{"id":1660,"date":"2012-08-09T09:00:16","date_gmt":"2012-08-09T13:00:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/onscripture\/?p=1660"},"modified":"2012-10-25T15:22:16","modified_gmt":"2012-10-25T19:22:16","slug":"not-another-bread-passage-please-john-635-41-51","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/onscripture\/2012\/08\/not-another-bread-passage-please-john-635-41-51.html","title":{"rendered":"Not Another Bread Passage \u2026 Please! John 6:35, 41-51"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script type=\"text\/javascript\"><\/p>\n<p>  var _gaq = _gaq || [];\n  _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'UA-35874236-1']);\n  _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']);<\/p>\n<p>  (function() {\n    var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text\/javascript'; ga.async = true;\n    ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https:\/\/ssl' : 'http:\/\/www') + '.google-analytics.com\/ga.js';\n    var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s);\n  })();<\/p>\n<p><\/script><br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-thumbnail wp-image-1661\" title=\"Wiseman Headshot\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-media.beliefnet.com\/sites\/310\/2012\/08\/Wiseman-Headshot-150x116.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"75\" height=\"75\" \/><\/p>\n<p>By\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.odysseynetworks.org\/contributor\/dr-karyn-l-wiseman\">Dr. Karyn L. Wiseman<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Sometimes when I read a biblical text, it makes almost perfect sense to me. Other times, the author&#8217;s intent seems fairly obvious so I get a good feeling about what I am reading.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong>Watch the Video:\u00a0<\/strong><em>  ON Scripture: Jesus Is the Bread of Life<\/em><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><object id=\"flashObj\" width=\"650\" height=\"365\" classid=\"clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000\" codebase=\"http:\/\/download.macromedia.com\/pub\/shockwave\/cabs\/flash\/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0\" bgcolor=\"#FFFFFF\"><param name=\"flashVars\" value=\"videoId=1774105134001&amp;playerID=961751338001&amp;playerKey=AQ~~,AAAA3-z6Izk~,70dt0G6K4XP9jJGaqwc9VohXisAPIx8D&amp;domain=embed&amp;dynamicStreaming=true\" \/><param name=\"base\" value=\"http:\/\/admin.brightcove.com\" \/><param name=\"seamlesstabbing\" value=\"false\" \/><param name=\"allowFullScreen\" value=\"true\" \/><param name=\"swLiveConnect\" value=\"true\" \/><param name=\"allowScriptAccess\" value=\"always\" \/><param name=\"src\" value=\"http:\/\/c.brightcove.com\/services\/viewer\/federated_f9?isVid=1&amp;isUI=1\" \/><param name=\"flashvars\" value=\"videoId=1774105134001&amp;playerID=961751338001&amp;playerKey=AQ~~,AAAA3-z6Izk~,70dt0G6K4XP9jJGaqwc9VohXisAPIx8D&amp;domain=embed&amp;dynamicStreaming=true\" \/><param name=\"allowfullscreen\" value=\"true\" \/><param name=\"allowscriptaccess\" value=\"always\" \/><param name=\"swliveconnect\" value=\"true\" \/><param name=\"pluginspage\" value=\"http:\/\/www.macromedia.com\/shockwave\/download\/index.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveFlash\" \/><embed id=\"flashObj\" width=\"650\" height=\"365\" type=\"application\/x-shockwave-flash\" src=\"http:\/\/c.brightcove.com\/services\/viewer\/federated_f9?isVid=1&amp;isUI=1\" flashVars=\"videoId=1774105134001&amp;playerID=961751338001&amp;playerKey=AQ~~,AAAA3-z6Izk~,70dt0G6K4XP9jJGaqwc9VohXisAPIx8D&amp;domain=embed&amp;dynamicStreaming=true\" base=\"http:\/\/admin.brightcove.com\" seamlesstabbing=\"false\" allowFullScreen=\"true\" swLiveConnect=\"true\" allowScriptAccess=\"always\" flashvars=\"videoId=1774105134001&amp;playerID=961751338001&amp;playerKey=AQ~~,AAAA3-z6Izk~,70dt0G6K4XP9jJGaqwc9VohXisAPIx8D&amp;domain=embed&amp;dynamicStreaming=true\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" allowscriptaccess=\"always\" swliveconnect=\"true\" pluginspage=\"http:\/\/www.macromedia.com\/shockwave\/download\/index.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveFlash\" bgcolor=\"#FFFFFF\" \/><\/object><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p style=\"text-align:center;\"><em>Barbara K. Lundblad, Professor of Preaching at Union Theological Seminary, discusses the Biblical text John 6:35, 41-51, featured in the ON Scripture: The Bible article, &#8220;Not Another Bread Passage\u2026Please!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<p><\/br><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Is what Jesus offers such a fantastic feast that we go away feeling like we never need to eat again? Is it such an astonishing spiritual feast that we are fed by that gift continually from that time on? Is it a recurring need to reconnect to Christ to feel fed again and again? Or does that need vanish? What does this feel like?<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">What does it mean to feast on Jesus? Or to feast on the word \u2013 to take in the words of faith and to make them part of one\u2019s daily life and nourishment? What does it look like to be transformed by the Word of the Lord?<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">These are the questions that pop into my mind as I think about this week&#8217;s text. And then I think about my Granddad.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong>It\u2019s About Feasting<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">My grandfather was a West Texas cattle rancher and farmer. He raised Hereford beef cattle and grew corn, wheat and other grains. We ate some of the most amazing grass fed beef when we went to visit. These are the kinds of steaks people only dream of eating. Every holiday feast was like a moment out of a family holiday photo in Life Magazine. We were together as a family, feasting on the bounty God had blessed the farm and family with, and it was simply marvelous.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Granddad used to say we go to church on communion Sunday to feast on the bread and juice \u2013 on those and other Sundays we feast on the Word of God as well. He would say that &#8220;anyone who goes away hungry \u2013 it\u2019s their own dang fault.