We Are All About God’s Grace for God’s People
THIS WEEK AT CHRIST THE KING LUTHERAN CHURCH
John 6:51 – “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever…”
Living Bread
Part of the beauty and struggle of John’s Gospel is understanding what Jesus is saying when he teaches and preaches. This shouldn’t surprise since He is God-incarnate (John 1:1, 18; 6:45). But it’s also important to point out Jesus isn’t being intentionally obtuse, that he’s trying to confuse people for the sheer enjoyment of it. Jesus is teaching and preaching using words, phrases, symbols, and metaphor in order to get people – both then and now – to really chew on and digest all he has to say. Jesus’ words used in teaching and preaching are, as it were, an appetizer preparing you for the main course: Himself. We must ask: Why also does Jesus, the “Living Bread” speak in such a manner?
“Food” shouldn’t talk, right? At least that’s what our parents would teach us as we played with our food when we were kids! All joking aside, I think this is why Jesus, our “food” and “drink” (John 6:55) speaks thus and so: That you would be intimately united to him, so that God’s love and joy would abide in you (John 15:9-11), so that as you “eat” and drink” his “flesh” and “blood” Christ himself would abide in you and you in him (6:56). This is the language of intimacy. This is the language of affection. This is the language of divine friendship. This is the language of love from the Living Father given to you by the Living Bread. May Christ the “Living Bread” continue to nourish and sustain our lives and work for the kingdom.
Yours in Christ,
Pastor Chris
This week at Christ the King
Monday, August 13th
1 PM UP State Fair set-up
Tuesday, August 14th
1 PM Dartball Summer Picnic (off-site)
Wednesday, August 15th
9 AM Quilting
9:30 AM Bible Study – John 12:20-36
Thursday, August 16th
10 AM Coffee Clutch
Saturday, August 18th – 5 PM Worship w/ Holy Communion
Sunday, August 19th – 13th Sunday after Pentecost
9:30 AM Coffee Fellowship Time (Library)
10:30 AM Worship w/ Holy Communion
4 PM Church Council gathering @ the Jacobson’s
World Hunger Project
click here for more information
Worship
Weekend Worship is at
5 p.m. on Saturdays
and
10:30 a.m. on Sunday mornings.
Communion is celebrated at every service and a staffed nursery is available during the 10:30 worship
Youth Faith Formation
(Confirmation)
(Sunday School)
Every Sunday from
9:00 – 10:15 am
Office:
Christ the King Lutheran Church
1230 N. 18th St.
Escanaba, Michigan
Phone: 906-786-7400
