<!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><FONT size=5>
<P><FONT size=4>In Genesis 9:3-4, God explicitly forbids Noah and his
family (and thereby, all humans, because in the Biblical story,
since they are the only human survivors of the flood, all humans are
descended from them) from eating
blood:<BR> Every
living thing shall be food for you; and just as I gave you the green plants, I
give you
everything.<BR> Only,
you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT size=4>Malina and Rorhbaugh then point out that in Leviticus both blood
and the flesh of the kidney and its surrounding fat are ritually dedicated
exclusively for God: the blood is thrown on the altar; the kidney and its fat
are burnt. They comment:</FONT></P>
<BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr>
<P><EM><FONT size=4>Thus, the prohibitions of fat and blood (from human
consumption) single out those organs ... that serve as the seat of
life. Life is from God alone and belongs to God alone. To ingest fat or blood
is to strive to be like </FONT></EM><FONT size=4><EM>God. </EM><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Trebuchet MS; FONT-SIZE: 10px"><FONT
face="Times New Roman"><FONT size=4>Page</FONT> </FONT></SPAN></FONT><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Trebuchet MS; FONT-SIZE: 10px"><FONT size=4
face="Times New Roman">136.</FONT></SPAN></P></BLOCKQUOTE>
<P><FONT size=4>Thus, the crowd listening to Jesus would hear his words, "eat my
flesh and drink my blood," as blasphemy, as an abomination, as a violation of a
core belief about the Holy and our proper relationship with the Holy.
</FONT></P>
<P><A
href="http://www.holytextures.com/2009/07/john-6-51-58-year-b-pentecost-august-14-august-20-sermon.html"><FONT
size=4>http://www.holytextures.com/2009/07/john-6-51-58-year-b-pentecost-august-14-august-20-sermon.html</FONT></A></P>
<P><FONT size=4>David Ewart, United Church of Canada, 2009</FONT></P>
<P><FONT size=4>- - - - -</FONT></P>
<P><FONT size=4>The text calls us beyond being casual receivers of God’s bounty
John 6:1-16) and <EM>connected recognizers</EM> of God’s presence (John 6:17-26)
to a new <EM>committed relationship</EM> with Christ, the bread of
heaven.</FONT></P>
<P><A
href="http://jointhefeast.blogspot.com/2009/07/august-16-2009-john-651-58-martha.html"><FONT
size=4>http://jointhefeast.blogspot.com/2009/07/august-16-2009-john-651-58-martha.html</FONT></A></P>
<DIV><FONT size=4>Martha Rollins, Union Theological Seminary &
Presbyterian School of Christian Education, Richmond, VA 2009</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>- - - - -</FONT></DIV>
<DIV>
<P><FONT size=4>What bread and wine do we feed on, do we abide in? Do we abide
in the bread and wine of human reason? Experience? Logic? Do we abide in the
bread and wine of the Mosaic Passover, i.e. the Law? Or, do we abide in the
bread and wine that is the flesh and blood of Christ?</FONT></P>
<P><FONT size=4><A
href="http://www.crossings.org/theology/2009/theolo742.shtml">http://www.crossings.org/theology/2009/theolo742.shtml</A></FONT></P>
<P><FONT size=4>Bill White, Crossings Community, Chesterfield,
MO</FONT></P>
<P><FONT size=4>- - - - -</FONT></P><FONT size=4>
<P>In my own spiritual path, sometimes I’ve confused manna for living bread.
Both are God-given, but manna doesn’t nourish indefinitely. Think of manna as
the aspects of the church life that are suitable and grace-full but fleeting.
Manna is the preaching style of a certain pastor whom you love (but what do you
do when a new pastor comes along with a different style)? Manna is the program
ministry of the congregation, or the church’s music, wonderful and beneficial
but sometimes a source of disagreement. Manna is the small group to which you’re
attached -- but people move away and the group magic disappears. Manna is the
congregation that you love -- that you’d rather would never change. And what if
a crisis in your congregation brings out the worst in the people you trusted as
spiritual models? Our walk with Christ can be hampered, even ruined, when we
allow impermanent aspects of church to define our spiritual journey.</P></FONT>
<P><FONT size=4><A
href="http://www.religion-online.org/showarticle.asp?title=3421">http://www.religion-online.org/showarticle.asp?title=3421</A></FONT></P>
<P><FONT size=4>Paul Stroble, 2006</FONT></P>
<P><FONT size=4>- - - - -</FONT></P>
<P><FONT size=4><STRONG><EM>51</EM></STRONG><STRONG> I am the living bread
that came down from heaven. </STRONG>This is the only time that the phrase,
“living bread,” is used in the Scriptures and is parallel to Jesus saying that
he was the “living water” to the Samaritan woman at the well (John
4:10).</FONT></P>
<P><FONT size=4>Jesus is the source of life, the source of eternal life, the
source of the values of our daily lives, the source of love for our daily lives.
The basic food staple of the world is bread and Jesus is the basic spiritual
staple of the world. </FONT></P>
<P><FONT size=4><></FONT></P>
<P><FONT size=4>...the English word, “forever,” occurs 352 times in the whole
Bible; 302 times in the Old Testament and 52 times in the New Testament. It
occurs seven times in the four gospels and five times in the Gospel of John. In
other words, the word, “forever,” is important in this gospel. </FONT></P>
<P><FONT size=4><></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>Capernaum was in existence from the second century BCE. to the
seventh century CE. Capernaum was built along the edge of the Sea of Galilee and
had up to 1500 residents. <BR></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><A
href="http://www.sermonsfromseattle.com/series_b_holy_communion_GA.htm"><FONT
size=4>http://www.sermonsfromseattle.com/series_b_holy_communion_GA.htm</FONT></A></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>- - - - -</FONT></DIV>
<DIV>
<P><FONT size=4></FONT> </P></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>