Cravings

Psalm 78:23-29 (NRSV)
Manna rains down

Yet he commanded the skies above,
and opened the doors of heaven;
he rained down on them manna to eat,
and gave them the grain of heaven.
Mortals ate of the bread of angels;
he sent them food in abundance.
He caused the east wind to blow in the heavens,
and by his power he led out the south wind;
he rained flesh upon them like dust,
winged birds like the sand of the seas;
he let them fall within their camp,
all around their dwellings.
And they ate and were well filled,
for he gave them what they craved. 

 Think for a moment about what it means to "crave".  People tell stories of husbands sent out at 3 am for vanilla ice cream and dill pickles because the pregnant wife has a "craving" for something unusual. 

It seems that cravings go deeper than preferences or favorite foods.  A craving may catch you by surprise.  It may be something that is never on your menu or that you normally taste in tidbits.  Suddenly you have a nearly uncontrollable and unanticipated desire for this -- and it seems that you simply can't get enough of it. 

The psalmist speaks of God's ability to nourish us in spaces we didn't know existed, with sustenance that surpasses any desire we may express. 

This weekend, be on the lookout for cravings -- and trust that in God's presence you will be well filled with what you crave. 

You are what you eat

It is true -- what you consume deeply influences how your body functions.  Malnutrition is possible even though you eat your fill.  On the other hand, people who are fasting from food often report that they are spiritually satisfied in ways that no food can offer.  

Do you remember this story from Pastor Randy's sermon?  

Christian author Max Lucado writes of enduring a particularly bumpy airplane flight.  During the flight, he heard a passenger behind him breaking up with laughter.  None of the other passengers could find much to smile about, so Lucado was intrigued by this man's obvious enjoyment.  He learned that the man was listening to a comedy station on the airplane's headphone system.  This man seemed to be the only one listening to the comedian, so he was the only one enjoying his flight.  No one else could hear what it was that kept him so amused.

            In many ways we are like the man with the headphones, we are listening to a different type of message than the world is giving and often hearing.  It is when we keep in tune with the bread of life, can we begin to view the challenges, difficulties, joys and travels of this life with a different set of  ideas, morals, and understanding.  With the bread of life, we can see through the different hungers of this world. 

            We have been thinking of the way Christ roots us in purpose and meaning, and the way being "in" Christ directs our choices.  We are fed spiritually when we choose to gather around Jesus.  We consume the bread of life as we open our hearts, minds and souls to Christ.

             When we gather around Jesus, God's Spirit begins to saturate every aspect of our being.  Our awareness of what is true, what is just, what is gentle and what is loving expands.  As long as we walk the earth, we face the same situations as people who don't know Christ.  But because of Christ at the center of our faith, we have a focus that helps us to navigate through trials of human suffering.  As we move in faith we leave behind us a wake of Christian hope, love and justice for all.

Externals and internals

Consider these words from Pastor Randy's sermon on Sunday regarding the people who were coming to see  and be with Jesus.

Jesus knew what they were after.  They wanted more miracles. They wanted more bread.  Many were following him--not because they believed he was the Christ, but because they felt he could do things for them no one else could do. Heal their bodies, feed their stomachs, and enliven their weddings.  But as we know Jesus was not doing these things as an end in themselves but to point to and show signs of the Kingdom of God.

Why do you want to spend time with Christ?  Are you looking for temporary relief?  Are you coming because somebody taught you that it is an important thing to do from time to time (every 7 days or every other week?)  Or perhaps you are open to transformation.  Perhaps you want to be molded and shaped in a new way.

What are your motives?  How do they express or affect your general sense of purpose, meaning and direction?  

Leading up to this weekend

From Pastor Randy (while preparing for this week's sermon)....

We search for our purpose -- individually and together.  Our purpose helps us see what has meaning for us.  Then we ask questions about that meaning -- Its source?  Why has that purpose been given to us?  Where does it lead?  How do we respond? 

Finding the light

Read the story to the right about the visitor looking for the light in the phone booth.   Although pay phones are becoming a thing of the past, most of us (at least those who are over 40) have been in one of those booths.  They are close quarters, aren't they?  They can be stuffy, too!  And depending upon their location they can be terribly filthy.

Yet it is true....  there will be no illumination in the booth unless you close the door.

This idea of going "in" and shutting the door applies to prayer.  In fact, as Jesus taught us to pray, he said:   But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.  Matthew 6:6.  


Have you identified a room where you pray?  As you go deeper with this idea, consider the ways that you enter prayer and "close the door" to distractions so that the focus of heart, soul and mind becomes God -- conversation with God.  


We talked about balance this week -- our activities need balance between action and non-action.  Our prayer needs balance as well.  We speak to God -- God is there.  God speaks to us.  We listen.  (ah!  there's the rub!)  The light of God's presence is there.  


Do you have thoughts about prayer or practices that you have found helpful in terms of "finding the light" of Christ?

Why are we all running so fast?

Sometimes I ask the question, what are we all running so fast for anyway?  Again, I do not count myself as one who has this puzzle solved.  I am not a good example of what Jesus attempts to do in this text.  How do we view our time when we are home in the evening?  Often times I hear people say they are home because they did not have anything to do.  Perhaps, staying at home sometimes is something that we need to do.  I don’t think I live too boring of a life, but have I to be honest and say that one of the things that tended to excite our family when my daughters were growing up was when we had an evening when no one had to be anywhere, and that we are all home at the same time.   Pastor Randy O'Donnell  

Take a look at this week's calendar.  Are there blocks of time with nothing scheduled?  Are you inclined to fill in the time with a commitment?  Can you just let the time remain open and see what shows up for you and your family?  

This Sunday's Lessons

In the face of the Aurora Colorado shootings, how doe these lessons meet you?