LISTSERV 16.0 - HUNGERSERMONSTARTERS Archives

The lessons for each Sunday in the church year proclaim God’s grace in Jesus Christ. Also derived from a Sunday’s texts are lessons for the Christ-inspired and Christ-like life of God’s people. The comments here will help you find hunger-related threads – sermon starters – among the themes of this day’s texts. (We're presuming you have already done your exegetical work on the texts.) God bless your proclamation (and teaching) of what is most certainly true!

The collection of parables in this week’s Gospel underscores the incredible value of the Kingdom of God. The first parable, of the mustard seed, reminds us of the Kingdom’s humble beginnings (the smallest of seeds) and its humble fruition (mustard bushes are not exactly the cedars of Lebanon). Throughout history God has worked through the least and the smallest, and on behalf of those who are most vulnerable. Jesus in this collection of parables is telling us that this way of being and doing is more valuable that a pearl of great price and a treasure in a field. The question for us is do we believe it.

This passage opens with the image of clean flowing water for all. This is a pretty bold statement for a world where 1.1 billion people in the world have no access to safe drinking water. While you may be picturing villagers in Africa without access to a well, this occurs in the United States as well. Read about those who struggle to find clean water in Appalachia (Story - http://www.elca.org/Our-Faith-In-Action/Responding-to-the-World/ELCA-World-Hunger/Stories/By-Region/North-America/West-Virginia-s09.aspx). Water is not just essential for our physical existence but it is also necessary for our spiritual existence. As Christians we died with Christ in the waters of baptism to live a new life free from the bonds of sin. Since water holds such importance as the source of life we must work to ensure that all have access to clean water and, in turn, the life-giving water of Christ. To engage your congregation more with issues pertaining to water check out the Water Resources available here:http://www.elca.org/Our-Faith-In-Action/Responding-to-the-World/ELCA-World-Hunger/Resources/Water-Resources.aspx. Encourage your members to help by donating to ELCA World Hunger to purchase water jugs, water pumps and cisterns. Or challenge your whole congregation to raise funds to purchase a community rainwater catchment system or a well that will bring water to an entire village.

The feeding of the five thousand is a well known passage that has traditionally been interpreted as one of Jesus’ miracles. With only two fish and five loaves of bread a huge crowd was fed with 12 baskets of bread left over. But what if this passage is actually about the miracle of generosity rather than a miracle performed by Jesus? Imagine being a member in the crowd of the five thousand. Perhaps a lot of people in the crowd had their own personal meals that they had packed for themselves. No one would blame them for not wanting to share with anyone since they didn’t have enough for everyone. We all feel like those in the crowd of five thousand sometimes. We feel like our contributions aren’t making a big difference in the world. Hopelessness creeps into our thinking and immobilizes us.

Now imagine you are one in the crowd of thousands and you watch Jesus look to heaven, break bread and start passing it out with the clear intention to share with all. It’s inspiring to think that Jesus’ one act of generosity motivated all others with food to share with the rest of the crowd. With Jesus’ help our small contributions can combine with others’ to make a big change in the world. Jesus turns our concepts of self-preservation upside down and gives us a more global mind set. We might think that our small contribution won’t help in a big way but through the power of Christ all believers are called to be the change in the world. That’s the miracle of this passage. Visit this Web site to see ways that you can be the change: Water Resources - Donate - http://www.elca.org/Our-Faith-In-Action/Responding-to-the-World/ELCA-World-Hunger/Donate-Now/ELCA-Good-Gifts.aspx.

Lord, whose love in humble service		712
We come to the hungry feast		479
You satisfy the hungry heart		484