[Propertalk] Sermon ideas - Part 1

[Joe Parrish]

Resources for Proper 13
 
Matthew 14:13-21  - "Our Lord’s Abundant Table"
Matthew 14:13-21 - "Finger Food" by Leonard Sweet
Matthew 14 the, sermon title “Our Lord’s Abundant Table" 
 
Charles Swindoll tells a funny story about a nine-year-old named Danny who came bursting out of Sunday school like a wild stallion. His eyes were darting in every direction as he tried to locate either mom or dad. Finally, after a quick search, he grabbed his Daddy by the leg and yelled, "Man, that story of Moses and all those people crossing the Red Sea was great!" His father looked down, smiled, and asked the boy to tell him about it.

"Well, the Israelites got out of Egypt, but Pharaoh and his army chased after them. So the Jews ran as fast as they could until they got to the Red Sea. The Egyptian Army was gettin' closer and closer. So Moses got on his walkie-talkie and told the Israeli Air Force to bomb the Egyptians. While that was happening, the Israeli Navy built a pontoon bridge so the people could cross over. They made it!

By now old dad was shocked. "Is THAT the way they taught you the story?"

Well, no, not exactly," Danny admitted, "but if I told you the way they told it to us, you'd never believe it, Dad."

With childlike innocence the little guy put his finger on the pulse of our sophisticated adult world where cool skepticism reigns supreme. It's more popular to operate in the black-and-white world of facts…and, of course, to leave no space for the miraculous.

And so when we read the story of the feeding of the five thousand, we tend to focus our attention on the question, "Did it really happen?" There have been a number of attempts to "explain" the miracle. One attempt says that the people were so moved by Jesus' generosity and the generosity of the little boy that they brought forth the food they had hidden under their clothes and in their traveling pouches. This way everyone was satisfied. Another theory says that the story is not really talking about physical hunger but spiritual hunger. When the small amount of food was passed around everyone tore off a minuscule symbolic fragment. In this Jesus is said to have satisfied the thirst of the soul not the stomach.

I think these questions say more about us than they do Jesus. If Jesus is the Messiah, and I believe he is, then there is no question but that he performed miracles, and on a regular basis. The point of the story of feeding of the five thousand is not to prove that miracles happen. The point of the story is to teach us three things:
 
1. Jesus is the Fulfillment of the Word.
2. We Are to Serve at the Table of the Lord.
3. We Can Use Our Abilities in Service.
 
The rest of this sermon following the outline above can be obtained by joining http://www.sermons.com/signup
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 Matthew 14, the sermon titled "Finger Food" by Leonard Sweet  
 
Sticks, forks, fingers: the three ways people of the world eat their food. The majority today still use fingers, as has been the case throughout history. In fact, forks were unknown until the 10th century. Knives and spoons only appear in 5th the century. 
 
Jesus ate with his fingers.
 
We all still love to eat with our fingers. Ever notice that the first food to disappear on a buffet table is always the “finger food?” The first to go are those little bites and nibbles we can pick up, pop in, and chow down, without having to mess around with a knife, fork, or spoon.
 
Every culture has its own favorite finger foods— hors d’oeuvres, tapas, dimsum, pupu. Whatever shape these morsels take they are as fast and easy to eat as they are time-consuming and challenging to make. Chopping, rolling, filling, and frying a table full of one-at-a-time bite-sized creations takes a lot more hands-on time than throwing a big turkey or pot roast in the oven to cook. But all the effort is worth it. For the pleasure of eating a variety of perfect little one-bite goodies with our fingers.
 
Maybe eating with our fingers recalls in us one of our first “accomplishments” as toddlers. Watch any baby just learning how to use that great gadget known as “the opposable thumb” to pick up Cheerios off their high chair tray — or more likely, the floor — and you will see their eyes light up with delight when they finally snag that little round “O.” Getting the cereal off the tray and then actually into the mouth is a moment of pure triumph and joy…
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Hunger Crisis: North Africa 2011
 
As we read this lectionary this week, we are also learning of the terrible famine and refuge crisis in East Africa. Drought has lead to some of the worst hunger seen in 60 years. According to the UN, more than 10 million people are threatened by starvation in Somalia, Ethiopia, and Kenya. Relief agencies are responding now and expect to see the situation continue for at least the next few months. Here are links you may wish to share with your community.
 
