Readings for Sunday, August 8, 2021

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Please note—during Ordinary Time, we follow the thematic strand of Old Testament readings

Lectionary Readings for August 8, 2021

Reading One: 1 Kings 19:4-8 (NRSV)

Song: Eye of the Storm (lyrics here)

Reflection

For the third Sunday in a row we find ourselves with images of bread and themes of God’s provision, but we enter those images and themes differently this week. Two weeks ago we read about God providing for the army of Israel, through the prophet Elisha, last week it was the Hebrew people receiving manna from heaven, but today it is not a crowd with whom we sit. Today we sit with a single person, the prophet Elijah, who has fled to the wilderness in the face of hardship and hatred.

The issue in this story is not scarcity—it is fear..

In a verse just before our passage it reads “he got up and fled for his life” (v. 3), but there is an interesting alternate way of reading the Hebrew: “he arose and went for his soul.” He knows he has reached the end of himself, he is wounded to his very soul. In fact, Elijah is so exhausted and terrified that he actually asks God to let him die. Thankfully, God does not grant his request. Instead, God provides rest and nourishment that enable Elijah to keep going. In subsequent verses, God will meet with Elijah in ways that speak to his loneliness and despair and enable him to continue his mission as God’s prophet.

As we continue to meditate on God’s provision, it is good to think about the ways God shows up when we have reached the end of our ourselves. Even when we are so worn out we don’t even know what to ask for, God knows what we need. In the eye of the storm, God is faithful still.

How have you known God’s faithfulness and provision in times of emptiness or despair? Have you ever felt as Elijah felt, consumed by loneliness, frustration, or an overwhelming sense of failure? How did God meet with you in that place? Perhaps that is the place you even find yourself today. Spend some time in prayer and communion with God, thanking him for his provision and care, and asking him to surround even the darkest times with a sense of his love, presence, and faithfulness.

Reading Two: Psalm 34:1-8 (NRSV)

Song: Rock of Ages (lyrics here)

Reflection

Our psalm reading for today comes from a time when David, like Elijah, feared for his life. He is on the run from King Saul, who wants him dead. He is so desperate for a place to hide that he actually heads into the territory of the Philistines, the enemy of Israel. After a close call that leads David to extreme measures to escape, God proves faithful and delivers David from harm. This psalm was born from that experience.

Looking back, David sees God’s faithfulness in a terrifying situation:

“I sought the Lord, and he answered me, and delivered me from all my fears.” (v. 4)

“This poor soul cried, and was heard by the Lord, and was saved from every trouble.” (v. 6)

And then a verse that has become well-known and beloved by many people:

“O taste and see that the Lord is good; happy are those who take refuge in him. (v. 8)

David’s fears led him to seek refuge in enemy territory, but in retrospect David realizes that the only true refuge is God himself. The goodness of God does not falter. He is our hiding place (Ps. 32:7), and those who rest in the shadow of his wings find deliverance from fear, peace for their souls, and true happiness that is rooted in the faithful love of the one who created us and knows our every need.

As you reflect on times of struggle and fear, can you recall a time when you sought refuge in “enemy territory?” What are some of the unhealthy coping mechanisms that tempt you when times are difficult? What practices and disciplines help you stay rooted in the faithful love of God as you take refuge in him?

Reading Three: Ephesians 4:25-5:2 (NRSV)

Song: Perfect Peace (lyrics here)

Reflection

The apostle Paul continues to offer thoughts on unity in the body of Christ, pleading with the church in Ephesus to leave behind the sin and habits that so easily lead to conflict and turmoil. In this passage he covers everything from honesty to theft, anger to “evil talk.” He exhorts those reading to abandon everything that tears apart, and instead embrace that which brings wholeness and unity:

“Put away from you all bitterness and wrath and anger and wrangling and slander, together with all malice, and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you.” (vv. 31-32)

As I reflected on this passage in light of our Old Testament texts, something occurred to me in a way it never had before: when I am in a dark place, struggling with frustration and fear, I am very prone to behaviors that tear down others instead of building them up. When am I most bitter, most filled with anger? When I am struggling internally. I can lash out at people who have absolutely nothing to do with what I’m going through. My lack of inner peace leads to outer turmoil.

Laura Story’s song “Perfect Peace,” sung from the perspective of God to us, this lyric speaks powerfully to me:

In this time of trial,
Pain that no-one sees,
Trust me when I say,
I will give you perfect peace.

How often the “pain that no-one sees” causes us to hurt others. If we truly want unity in the body of Christ, it will come from sisters and brothers who have discovered the perfect peace that God alone can give, who then allow that peace to work its way outward into our relationships and kingdom work.

Spend some time with God thinking about your own journey of internalized struggle and how it manifests in your relationships. Ask God to give you his perfect peace, so that you might be an agent of peace. Let these lyrics from Laura Story guide you as you pray. Imagine these words are God speaking to your soul right now:

Stay close by My side,
Keep your eyes on Me,
Though this life is hard,
I will give you perfect peace.