&#8221; The feast is laid out, the invitation is given, and the table is before us. So if we go away hungry, why did that happen? What is stopping us from joining in the feast?<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">But feasting is a word that many in our world do not comprehend on a personal level. We live in a world with staggering poverty. In Philadelphia where I live, the most recent hunger statistics state that 1 in 3 persons in my city are \u201cfood insecure or hungry.\u201d This is stunning to me. We live in a land of plenty, despite the economic downturn. We live in a world of abundance, but far too many of our brothers and sisters live without.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Looking more globally, there are places in our world where starvation and poverty are the reality for most. One in seven people on our planet are undernourished or hungry (according to www.WorldHunger.org). How do we talk about feasting in this environment?<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">I want to be who God calls me to be and make an impact in the world, sharing resources and offering assistance to those in need. Many will call me a socialist and deride my genuine care as a political agenda, but I believe no one should go hungry. Spiritually or physically.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">I know that one of the best ways to help is to instill a sense of worth that all are welcome to come to the table \u2013 to come to the Bread of Life. All persons deserve to receive the gift of abundant life.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">The truth is everyone \u2013 in spite of their life circumstances \u2013 needs to have hope. They need to see options for a better world. They need to envision a time and place when they are gifted with what God intends for them. This passage reminds me of that hope, that vision, and that gift. It brings us into deeper relationship with the one who is the Bread of Life &#8211; the one who feeds us over and over again.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong>And It\u2019s About Asking for More<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">I am reminded of the times I have been at the table of Holy Communion receiving the bread and cup and was moved in such astonishing ways. One Sunday I was serving communion to my son, who was about 4 at the time. I offered him the bread, saying, \u201cThis is the bread of life\u201d and he looked up at me and said, \u201cI want a BIG piece of Jesus.\u201d He knew this was a feast. He was asking for what all of us have a hard time finding the words to request \u2013 more. More God, spiritual nourishment, connections to the Holy, hope, abundance, being part of the Body of Christ, bread that keeps us from hungering, and belief that keeps us from thirsting.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">When we go away hungry, according to my grandpa, it&#8217;s our own fault. So what stops us?<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Sometimes circumstances try to block us from receiving and we have to do everything we can to overcome those obstacles to get to the gift. Sometimes it is the feeling that we are not worthy. This is a common misconception. Many mistakenly believe that they are too flawed to receive the bread of life and the cup of hope.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Well, my Granddad and my son taught me something powerful about that. The feast is there, I\u2019m invited, and I am worthy to receive the abundance of God&#8217;s love and grace. We all are invited. We all are worthy.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">We have to open ourselves to receive the gift. We have to make the effort to come to the table. We have to believe in the power of the meal, the cup and the Word. We have to believe we are worthy of the feast.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">I have finally learned that I am worthy.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">And so are you, my friends. So are you.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Learn more about the ON Scripture Editorial Board <a href=\"http:\/\/www.odysseynetworks.org\/on-scripture-editorial-board\" target=\"_blank\">Click here<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Learn more about ON Scripture <a href=\"http:\/\/www.odysseynetworks.org\/about-on-scripture\" target=\"_blank\"> Click here<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Like ON Scripture <a href=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/pages\/ON-Scripture\/145056738910191\" target=\"_blank\">Click here<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Follow ON Scripture <a href=\"http:\/\/twitter.com\/#%21\/OnScripture\" target=\"_blank\"> Click here <\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong>ON Scripture is made possible by a generous grant from the <\/strong><strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.lillyendowment.org\/\" target=\"_blank\">Lilly Endowment<\/a> <\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"text-align: left;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.lillyendowment.org\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/www.lillyendowment.org\/images\/logo_theendowment.gif\" alt=\"\" width=\"51\" height=\"52\" \/><\/strong><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/br><br \/>\n<\/br><br \/>\n<\/br><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By\u00a0Dr. Karyn L. Wiseman Sometimes when I read a biblical text, it makes almost perfect sense to me. Other times, the author&#8217;s intent seems fairly obvious so I get a good feeling about what I am reading. Watch the Video:\u00a0 ON Scripture: Jesus Is the Bread of Life Barbara K. Lundblad, Professor of Preaching at&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":465,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[398,403,397,189,400,396,240,246,399],"class_list":["post-1660","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-on-scripture","tag-barbara-k-lundblad","tag-bread","tag-dr-karyn-l-wiseman","tag-hunger","tag-john-6-35","tag-not-another-bread-passage","tag-odyssey-networks","tag-on-scripture-the-bible","tag-union-theological-seminary"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Not Another Bread Passage \u2026 Please! 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