Samaritan’s Purse
http://www.samaritanspurse.org/index.php/articles/food_crisis_in_kenya/#
 
UMCOR
http://new.gbgm-umc.org/umcor/newsroom/releases/archives2011/hornofafrica/
 
We are praying for the people of these countries, as well as the missionaries and aid workers responding to the disaster. 
 
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Before We Taste Abundance
 
How often it is that we do not seek God from the fullness of our lives, but from the dearth. We are regularly reminded that as Christians, we do best when we live out of our ‘theology of abundance’ rather than scarcity. However, the reality is we more clearly see our need for God from our times and places of pain. Even Jesus took time to go “to a deserted place by himself”. He knew he needed to clear his mind of all the insults, false accusations and the conceit. Before we taste of the abundance given to us from God through Christ, we are invited to the deserted place apart. We are invited to come to a place of hunger. We are called toward a time of separation so that we can more clearly focus on who and what we have. 
 
Wanda Copeland, Reflection on Matthew 14: 13-21.
 
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The Loaves and Fishes Still Work 

Educator Parker J. Palmer was en route to a conference when the plane he was on made an unexpectedly long layover at an airport. A truck that was supposed to deliver the refreshments for the next leg of the journey broke down. Finally the pilot decided that it was more important to get his passengers on their way than to wait for the snacks to arrive, so he took off.

As soon as they were in the air the passengers started grumbling. “A ticket is a contract,” one said loudly, “and snacks are part of the contract.” “I ought to sue,” another muttered. A man stood up and said, “I’m a lawyer. How many are willing to join in a class action suit?” A minor mutiny was in the works.

Then something interesting happened. A flight attendant came on the public address system. She began with the familiar information on such flights: “Ladies and gentlemen, the captain has turned off the seatbelt lights. We have now attained a cruising altitude of 30,000 feet.” Then she said something quite extraordinary: “Having served many of you on the first leg of this flight, I know some of you still have your bags of peanuts, which you stuffed in your pocket. How many do we have? Five? Please open them and share them with the people around you. I’m sure some of you have mints. Would you pass these around, also? Those of you with newspapers, you can only read one section at a time. Spread the other sections around for others to read. Some of you are parents or grandparents. Take out the pictures of your children or grandchildren and show them to others.” With that brief announcement she changed the emotional climate of that flight.

Later, when the flight attendant came near Parker Palmer’s seat he asked her, “What’s your name? What’s the name of your supervisor? I want to write a letter of commendation. That was the best example of group leadership I’ve ever seen.”

To which, she replied, “The loaves and fishes still work.”

King Duncan, Collected Sermons, www.Sermons.com 
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“You Feed Them.”
 
Tony Campolo is a professor of sociology and a popular speaker. He was once invited to a women's conference where he was to give a major address. These women were being challenged to raise several thousand dollars for a mission project goal. While Campolo was sitting on the dais, the chairperson turned to him and asked him if he would pray for God's blessing as they considered their individual responses to the goal. Campolo stood and--to the utter amazement of everyone present--graciously said "no." He approached the microphone and said, "You already have all the resources necessary to complete this mission project right here within this room. It would be inappropriate to ask for God's blessing, when in fact God has already blessed you with the abundance and the means to achieve this goal. The necessary gifts are in your hands. As soon as we take the offering and underwrite thismission project, we will thank God for freeing us to be the generous, responsible and accountable stewards that we're called to be as Christian disciples." And they did. 

Wow! Leave it to Tony Campolo to hit the nail right on the thumb! Jesus says, "You feed them!" And we can! This is a rich world and we are rich people!



King Duncan, “You Feed Them!”
 
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