Clarkes August 11, 2024

Thanks be to God. Thank you. Thank you. So I didn't ask the kids this I went a different way, but I'll ask you can you remember from your childhood? Was there a number one complaint area for you? Usually it sounds a little bit like this what this again, you know, I don't like whatever it is. Usually a food complaints around food right food group complaints about food or as old as school cafeterias and Military rations and back even older than that. Remember the Israelites complaining about food or lack thereof believe in Adam and Eve remember food the Apple All Began in our scripture less than the people are complaining about Jesus because he claims to be a foodie claims to be the bread of life and its language and John about the people murmuring. It's the same as that of the Israelites in the desert. The taste of Freedom did not satisfy. They needed to complain about food The Taste they wanted better food and even if it meant staying as captives in Egypt remember this Exodus 16 3 if only we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt when we at least ate our fill of bread and that's a pretty significant complaint, isn't it? I would rather be dead. Then hungry or worked to death then hungry. There are times when complaint serve appropriate or okay, or in order. Sometimes there's good reason to grieve and to to be saddened to talk through the passing of what has been we all long for what was even at the expense of what could be we read in 2nd Samuel David pours out his heart in the grief of the death of his son Absalon. Have you ever prayed and if only or what if for whiny or how come prayer? That we all have some point. Here's that prayer. Oh my son Absalom. My son my son Absalom would I have died instead of you? Have fun my son my son.

I prayed something kind of like that. In fact, I actually screamed it when I was told that Malia had died. Oh, God, please. Take this broken down body and leave Malia here.

The great number of the songs are laments the versus they open up with why why now? How long will I need a are all of the complaining all of the whining bellyaching at we can think of and her face though. The good news is our faith allows us to give those emotions share those feelings with our Lord even all the way to full-out complaining complaining in nearly every case the laments include with affirmation of trust in God after crying out to God in protest bewilderment or wondering even anger and great frustration. The psalmist always affirms that hope remains in God. Lament does this becomes an Act of Faith precisely because it holds on to God even in the midst of the complaint in this sense the complaints raised against Jesus do not rise to the standard of laments in the song for the murmuring against Jesus is not lead to or seemingly even speak a holding onto but rather of letting go there complaining takes them all the way to separating. They know who he is. They know, who is he is they defined Jesus solely by his family of origin therefore they put limits on who he could be or what he could say or they almost can you hear me almost making fun of him? You say you're the bread of life was a little boy, right? I think we do that all the time. We make assumptions or figure out or think we know someone just because we know or knew their parents or even their grandparents. Do we assume that nothing good can come out of remember. The people said that about Jesus nothing good can come out of Nazareth. And yet Philip in the New Testament replies come and see that might be your belief, but I invite you to come and see I remember her at church I served and there was a young man now he was in his forties a young man and he had great vision and he would visit with me about what he saw for their church and his hopes and what he had seen happen and believed could be in the to the future. He was on the leadership team and yet he was only seen as little Jimmy and when I would save us so and so Jim is Jim James said your little Jimmy has been around forever. He does not like you guys he's got the vision he's but people couldn't see past. They'd known him as little Jimmy course, that's not his real name. And what could he know? I think we do that to one another. We talked last week that misunderstanding is a common dynamic in the Gospel of John and what separates complaints here from the more positive expression of a lament is what we see Jesus say to them do not complain among yourselves. Jesus says verse 43 you see complaint is one thing when it's addressed to an individual or group grieve. That's at least then there's an opportunity to do something but the worst is just the complaining amongst one another you know that we have too many zooz. You want Susie did but yeah, the impression left by Jesus is it they're complaining has been done without bothering to address that complaint directly to him. When a complaint is not shared and not share directly instead of via another or on the prayer chain or food chain or phone chain or the prayer request. I know thankfully we don't do that. But I'm sure you've been places or in the parking lot as a pastor parking lot camera stations are very dangerous. I know that do you know I'll leave a meeting and go to my office and not here but you know, he's other churches to other churches go to my office put my things away then go out to my car and here's a group of people and I'm usually pretty sure they're not talking about the weather, you know, but those parking lot conversations those places where we talked about a situation rather than addressing it directly when it's not shared. How can change occur when we clutch our resentment close to our hearts and we're not willing to give him a sounding with the other person to see if they're valid or can invoke a change, but hold on to them. Nothing good will come our opinions of those we blame a resentful only go grow greater and worsen over time. If our conversations are also only with others who agree with us and share our same complaints. Then we're not going to get very far either. We need to really be talking with that person that we're complaining about that. We stay at the end of the chapter chapter 6 there that there is complaining amongst themselves. Anybody know of that any place in an organization or family that you've ever been a part of when you start complaining in your inner circle?

People begin then to leave that's the logical conclusion to that. The complaining has spread its not only Jesus opponents that many of his disciples begin to separate themselves from Jesus. He complaining can be contagious and deadly two relationships. Amen. Amen many experiences in life evoke complaint and plenty of times. The complaint is even justify in the face of Injustice and suffering in the face of pain with her own or others complaints may be exactly what's needed and lament to God may be the most faithful thing we could do in those moments. Yes, the key is to hold on to the one to whom we cry out to hold together expression of dissatisfaction frustration and anger with our ultimate trust in the almighty. Jesus concludes his words the complainers not by slamming a door in their faces, aren't we tempted sometimes and I'm sure it's apparent as a parent I more than once which are complaining take it elsewhere. I'm leaving or on your own it. Would we want to just shut the door slam the door get out of my sight whatever it is. Stop your whining stop your complaining but Jesus just stays put and offers again the open invitation. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever. How can Jesus continue to make that blanket invitation? It's speaking out of a tradition of wilderness murmuring Wilderness feeding for when the Manna fell from heaven. It didn't only feed those who remained faithful and trusting in God it fell on all those people.

It didn't fall only on those that even through a hungry kept their mouths shut and kept the pain to themselves know it fell on.

Man, I fell even to the murmurs and the complainers and the beauty is this is the nature of God's grace. God speaks are good. Remember that's the ultimate answer. I don't like whatever but I trust that you have my best in mind God seeks our good and it's that affirmation and that Grace that allows us to hold together are crying out in the mend and our trust in God he will hear us and receive us and never turn us away. It's the Lord who will feed us with Grace and love and mercy that will never ever end that will never ever met out. Cindy great news awesome news that no matter who we are where we are what we've done where we've been what we said how much we've complained. Or limited to God or to others no matter how many times we stiff-armed. We God and said not interested won't go there. God spirit with gentleness says I am still here. I'm not going anywhere. I am still the bread of Life come to me and you will not be hungry. I love you. We all need that or at least I'm pretty sure we all need that. I'm going to play a him and give Tina a break and an opportunity to reflect as well. Sometimes they use hymns that way this is the him through it all through it all. I've learned to trust in Jesus. It's an oldie, but goodie. I didn't find it in our hymnals, but I might not have looked into the right title. But if you'd play that for a sing along if you know it, please otherwise the word