Jesus was able to produce enough food to feed all the people, and he was able to calm the storm. In our service today let us receive his nourishment and allow him to calm any storms that we might have.
Invitation to Confession:
Jesus, sometimes we reject the food you offer and blame our storms on you.
Lord, have mercy.Jesus, sometimes we fail to trust that you always have our best interests at heart.
Christ, have mercy.Jesus, sometimes we are unable to believe that you can work miracles for us.
Lord, have mercy.
Reading:
John 6:1-21
After this Jesus went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, also called the Sea of Tiberias. [2] A large crowd kept following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing for the sick. [3] Jesus went up the mountain and sat down there with his disciples. [4] Now the Passover, the festival of the Jews, was near. [5] When he looked up and saw a large crowd coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, "Where are we to buy bread for these people to eat?" [6] He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he was going to do. [7] Philip answered him, "Six months' wages would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little." [8] One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to him, [9] "There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish. But what are they among so many people?" [10] Jesus said, "Make the people sit down." Now there was a great deal of grass in the place; so they sat down, about five thousand in all. [11] Then Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated; so also the fish, as much as they wanted. [12] When they were satisfied, he told his disciples, "Gather up the fragments left over, so that nothing may be lost." [13] So they gathered them up, and from the fragments of the five barley loaves, left by those who had eaten, they filled twelve baskets. [14] When the people saw the sign that he had done, they began to say, "This is indeed the prophet who is to come into the world." [15] When Jesus realized that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain by himself. [16] When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea, [17] got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. [18] The sea became rough because a strong wind was blowing. [19] When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were terrified. [20] But he said to them, "It is I; do not be afraid." [21] Then they wanted to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the land toward which they were going.
Story:
The juxtaposition of these stories in John's gospel seems to indicate that they are connected in some way. Perhaps we need proper nourishment if we're to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus. In Matthew's version (Matthew 14:22-33), Peter tries to walk on the water towards Jesus, but fails to keep focussed on Jesus and nearly comes to disaster. This is the version on which I've based today's story. I've tried to link the idea of nourishment with fitness, but also to emphasise the importance of keeping focussed upon Jesus.
A Terrifying Walk
Cameron wasn't very good at gym and he didn't much enjoy it. He could barely turn a somersault let alone perform a handspring or back flip. And when the vaulting equipment came out, he groaned. He hated trying to jump over things and the springboard never seemed to give him much spring at all.
Part of the problem was that he was a little on the chubby side. At least, that's what his mother said as she fondly fed him with chocolate bars. "You'll grow out of it, lovey," she cried. "It's only puppy fat."
Cameron cringed when she said anything like that, and cast a furtive glance around him to see if any of his friends had heard. He knew he'd never live it down if they had, and the teasing was already so awful that he though he'd curl up and die if it got any worse. He was universally known at school as "Fatty", and only his even temper and good sense of humour enabled him to survive.
But there was one gym activity at which Cameron excelled. He was very good at balance. His heart lifted when he saw the balance beam, for he knew he could outshine the whole class and suddenly he seemed almost weightless as he easily and delicately walked the length of the beam.
Each week the balance beam was lifted higher, until only Cameron and one other boy dared to walk it. It became a challenge between the two of them, and Cameron was determined to win. There were thick PE mats below the beam, so that if either of them fell they were unlikely to hurt themselves, and the whole class crowded round to catch them if they should come tumbling down.
Cameron was exhilarated. He felt he could go higher and higher, and almost believed he was in the circus on a tight-rope. The other boy eventually dropped out, but Cameron insisted that the beam be raised even more. He wanted to prove himself, and to prove that he could do something which no-one else dared to try.
Eagerly he climbed up to the highest level and began to walk along the bar. But it was so high that even he felt a glimmer of fear as he glanced down.
"Fix your eyes on something ahead of you. Don't look down," instructed his gym teacher, urgently. "You can do it, Cameron. You just need to believe you can do it."
