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Listen "Sermon | 1 Corinthians 12:12-13 & Matthew 14:13-21 | ONE BODY, MANY MEMBERS - 1. "The Fifth Loaf""
Episode Synopsis
Sermon | 1 Corinthians 12:12-13 & Matthew 14:13-21 | ONE BODY, MANY MEMBERS - 1. "The Fifth Loaf" by Rev. Joseph Sanford.
One thing I’ve learned in my life of ministry and study is that we can never exclusively define what the Holy Spirit will do or be in any given situation.
In fact, a truth I’ve come to know is that the Holy Spirit will fill any container which is offered.
Like water or wind, The Spirit fills anything opened up to it.
Every culture and local tradition can be inspired by the holy breath of God we call “The Holy Spirit.”
In fact, diversity seems to be a very key part of God’s design of Creation.
From a variety of fish, birds, plants, crawling creatures, and animals…and people…from the beginning diversity has been present and purposeful.
We have much to learn from one another.
We MUST learn from one another instead of fearing what is unfamiliar and strange.
Each difference offers us more depth to the possibilities and power of God.
Each culture and people-group (called NATION) in scripture who has encountered the Rule of God through the gospel has offered their own tradition and culture to the resurrection power of God in Christ.
Each individual culture and tradition has been filled by the one and same Holy Spirit to bring new life from the old understandings.
While there is new life in Christ, it comes through the various and diverse expressions of pre-existing cultures and traditions.
For instance, we have come to know this face: Warner Sallman’s painting of Jesus has become as familiar of a face as any—in OUR culture.
But Jesus didn’t look like this, you know. Our western mid-20th century tradition was offered to the Holy Spirt and that tradition was filled to help bring us this image which sustained soldiers during WWII.
There are other images of Jesus throughout the world: each one comes from a particular culture and tradition—filled by the one and same Holy Spirit to bring Life Eternal.
Each one sacred and important and worth understanding—because we learn something from every encounter with Christ.
Today on World Communion Sunday we will bring together the practice of Communion with a unique interpretation of it which comes from the 5th Century Byzantine Church located in Tabgha in Israel.
Tabgha is the traditional place where Jesus broke the bread and blessed the fish which then went on to help feed well over 10,000 people (5,000 men…plus women and children).
There is a rock upon which a church was built in the 4th century to commemorate this traditional site. A century later the Byzantines built another church over top of the original.
If you stand in this church which commemorates this miracle—the only miracle in all 4 Gospel accounts, you can see the altar above the rock of consecration.
Let’s take a closer look at this rock and how this particular group of Christians from 1,600 years ago on the other side of the planet who looked, worshiped, and practiced their faith differently than us understood this story.
One thing I’ve learned in my life of ministry and study is that we can never exclusively define what the Holy Spirit will do or be in any given situation.
In fact, a truth I’ve come to know is that the Holy Spirit will fill any container which is offered.
Like water or wind, The Spirit fills anything opened up to it.
Every culture and local tradition can be inspired by the holy breath of God we call “The Holy Spirit.”
In fact, diversity seems to be a very key part of God’s design of Creation.
From a variety of fish, birds, plants, crawling creatures, and animals…and people…from the beginning diversity has been present and purposeful.
We have much to learn from one another.
We MUST learn from one another instead of fearing what is unfamiliar and strange.
Each difference offers us more depth to the possibilities and power of God.
Each culture and people-group (called NATION) in scripture who has encountered the Rule of God through the gospel has offered their own tradition and culture to the resurrection power of God in Christ.
Each individual culture and tradition has been filled by the one and same Holy Spirit to bring new life from the old understandings.
While there is new life in Christ, it comes through the various and diverse expressions of pre-existing cultures and traditions.
For instance, we have come to know this face: Warner Sallman’s painting of Jesus has become as familiar of a face as any—in OUR culture.
But Jesus didn’t look like this, you know. Our western mid-20th century tradition was offered to the Holy Spirt and that tradition was filled to help bring us this image which sustained soldiers during WWII.
There are other images of Jesus throughout the world: each one comes from a particular culture and tradition—filled by the one and same Holy Spirit to bring Life Eternal.
Each one sacred and important and worth understanding—because we learn something from every encounter with Christ.
Today on World Communion Sunday we will bring together the practice of Communion with a unique interpretation of it which comes from the 5th Century Byzantine Church located in Tabgha in Israel.
Tabgha is the traditional place where Jesus broke the bread and blessed the fish which then went on to help feed well over 10,000 people (5,000 men…plus women and children).
There is a rock upon which a church was built in the 4th century to commemorate this traditional site. A century later the Byzantines built another church over top of the original.
If you stand in this church which commemorates this miracle—the only miracle in all 4 Gospel accounts, you can see the altar above the rock of consecration.
Let’s take a closer look at this rock and how this particular group of Christians from 1,600 years ago on the other side of the planet who looked, worshiped, and practiced their faith differently than us understood this story.
In God we trust