August 17, 2003; Proper 15, Year B
The Rev. Harold "Skip" Comer, Rector
The sermon on August 17 started with a pastoral letter from Bishop Gepert. Click here to see the letter
After the letter, Father Skip continued
On another note, where were you on Thursday when the lights went out? Alan Whaley and I were in Northville, a suburb of Detroit, when indeed the lights did go out. We were attending an ALPHA conference in preparation for offering ALPHA at St. Philip’s. I wrote about ALPHA in my letter in the August Apostle.
Thursday evening and into Friday caused me to reflect on how much we take things for granted. We take for granted that when we flip a switch the lights will come on. We take for granted that when we turn the handle on the faucet or push the lever on the toilet that there will be water. We take for granted that the restaurants will be opened at reasonable times so that we can eat breakfast and drink our coffee. No electricity – no lights, no water, no restaurants open, no gas that can be pumped. The list goes on.
For the past two Sundays, and again this morning, we have had Gospel readings for the Sixth Chapter of the Gospel of John, which all talk about Jesus as the “bread of life.” In today’s Gospel reading Jesus stresses the importance of eating this bread, and drinking his blood. He tells us that unless we eat and drink we will not have life in us.
It’s kink of like electricity. You have to plug in the appliance or flip the switch on in order for electricity to flow to the appliance or light bulb. If they are disconnected they will not work, in a sense they have no life.
So it is with us as Christians. We must be connected to the source of our power and that source is Jesus Christ. One of the visible ways that we are connected is through Holy Communion, the reception of the sacrament of the Body and Blood of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, in the form of consecrated bread and wine. This is spiritual power for all who believe in Christ.
One of the dangers that can occur is that we take it for granted. By this I mean that we fail to realize that the communion we receive represents the sacrifice of Jesus Christ for our salvation. What we receive is more than just bread and wine; we receive the crucified Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. Unlike electricity, it will not shut down with a power surge or when demand is too great. It is always there, but we have to come forward and receive it.
In this way it is like medicine. We become ill and the doctor prescribes a medicine to help us get well. We go the pharmacy and get the medicine and then go home. If we just put the medicine on the shelf in the medicine cabinet it will not do us any good. We have to take it for it to help us get better. The same is true of Holy Communion. It is not here to look at or stick in your pocket. It is here to be consumed. For that is the only way that we will receive any benefit from it. By receiving the sacrament of Holy Communion we are in a dramatic and spiritual way connected to the power grid of Jesus Christ.
May we always stay plugged in to this power source which sustains us in this life and gives us life eternal with God.