<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1" http-equiv=Content-Type>
<META name=GENERATOR content="MSHTML 8.00.6001.18812">
<STYLE></STYLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY bgColor=#ffffff>
<DIV><FONT size=4>It would have been as if our enslaved ancestors, who survived
on leftovers and scraps, were welcomed as guests at an endless buffet. Jesus’
audience sees in him an end to their perpetual hunger. Those just barely getting
by on others’ leftovers are finally filled. A story like this resonates with us
as a people used to leftover books in public schools, leftover neighborhoods in
dilapidated inner-cities, and leftover jobs that nobody else would do. In fact,
the only thing we are used to getting enough of is cells in the countless new
prisons where one in nine of our men are housed. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><These lectionary commentaries are specially designed to
address the liturgical moments of significance to most African American
Christians.> </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><A
href="http://www.theafricanamericanlectionary.org/PopupLectionaryReading.asp?LRID=46"><FONT
size=4>http://www.theafricanamericanlectionary.org/PopupLectionaryReading.asp?LRID=46</FONT></A></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>Rodney S. Sadler Jr., Lectionary Team Commentator</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>- - - - -</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>When I first worked on these notes I had just finished
reading, <I>Sacred Cows Make Gourmet Burgers</I>, by William Easum. The "sacred
cow" he is trying to fry in this book is <B>control</B>. "Established churches
must either cease worshiping the god of control, or they perish!" [p. 9]. "...
making decisions and controlling what happens is more important in established
churches than making disciples" [p. 12].</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><></FONT></DIV>
<DIV>
<P align=justify><FONT size=4>A very interesting contrast is being made with
regard to the church of the future. On one hand, experts are saying that a
congregation's agenda needs to be set by the needs of the consumer (e.g., the
unchurched). On the other hand, I believe that most of congregations are full of
"consumer" Christians -- those who are involved primarily for what they can get
out of it, rather than "contributing" Christians -- those who are involved
primarily for what they can give to the ministry of the body.</FONT></P>
<P align=justify><FONT size=4><></FONT></P>
<P align=justify><FONT size=4>In my experience, people can "place in stone" a
past gracious act of God so that they are unable to see the present activities
of God. Adults who brag about their long line of perfect attendance at Sunday
school with attendance pins to prove it, but have little contact with church as
an adult. I've heard testimonies from people about the wonderful way God saved
them or healed them way back in history. I wonder, "What is God doing in their
lives now?" The phrase, "We've always done it this way," may blind one to the
present activities of the God who is making all things new (Rev. 21:5). Even in
our tradition, some people may figure, I was baptized as an infant and that's
enough.</FONT></P>
<P align=justify><FONT size=4>Although Martin Luther wrote some wonderful things
about God's grace being conveyed through the sacrament of baptism, he ends the
baptism section in the Small Catechism by talking about "daily baptism." It is
our walk with God today -- in the present -- that is important.</FONT></P>
<P align=justify><A href="http://www.crossmarks.com/brian/john6x24.htm"><FONT
size=4>http://www.crossmarks.com/brian/john6x24.htm</FONT></A></P>
<P align=justify><FONT size=4>Brian Stoffregen</FONT></P>
<P align=justify><FONT size=4>- - - - -</FONT></P>
<P align=justify> Nothing is free, or so it seems, and so the crowd asks
Jesus what duty they have to perform for God to get this bread. Jesus' answer is
actually too simple; the gospel is always too simple. Anyway, the crowd thinks
that just trusting Jesus that he will come up with this amazing bread for the
asking, is stretching reality a bit. </P>
<P align=justify><FONT size=5><></FONT></P>
<P align=justify><FONT size=4><STRONG>v29</STRONG> </FONT></P>
<P class=indent><FONT size=4>[Greek] to ergon tou qeou - "<B>the work of
God</B>" - Note, the work is now singular. Often classed as an objective
genitive, God receives the action, our "spiritual labor", Lindars, and sometimes
a subjective genitive in that God produces the action, in the sense of "the work
that God does", ie. accomplishes in Jesus such that those who believe in him
(eat him [figuratively of course]) receive the gift of eternal life. It can be
argued that it is plenary, ie. both objective and subjective. It may also be
argued that not only is the possibility of life through faith a work of God, in
the sense that he makes it possible, but that also the response of faith itself
is God's work in that he gives the faith to those he calls ("no man comes to me,
except the Father..... draw him"). Of course, a simple adjectival sense can
explain the genitive, where the genitive "of God" limits "work", producing the
type of work required by God, namely, reliance (faith, belief) in the reliant
one. "God wants you to have faith in the one he sent", CEV.</FONT></P>
<P align=justify><A
href="http://www.lectionarystudies.com/studyg/sunday18bg.html"><FONT
size=4>http://www.lectionarystudies.com/studyg/sunday18bg.html</FONT></A></P>
<P align=justify><FONT size=4>Rev. Bryan Findlayson</FONT></P>
<P align=justify><FONT size=4>- - - - -</FONT></P>
<P align=justify><FONT size=4>In the text's move from the bread of earth to the
bread of heaven, one should not accuse John of "spiritualizing" the gospel and
ignoring human need. Check out John 6:5 and James 2:15-16. That's why "Bread for
the World." Feeding the hungry is indeed a good, lively and godly work!
</FONT></P>
<P align=justify><A
href="http://www.crossings.org/theology/2009/theolo740.shtml"><FONT
size=4>http://www.crossings.org/theology/2009/theolo740.shtml</FONT></A></P>
<P align=justify><FONT size=4>Norb E. Kabelitz, 2009</FONT></P>
<P align=justify><FONT size=4>- - - - -</FONT></P>
<P align=justify><FONT size=4></FONT> </P></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV></BODY></HTML>