Good Morning,
Welcome to your online worship from St. Mark’s for Sunday, August 11, 2024.
In my sermon for this Sunday, we explore how Jesus invites us to see beyond the ordinary and recognize him as the true source of eternal life. We reflect on how our acts of worship and service are profound expressions of God’s grace. We consider how we can share the deeper meaning of our faith with others, as we find the extraordinary in the everyday.
Today’s Opening Sentence
I am the living bread which came down from heaven, says the Lord; anyone who eats this bread will live for ever. – John 6.51
Today’s Reading – John 6:35, 41-51
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.
Then the Jews began to complain about him because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” They were saying, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?” Jesus answered them, “Do not complain among yourselves. No one can come to me unless drawn by the Father who sent me; and I will raise that person up on the last day. It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me. Not that anyone has seen the Father except the one who is from God; he has seen the Father. Very truly, I tell you, whoever believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”1
Your Online Message and Prayers
Click on the above image to view our online worship on YouTube.
Reflection questions for the week:
- How have I experienced the ‘bread of life’—Jesus’ sustaining presence—in my own life? In what ways can I seek a deeper relationship with Christ?
- When I participate in acts of worship or service, do I recognize their deeper spiritual significance, or have they become routine? How can I reconnect with their divine purpose?
- How can I better prepare myself to share the deeper meaning of my faith with others? What personal stories or experiences can I use to communicate God’s love and grace?
- Am I open to seeing the extraordinary in the ordinary aspects of my daily life? How can I cultivate an awareness of God’s presence in familiar routines?
A continued reminder that if you are at all uncomfortable being in-person for worship, or if you are not feeling well, please join us here online.
Thank you again for joining with your parish family in our online worship today.
Find out how you can support our ministry and good work in the community here.
God Bless you and have a blessed week. Be well!
Peace,
The Rev’d Canon Rob Park
- Scripture quotation is from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.