Sunday 1 August 2021
This short act of worship has been prepared for you to use whilst we are unable to use Methodist Church premises. We invite you to spend a few moments with God, knowing that other people are sharing this act of worship with you.
Opening Prayer God who nourishes, feed us in this worship. God who nourishes, feed us in these words. God who nourishes, feed us in these thoughts. God who nourishes, feed us. Amen.
Today’s Psalm: Psalm 78:23-29
Hymn: StF 252 Jesus the Lord said ‘I am the Bread’
Sing/ Read /pray /proclaim the words
Jesus the Lord said: 'I am the Bread' (StF 252) (methodist.org.uk)
Jesus the Lord said:'I am the Bread,
the Bread of Life for the world am I.
The Bread of Life for the world am I,
the Bread of Life for the world am I.'
Jesus the Lord said:'I am the Bread,
the Bread of Life for the world am I.'
Jesus the Lord said:'I am the Vine,
the true and fruitful Vine am I.
The true and fruitful Vine am I,
the true and fruitful Vine am I.'
Jesus the Lord said:'I am the Vine,
the true and fruitful Vine am I.'
Jesus the Lord said:'I am the Way,
the true and living Way am I.
The true and living Way am I,
the true and living Way am I.'
Jesus the Lord said:'I am the Way,
the true and living Way am I.'
Jesus the Lord said:'I am the Light,
the one true Light of the world am I.
The one true Light of the world am I,
the one true Light of the world am I.'
Jesus the Lord said:'I am the Light,
the one true Light of the world am I.'
Jesus the Lord said:'I am the Life,
the Resurrection and the Life am I.
The Resurrection and the Life am I,
the Resurrection and the Life am I.'
Jesus the Lord said:'I am the Life,
the Resurrection and the Life am I.'
Anonymous, Urdu
vv. 1, 3-5 translated byCarl Dermott Monahan (1906-1957)
v. 2 translated byCompilers of Rejoice and Sing,1991
Let us pray together
For feeding our souls, we thank you.
For nourishing our bodies, we thank you.
For eating with us, we thank you.
For the times we’re rejected your food, we are sorry.
For the invitations to eat with you we have turned down, we are sorry.
Amen
Today’s Gospel Reading: John 6:24-35
Time to Reflect
I wonder what the last thing you ate was? Was it ‘good’ or ‘bad’, was it ‘healthy’ or ‘unhealthy’? It’s strange, I think, how we give the food we eat a moral weighting such that for some of us our food choices can become a difficult thing; even worse, the food we eat can become a tool of control for others who make judgements of us and often try to curb our behaviours based upon our desire to eat and the food we choose to eat.
Jesus often spent time sharing in acts of eating with others; eating is an important feature in the ways in which we understand and know God and the people of God. Eating matters.
What foods or meals have you shared which have also nourished you spiritually?
In what ways do you share in the ‘food that endures eternal life’?
Take a time to sit quietly
A time of prayer
For the hungry in our world, in our churches and in our communities, we pray… may they hunger no more.
For those who hold the power to feed others… may they be grace-filled.
For those who struggle with food and eating, in our world, in our churches and in our communities, we pray… may they struggle no more.
For those who sit at a table of sickness, loneliness, grief or fear, we pray… may they know your nourishing love.
Feed and nourish us all.
Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer Our Father ……
Hymn: Listen to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C0Rqm-WuyLo
Jesus, bread of life
Manna from heaven
Broken for the world
Offered up for every man
Feast of angels becomes food for the weary
And hungry hearts are filled
When you open up your hand
When you open up your hand
O, Lord, come fill us with your love
This table laid for us
There is more than enough
Jesus, bread of life
Sister, take what you need
Anything I own
There is no famine here
Jesus’ love will multiply
Brother, what’s mine is yours
You are not alone
There is no shortage here
Jesus’ love satisfies
Jesus’ love satisfies
O, Lord, come fill us with your love
This table laid for us
There is more than enough
Jesus, bread of life
Audrey Assad | Fernando Ortega © 2019 Fortunate Fall Music CCLI License # 1914182 Diana Gameros, guitar/vocal Minna Choi, vocals
A prayer of blessing
May you know the God who offers you nourishment; May you share in the food that brings you life; May you know the welcome of the table of God; and may you know the blessing of God, the Father, the Son & the Holy Spirit, be with us, those we love and those we ought to love. This day and always. Amen.
Original Materials by Charity K.M. Hamilton
All Hymns reproduced under CCLi 1144191.
Local Churches please insert CCCLi No here
We are grateful to all the Ministers and Local Preachers from around the Connexion who have contributed to Worship at Home. This resource is administrated by Ministries: Vocations and Worship in the Connexional Team. We aim to continue to provide these resources until the end of August 2021.
Psalm 78:23-29
23 Yet he commanded the skies above,
and opened the doors of heaven;
24 he rained down on them manna to eat,
and gave them the grain of heaven.
25 Mortals ate of the bread of angels;
he sent them food in abundance.
26 He caused the east wind to blow in the heavens,
and by his power he led out the south wind;
27 he rained flesh upon them like dust,
winged birds like the sand of the seas;
28 he let them fall within their camp,
all around their dwellings.
29 And they ate and were well filled,
for he gave them what they craved.
John 6: 24-35
24So when the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they themselves got into the boats and went to Capernaum looking for Jesus.
25 When they found him on the other side of the lake, they said to him, ‘Rabbi, when did you come here?’ 26Jesus answered them, ‘Very truly, I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. 27Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For it is on him that God the Father has set his seal.’ 28Then they said to him, ‘What must we do to perform the works of God?’29Jesus answered them, ‘This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.’ 30So they said to him, ‘What sign are you going to give us then, so that we may see it and believe you? What work are you performing? 31Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, “He gave them bread from heaven to eat.” ’ 32Then Jesus said to them, ‘Very truly, I tell you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. 33For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.’ 34They said to him, ‘Sir, give us this bread always.’
35 Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.