and i asked him one time i said um i said do you eat shellfish because that's
[00:48:08] not kosher and he goes i i don't in winston-salem you know but he but for him uh he wrote a really wonderful article and it got caught by the AP and went wild. It was even translated in contemporary
[00:48:23] Hebrew in Israel. And it was all about the kosher laws. And the kosher laws are meant to really keep the identity of who you are as a Jew, but it's also, it probably started with sanitation issues,
[00:48:36] right? And that the foods that you avoid because they were unclean. But he said the problem with that is, you can have kosher, I mean, you know, a box of Trix cereal is kosher, okay? Not healthy
[00:48:53] for you, right? Not really what you would call clean food, highly processed, mostly sugar, right?
[00:49:01] So he was saying that, you know, maybe we need to rethink kosher and rethink food justice.
[00:49:08] And so, you know, it needs to be about thinking about food that isn't cruel to animals or justice to farm workers or knowing where our food comes from and is it what our body needs, being mindful of that, which I thought was really interesting.
[00:49:25] Article took off, and it was very helpful, I think, for a whole lot of folks to learn about.
[00:49:33] So those are your lessons, your three lessons, you know.
[00:49:35] God is our provider, and we are dependent on God and our creation, where our food comes from.
[00:49:41] Also, the manna story is about enough, having enough.
[00:49:47] And even in the manna story, it's about our daily bread, not my daily bread.
[00:49:52] It's about everyone's daily bread.
[00:49:55] Everyone was provided for, regardless of whether they had lost the taste for manna or not.
[00:50:01] There's no telling what it must have tasted like.
[00:50:03] but it makes you wonder with that song, right?
[00:50:08] But this was the food that God had provided, and it was a symbol for us of enough.
[00:50:14] And so this is our challenge.
[00:50:16] As we come to this table to take just a small taste of bread.
[00:50:20] I've been talking about food, and I know you guys are getting hungry.
[00:50:24] But as we come to the table to remind ourselves that this is the bread of enough.
[00:50:29] This is the bread that God provides.
[00:50:32] This is the bread that is not ours alone, but it's for all.
[00:50:37] Would you pray with me?
[00:50:42] Gracious God, as we come to your table and as we eat a small meal, let us be reminded of the way in which you were practicing food justice for us, your provision of love and care by giving us what we need
[00:51:00] and by calling us out to not just possess it for ourselves, but to share it with one another.
[00:51:09] We pray this in your holy name.
[00:51:11] Amen.
[00:51:15] I got some helpers that are going to come up here with me.
[00:51:17] I think the first thing we're going to do is move this altar table so I can get behind it.
[00:51:21] Can you help me do this, Holly?
[00:51:23] If you can grab that, we're going to move it this way.
[00:51:28] Yeah, you will.
[00:51:31] Lightly.
[00:51:31] Perfect.
[00:51:33] Didn't burn the house down or anything.
[00:51:35] Excellent.
[00:51:39] Y'all can come on in here and join around.
[00:51:42] Come on back here with us, Holly.
[00:51:46] And friends, as we gather at the table today, I want to remind you all that we come to this table and that this is not just our table, but it is the table that Jesus calls us to.
[00:52:13] So, God, we give you thanks for this table that you have set for us, for the way in which you provide for us, for our needs.
[00:52:23] And we pray that you will feed us as a reminder that you are enough and that you satisfy the burning desire inside of us for more.
[00:52:35] Help us to know that and to understand and remember the way in which you practiced food justice.
[00:52:44] On the night in which Jesus gave himself up for us, he took bread and he gave thanks to you and he broke the bread.
[00:52:51] He gave it to his disciples and he said, Take, eat, this is my body which is broken for you.
[00:52:57] Do this in remembrance of me.
[00:53:00] And when the supper was over, Jesus took the cup and after giving thanks, gave it to the disciples and said, take this and drink from it, all of you, for this is the blood of the new covenant poured out for you
[00:53:12] and for many for the forgiveness of sin.
[00:53:14] Do this as often as you drink it in remembrance of me.
[00:53:18] And so we who gather at this table and take in these gifts of bread and wine, we ask that you bless them and that you bless all of us today so that you help us know that we are enough
[00:53:32] to share your love with the world.
[00:53:35] We pray this in your holy name. Amen.
[00:53:39] Friends, would you join with me as we pray the prayer that Jesus taught us to pray together?
[00:53:43] Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.
[00:53:48] Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
[00:53:53] Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
[00:54:07] For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.
[00:54:12] Amen.
[00:54:13] Well, I think you know the drill.
[00:54:33] I'm going to come down here by the center aisle.
[00:54:35] We'll give you a piece of the bread.
[00:54:36] You'll return back to your seats.
[00:54:40] And we'll serve these guys and our musicians first as we prepare to take communion together.
[00:54:49] I remind you, friends, this is not the table of our congregation or denomination.
[00:54:52] This is the table of Jesus.
[00:54:54] And that means all of you who are present are invited to come.
[01:01:07] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_05]
[01:01:07] Guys, stand up.
[01:01:10] Jump your feet and clap your hands up.
[01:02:18] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]
[01:02:18] I wasn't ready.
[01:02:26] Friends, go from this place and say your daily prayers for daily bread.
[01:02:32] But remember that it's not just your bread.
[01:02:35] It's bread for us all.
[01:02:37] And so we go with that blessing and we go to be a blessing for others.
[01:02:42] We go in the name of Christ our Lord, our creator, our sustainer, and our redeemer.
[01:02:47] Amen.
