This Daily Bread

If you would go ahead and unwrap your elements.

This is from Jesus:

New Living Translation Chapter 6

5 “When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get. 6 But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.

7 “When you pray, don’t babble on and on as the Gentiles do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again. 8 Don’t be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him! 9 Pray like this:

Read this with me:

New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update Chapter 6

‘Our Father who is in heaven,

Hallowed be Your name.

10 ‘Your kingdom come.

Your will be done,

On earth as it is in heaven.

11 ‘Give us this day our daily bread.

12 ‘And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

13 ‘And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from bevil. [For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.]’

These are the words of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Lamb of God who came to die for the sins of the world.

He taught us to pray, and in his prayer, he mentions bread. Daily bread. The bread that we will need each day and the bread that is always provided.

So whatever you need today, whatever you need for Sunday September 5th, Jesus has it for you. He just says, here I am. Take and eat.

What is it you hunger for? Are you yearning for something? Are you eager to receive? Think about it! What do you hunger for!?

Well, in John, Jesus says, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry.”

Jesus says, eat of me and you will be filled. Seek me and you will find rest.

He mentions forgiveness. As we approach the table, are you harboring any unforgiveness in her heart? Are you bitter? Are you angry? Is there a debt you need to forgive? Grace you need to extend.

Or maybe, you are the debtor! Communion is the perfect time, if you have any sins you need to confess, repent and find forgiveness and grace at the table.

The Lord’s prayer, among other things, mentions heaven coming to earth. That God’s kingdom would come here and now on earth as it is in heaven.

And let me tell you church, it did come, with Jesus. He brought the Kingdom of God and ushered it in, and one day the Kingdom of God will reign here on earth, once and for all, forever and ever.

But we aren’t off the hook. God wants to use you and me to usher in that kingdom here and today. To show people what the kingdom of God looks like: like grace, chains coming off, forgiveness, love, acceptance, peace.

So as we take communion we take it as people of prayer, people who depend upon the daily bread of God, the bread of live, Christ’s provision.

We take communion as people who depend upon God’s forgiveness, as people who are chosen to forgive others.

We take communion as One Body, one Community, one Church, united by the Spirit of God, who has the unique and important calling of aiding the ushering of God’s kingdom here and now.

The bread is The body of our Lord Jesus Christ, broken for you, preserve you blameless, unto everlasting life. Eat this in remembrance that Christ died for you, and be thankful.

The cup is The blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, shed for you, preserve you blameless unto everlasting life. Drink this in remembrance that Christ died for you, and be thankful.