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<div style="font-family:arial,helvetica;font-size:10pt;color:black">-----Original Message-----<br>
From: Frank Fisher <f.fisher.obl.osb@comcast.net><br>
To: SBA <SBA@SBAbbey.com>; sermonshop.sermons.topic <sermonshop.sermons.topic@ecunet.org>; PRCL-L <PRCL-L@LISTSERV.LOUISVILLE.EDU>; propertalk.topic <propertalk.topic@ecunet.org>; midrash <midrash@joinhands.com><br>
Sent: Fri, Jul 29, 2011 9:59 pm<br>
Subject: [propertalk.topic] Being Bread<br>
<br>
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<pre style="font-size: 9pt;"><tt>I've been up to my neck in VBS this week, but here's my draft for Sunday
using the Matthew pericope.
__
Frank R. Fisher, Obl OSB
<a href="http://www.ffisher.net" target="_blank">www.ffisher.net</a>
Interim Pastor
First Presbyterian Church of Kewanee, IL
<a href="http://www.fpckewanee.org" target="_blank">www.fpckewanee.org</a>
Elmira United Presbyterian Church
<a href="http://www.elmiraunited.org" target="_blank">www.elmiraunited.org</a>
aka
Brother Oscar Romero
Oblate of St. Benedict's Abbey
Bartonville, IL
<a href="http://www.SBAbbey.com" target="_blank">www.SBAbbey.com</a>
"When you were born, you cried and the world rejoiced. Live your life so
that when you die, the world cries and you rejoice."-Cherokee proverb
_____________________________
Once
there was a small field of grain;
a field owned,
sown,
and carefully tended
by the a loving Creator.
The field was blessed by the sun
and gently watered
by the gentle rains.
It had rich black soil
in which to grow its crops.
But the field
thought itself to be
much too small
and unimportant.
"I'm so small!
Nothing
worthwhile can grow here,"
the field declared
in despair.
"Nonsense,"
replied the field's Creator.
"Stop despairing
and concentrate
on what you are!
Rejoice
that you are a field!
I've placed wonderful seed
in your soil.
You can bring in
a bountiful yield!"
The field didn't listen.
When it came time
for the harvest,
it offered up
a fine sack
of rich grain
to the Creator.
Repeatedly it apologized
to the Creator in despair.
"I've produced so little
for all the work you put into me,"
sobbed the field.
"That's not true,"
the Creator reassured it.
You have produced
a fine yield;
a yield
which will bring
many blessings
in the work
of my Kingdom.
Once
there was a small sack of grain.
It was a fine sack of wheat
which had been grown
in a fertile field.
It had been kept carefully dry
and free
from any mold or blight.
And it was ready
to be milled into flour
and baked
into loaves of bread.
But the sack of wheat
thought itself
too small
and unimportant
for the task at hand.
"Why don't you just use me
to feed the birds,"
said the small sack of grain?
"I'm so small
that nothing good
can come out of me.
I'm not worth the effort
of milling
and baking.
I won't produce
any yield at all!"
"That's not true,"
the sack's Creator replied.
"Stop despairing
and concentrate
on what you are.
You're a fine
sack of wheat
who will produce
fine bread.
Rejoice
in what you are,
and in the people
you will feed."
The small sack of wheat
didn't listen.
When it had been milled
into flour
it was baked
into five small loaves
of fine bread.
That,
thought the sack of wheat,
was not enough.
Repeatedly
it apologized
to the Creator in despair.
"I've produced so little
for all the work
you put into me,"
sobbed the wheat.
"That's not true,"
the Creator reassured it.
You have produced a fine yield;
a yield
which will bring
many blessings
in the work
of my Kingdom.
Once
there were five small loaves
of bread.
They were rich loaves
of bread.
They had only been baked
the day before
so they were
nice and fresh.
And the smell
rising from them
was enough
to drive a hungry person
to distraction.
But the five small loaves
of bread
thought themselves
to be too few
to be any good
to anyone at all.
"There are so many
hungry people
in the world,"
the loaves
called out in despair.
"We are so few.
and so small
that we will do
no good at all.
You might as well
break us up
for crumbs
and throw us
onto the ground!"
"Now that's silly,"
the loaves' Creator replied.
"You are fine loaves
who will feed
many people;
people who would
starve without you."
But the loaves didn't listen
and continued to despair.
"Watch what I do,"
the loaves' Creator told them.
"Watch and see
how your yield
will do the work
of my Kingdom."
Then the loaves' Creator
lifted them
toward heaven,
blessed them,
and broke them.
Then they were given
to the Creator's children.
And those children
turned away
from the Creator
and walked into a crowd
of thousands upon thousands
of people.
Each of those people
took large parts
of the loaves
to eat.
At first
the loaves thought
this was silly.
"There aren't enough of us,"
they cried out!
"We can never feed
everyone here!"
But as each person was fed
there was enough
left for the next.
Then there was enough
left for the next
and for the next
after that,
and for the next person
too.
And as the Creator's children
gathered up the leftovers
in twelve baskets,
the loaves realized
they'd fed
all those thousands upon thousands
of people.
The loaves rejoiced then
and knew their Creator
had been right.
Although they'd been small
and few
they had given
an important yield
toward the work
of the Creator's Kingdom.
They knew too
their story would be told
in many places;
places that were
from small places;
places that were
very small
in numbers;
places who would be tempted
to try
only to survive
instead of to thrive
because they believed
they were too small
to take any risk.
"Remember us,"
the five small loaves declared.
"We were few
and small.
Yet we
who were small
produced a great yield
in the work
of the Creator's Kingdom.
You are now the bread
to feed the Creator's people.
Rejoice
for you have gifts;
gifts that are needed
to feed many who are hungry.
Rejoice
for you have time.
It may not be much
but how much time
does it take
to feed someone
a piece of bread.
Rejoice,
for you have resources;
resources
that may seem too few
if you keep them to yourselves;
resources
that will blossom
to do more and more and more
if used
toward the work
of the Creator's kingdom.
Be bread.
Offer yourselves,
all you have,
and all you are
to the Creator's people.
Then stand back
and watch the miracle
occur.
For you will bring
in an important yield
in the work of the Creator's Kingdom."
To God alone be glory.
Amen.
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