Cameron took a deep breath and fixed his eyes on a mark on the opposite wall. He clenched his teeth and his fists, willing himself not to look down. Then he found himself praying, a quick, fervent prayer. "Please help me, Jesus," he said in his head, over and over again. It was the scariest walk of his life, but he made it. When he arrived at the other side, he legs felt like jelly, but the whole class crowded round him, congratulating him. He became something of a hero for the first time in his life.
After the class his gym teacher took him to one side. "You did very well today, Cameron," he said. "If you ate the right sort of food and trimmed your weight a bit, you could be as good at gym as any of these boys here. You have it in you. You just need to keep focussed."
Cameron was so pleased that he determined to lose weight. As he stopped eating sweets and chocolates he was amazed at how well he began to feel and at how much more athletic he became. Sometimes it was difficult to stick to his diet, but he kept saying over and over to himself, "Please help me, Jesus." Soon he was competing with all the boys, and he suddenly noticed that nobody called him "Fatty" any more.
Cameron grew up to be an athletics coach. But he always kept his eyes on Jesus to see him through.
Activity:
You need:
Lots of pictures of food, from magazines
etc.
Either:
A large sheet of paper, glue, and felt tip pens or
crayons
Or:
Communion vessels and elements, a Bible and Bible reading
notes, a cross, a book of prayers, a worship book
Ask the children what food they like best, then ask them whether or not they think this food is good for them - produces healthy bones and muscles and teeth, and helps them to grow. Ask them to sort through the pictures of food, selecting only food they like. From this selection, ask them to sort again, this time into two piles. One pile should be food they like but which they don't think is particularly good for them, the other pile should be food they like which they think is good for them. Out of the remaining pile of food they don't like, get them to sort out food which is good for them. Compare the piles. Which has most pictures? Why? What would happen if we always ate food we liked but which wasn't good for us? What would happen if we never ate food which was good for us? Point out that we only need a little of some food - vitamins, minerals, trace elements - but without that food we would become ill (scurvy through lack of vitamin C, rickets through lack of vitamin D, night blindness through lack of vitamin A, etc.)
Now ask the children about the food which Jesus provides for us - worship, prayer, Holy Communion, special places and special times, love, friendship etc. - the children may be able to think of more. Ask them which they like and which they don't like. Ask them what would happen if we never ate Jesus' food which was good for us? Point out that just a little of Jesus' food will keep us healthy and that at the picnic he took just a few loaves and a few fish and produced sufficient food to nourish everybody.
Finally, produce either a drawing or display of food to nourish our bodies and food to nourish our souls and show to the whole church.
Diary Time: For details, click here.
Talk about storms and ask the children whether they've ever been caught in a storm and what it felt like. Some children may be frightened of lightning and thunder, others may be exhilarated by it, but point out that it can be dangerous. Ask them whether they've had any awful times in their lives which have felt a bit like the storms they have experienced. Talk about Jesus walking on the sea and ask them whether they think Jesus is able to walk towards them to calm the storms of their lives. Some may have experience of this. They can write or draw something of this in their diaries.
Intercession:
Jesus, Lord of the sea, when storms hit our church and our community, help us to turn to you and trust in your power to walk on those stormy waters.
Jesus, provider of nourishment, many people in the world are always hungry. Help us to be so concerned about them that we give sufficiently to help them find the food they need. May our politicians be determined to see the end of hunger in our world.
Jesus, Lord of the sea, when the sky is blue and cloudless we are calm and happy. But storms often arise from nowhere. Help us to be so embedded in you that when the weather changes and the sea of our lives becomes rough, we see you calmly walking towards us.
Jesus, provider of nourishment, poor food gradually makes us ill and poor spiritual food gradually makes our souls sick. We pray for all who are sick in body, mind or soul, asking you to lay your healing hands upon them as we name them before you ...
Blessing:
May our Lord walk towards you
whenever you see
storms on the horizon.
May you receive the nourishment from our Lord
that you both need and desire.
And the blessing of God almighty,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
be with you now,
be in your homes and in your families
and with all those whom you love
and for whom you pray,
now and always.
Amen.
