Sunday Worship - 8th August 2021
Welcome to this morning's Worship service.
Worship today is led by Anne Whelpton (in church and via Zoom)
We normally worship in church each week and also via Zoom, with a recording of the Zoom meeting published by Monday morning. If you are not currently on our mailing list for Zoom please contact Rev Christine: christineamfox@gmail.com
Click below on the red play button to start this morning's service video. You can also find the service on YouTube here if it isn’t working on the blog.
God Bless x
If you'd like to connect with Grangewood please contact us.
Rev Christine Fox: christineamfox@gmail.com
Thank you to all those who have been part of arranging this week's service.
Below you can find this weeks Message. Click here to find the whole worship sheet.
Message
Once again we take a look at this very well-known verse from John’s Gospel. Bread We all know what “bread” is - essential for our bodily needs – sustains our lives. What did Jesus mean when he said “I am the bread of life”? For our lives we have bodily and spiritual needs for our wellbeing. For our Bodily needs – we need food, drink, and exercise. For our Spiritual needs – we need to think, for instance we have our own opinions and beliefs, relationships with other people. We may well ask what he meant when he said “I am the bread of life.” How did he show this in his life? How did he talk about it? We can look at the feeding of the 5000, when food was provided for the crowds who had followed him. But also, importantly – people brought their friends, and relatives who were sick, both in their bodies and with mental problems. They had heard Jesus healed people, which he did. How did he show concern for their spiritual needs? When he was with people, he always talked about things they could understand, things they were familiar with. They knew he told good stories, but these stories always had a deeper meaning and many would think about them and understand them. If we think about our spiritual needs we remember the parables. The Good Shepherd. A shepherd is looking for a lost sheep. He searched until he found it, and celebrated with his friends. God is like that shepherd. When someone is lost and feels that life has no meaning, God wants them back – they are precious to him – and their lives are meaningful to God. The parable of the Good Samaritan. A Jew is attacked by robbers who leave him for dead. He is helped by a Samaritan. Jews and Samaritans were enemies – they would certainly not help each other. The Samaritan cared for him and took him to an inn, paid the innkeeper and asked him to look after him. Jesus said God is like that – God loves everyone and is ready to help them. Jesus told us and showed us how we should live. His basic message was quite simple. “Go and love everyone, help people, those you love and those you find difficult to love. But we may well ask – What does this mean to people in 2021? It has to mean something for us in our lives today. It is not just history from 2000 years ago. Simply – go and show God’s love in your lives, in every circumstance. God will provide what you need. Easier said than done; particularly today when so many people are asking “where is God and his love in all this?” One may well feel despair. But look around, people helping one another. On our TVs we have been at the bedsides of the sick and dying. We see the doctors and nurses giving their all in this work, but let us not forget the other hospital staff – kitchen staff, cleaners, laundry workers and many other members of staff. In our old peoples’ homes the sick and the elderly, their staff and carers. Then there are the shop workers, council workers, food producers – we could go on. There are people shopping for others, helping neighbours (often these days people we don’t know). Making telephone calls, even saying “Hello” to people who may be strangers and chatting to them. On local TV the YMCA in one town decided to help with community work. We can all recall special examples, have you got a special one? Our three subjects today: Jesus said “I am the bread of life.” Our concerns this morning are for: Our bodily and spiritual needs. What Jesus showed us in what he said and did. Its relevance to us today. God’s message though Jesus: I can provide you with all you need in this life, both bodily and spiritually. I am the bread of life. You too can be the Bread of Life for those around you. Show love to everyone.