EDITOR'S NOTE: In October 2017 I began a new venture as a synodically authorized minister at Faith Lutheran Church in Wolverton, Minn. The ride over the past 3 1/2 years has been an amazing journey of learning, growing and a deepening of my theological mind. This sermon took place on Aug. 4, the 11th week after Pentecost. For the summer, we moved to live Wednesday night services, that were simultaneously livestreamed.
This week's preaching text: John 6:35, 41-51
35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.
41 Then the Jews began to complain about him because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” 42 They were saying, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?” 43 Jesus answered them, “Do not complain among yourselves. 44 No one can come to me unless drawn by the Father who sent me; and I will raise that person up on the last day. 45 It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me. 46 Not that anyone has seen the Father except the one who is from God; he has seen the Father. 47 Very truly, I tell you, whoever believes has eternal life. 48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. 50 This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. 51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”
Message:
For those that have been hanging with us through the last three weeks, you all know we've talked about the fact that we are in this this discourse in the Gospel of John called "The Bread of Life Discourse." And you maybe know that it's five weeks long. And so, I hope that you will not be too put out tonight, but we are going to take a turn out of the "Bread of Life' tonight.
I'd like to talk a little bit about angels and those individuals like in our first reading tonight in Kings. Those people who come to us, and touch us, and encourage us, in those moments we most need it.
This is a quote: "Whether you're a small child or a coworker, people should always hear positivity." ... That was something with my dear friend and coworker Bob Lind said in a 2015 interview for a documentary about community news.
Bob, for those of you who don't know him, wrote the hugely popular newspaper column called "Neighbors" for The Forum. And he passed away this Monday night at the age of 88. I got to know Bob when I started at The Forum Way back in 2007. My first year, there he was a presence in the newsroom that you just couldn't ignore. But Bob had become a legend in the newsroom, and in this entire region, long before I ever met him.
In fact, Bob's career at The Forum began in 1969, and he retired in 1998, years before I ever walked into that newsroom. But because his "Neighbors" column which featured folksy news about this region's people and places and history and events ... because it was so popular, The Forum asked him to continue writing even in into his retirement, which he did for another 28 years. ... Right up until this spring when he suffered a stroke.
He was such a prolific writer, and fans loved contributing to his column so much, that The Forum will be able to publish his columns well into this fall because he had so many written in advance.
But it wasn't just Bob's writing talents that endeared people to Bob. It also was because of who he was as a person. And if you were ever lucky enough to meet him, you will know what I am talking about. ... Loved ones, family members, friends, coworkers, the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts that would come through our building and take tours of the newspaper. ... And even the anonymous reader. ... Bob loved everyone.
I don't mean the superficial way that so many of us pretending to love our neighbor. But actually true love of his neighbor. Because Bob's True North was his faith. It was rock solid, and it led every decision in his life, including whether or not to return to university after leaving for the Army during the Korean War. ... And whether or not to venture into journalism. And how he met his wife. ... God's faith guided everything he did. ... His family life, his work life, his community life.
In an interview just a few weeks ago, when Bob had went on hospice, he answered back to one of our reporters through writing because at that point he was incapable of communicating over the phone any longer. The reporter's question was: "What's your key to living the good life?" ... Bob's answer was: "Following the Lord Jesus."
As persnickety reporters will do, the reporter followed up with another question to try to get Bob to give a bit deeper answer. Question: "What has your faith mean to you over the last few months?" ... Bob's answer: "Just knowing I'll be with Jesus forever."
And finally, prodding one more time to get a deeper answer. Question: "Did your faith influence how you approach your "Neighbors" column? ... Answer: "I try to write in a way that's pleasing to Him." ... And that's God he is talking about.
Those are answers coming from one of those journalists, you know, who are supposed to be cynical and so estranged from faith. But that wasn't Bob. He didn't see a dichotomy between faith and journalism. You see, Bob never pushed his faith down anyone's throat. There was never anything aggressive or assertive about his faith. Because he didn't have to. ... By his very presence of showing Christ's light. ... Just by being around Bob you knew that he loved you. ... No matter who you were.
And even better: He made you want to be like him. ... Because Bob lived a life like Christ because he most assuredly had Christ living in him. ... Which is what reminded me this week as I reviewed the texts, it reminded me distinctly of tonight's first readings from Kings. ... You see, Bob was most assuredly one of God's angels here on earth. And if you remember back to our text, it was that angel who kept Elijah going time after time when he figured he was done, that he was at his breaking point.
I know that we stoic, Midwestern Lutherans get a little bit squeamish talking about such things such as angels being present here on earth. It might seem a little too mystical for some. ... But I'm absolutely certain that there are folks.
And by people, I mean people so in tune with Christ in this world that they are changed. ... That they are heavenly, and you can feel Christ's presence emanating from them. And that was Bob. ... And the way he cared for people was like the angel who tended to Elijah in tonight's reading. Because like Elijah, many of us followers of Christ hit points where we feel like we can't go on, and just when we've reached that breaking point, inexplicably, an angel appears with hotcakes and a jar of water. ... And maybe most importantly, with a little encouragement. ... You know, we get up and eat like Elijah. Otherwise, the journey will be too much for us.
And that was Bob. That was Bob's way into your heart. That was Bob's way of shining Christ's light. He had an uncanny knack of showing up in one's life at just the right moment, offering hotcakes and a jar of water to those in need. ... But most importantly, he was there to offer a few words of encouragement.
"I can't imagine how long this road has been for you and your family but keep going," Bob told me more than once. "The Lord's work that you will do will be the most important and the most rewarding work you will ever do." ... He said those words, or something like them, on more than one occasion over the past five and a half years as I journeyed through seminary. Again and again. Always giving those hot cakes and water.
Tonight, I'm wondering if, as you sit here and listen, if you've ever had your own times that you've felt like you've been Elijah. ... Because most assuredly, God does not promise us an easy life. He does not promise us a life void of troubles or pain. ... So I wonder if you can think of times when it could have only been an angel that sat down next to you. I wonder if you can recall any of those moments in your own life where someone helped to keep you moving in in your faith. ... Encouraged you to keep going and not give up.
Or maybe even tonight as we dwell on Bob and the story of Elijah, maybe this story reminds you of a time that you were that angel. Because, after all, that is what living like Christ is like, Faith Family.
Bob was a humble man. Never one to toot his own horn, I've never met a man who allowed the light of Christ to shine through him. ... And tonight, Bob is beckoning all of us to be Elijah's angel. ... To provide the food ... or the water ... or those few words of encouragement ... that somebody desperately is depending upon you.
And that is the Good News for this Wednesday, Aug. 4, the 11th week after Pentecost. ... Amen.
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