In this time of trial,
Pain that no-one sees,
Trust me when I say,
I will give you perfect peace.

And you'll never walk alone,
And you'll never be in need.
Though I may not calm the storms around you,
You can hide in Me.

Burdens that you bear,
Offer no relief,
Let Me bear your load,
Cause I will give you perfect peace.

Stay close by My side,
And you'll never walk alone,
Keep your eyes on Me,
And you will never be in need.
Though this life is hard,
Know that I will always give you perfect peace,
I will give you perfect peace.

Reading Four: John 6:35, 41-51 (NRSV)

Song: How Sweet the Name of Jesus Sounds (lyrics here)

Reflection

In all of Jesus’ teachings about the “bread of life,” there is one constant focus: Jesus himself. Yes, these passages and the miracles that lead into them are about provision, and they echo the stories of miraculous feedings in the Old Testament, but they serve a greater purpose: they point to the truth of who Jesus is. They tell us of God’s greatest provision, the gift that he sent to atone for our sins and restore us to fellowship with him.

In short: it’s all about Jesus.

We can get so distracted by deep theological thoughts that sometimes we just need to set them all aside and meditate on the person of Jesus Christ. We need to come back to the simple truth that he is, as the hymn says, “manna to the hungry soul.”

Let’s use this final song to spend some time simply seeking fellowship with Jesus. This classic hymn of the church is a wonderful invitation to meditate on the name of Jesus and all it means to us.

As you pray, consider these questions: what are good ways for you to re-center on Jesus when your life, mind, and heart get filled with other things? What does the name of Jesus mean to you? How does it “soothe your sorrows, heal your wounds, and drive away your fears?”

Perhaps use the names and titles for Jesus from the final verse of the hymn as words to sit with and consider. Which of these speaks most powerfully to your heart today?

Jesus! my Shepherd, Brother, Friend,
My Prophet, Priest and King,
My Lord, my Life, my Way, my End,
Accept the praise I bring.

Readings for Sunday, August 1, 2021

If you’re new to Weekly Song Reflections, click here to learn about it

Click here to follow the Weekly Song Reflections playlist on Spotify

Please note—during Ordinary Time, we follow the thematic strand of Old Testament readings

Lectionary Readings for August 1, 2021

Reading One: Exodus 16:2-4,Exodus 16:9-15 (NRSV)

Song: Guide Me, Oh Thou Great Jehovah (lyrics here)

Reflection

Last week we looked at texts that spoke of God’s abundant provision. This week, we find ourselves in similar texts that are linked by a theme of bread and heavenly gifts, so once again we are sitting with the images of God as the one who gives us all that we need.

Except right from the start, as we enter this text from Exodus, we are brought face-to-face with an ugly truth that puts a different spin on our reflections: the truth that as human beings we don’t always appreciate God’s good gifts to us. Look at the Hebrew people, having been freed from slavery in Egypt, having been miraculously delivered through the Red Sea in a mighty display of God’s power, and yet here they are, less than two months later, complaining about their situation and yearning for their days of servitude. And what is the main cause of their distress? Hunger. In their eyes, being slaves who were well-fed was a better option than being free people whose bellies are rumbling.

How soon they forget. How soon we forget. God doesn’t deliver us only to forsake us. He is faithful to the very end. And yet, even when God provides for our needs, it doesn’t take us long to hold up another need to him and express our anger and impatience about it. We are a fickle people, aren’t we?

As we begin our reflections on this week’s texts, let’s come to God in the prayer of a Welsh poet named William Williams (you read that correctly). His classic hymn “Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah” is the cry of a heart eager to be led through a “pilgrim land” with sure and certain trust in the one who alone provides for our every need. It’s the plea of a soul that desires to be reminded, as often as it takes, that it is in our weakness that God’s strength is best on display. That’s the kind of prayer that provides perspective and silences complaints.

Spend some time before God making this prayer your own.

Guide me, O Thou great Jehovah,
Pilgrim through this barren land.
I am weak, but Thou art mighty;
Hold me with Thy powerful hand.
Bread of heaven,
Feed me now and evermore;
Bread of heaven,
Feed me now and evermore.

Open now the crystal fountain,
Whence the healing waters flow;
Let the fire and cloudy pillar
Lead me all my journey through.
Strong Deliverer,
Be Thou still my Strength and Shield.
Strong Deliverer,
Be Thou still my Strength and Shield.

When I tread the verge of Jordan,
Bid my anxious fears subside;
Death of death, and hell's destruction,
Land me safe on Canaan's side.
Songs of praises, I will ever give to Thee;
Songs of praises, I will ever give to Thee.

Reading Two: Psalm 78:23-29 (NRSV)

Song: Psalm 78 (The Lord Gave Them Bread From Heaven) (lyrics here)

Reflection

I’ve mentioned before in these reflections that I believe there is great power in singing Scripture. Musician Francesca LaRosa has spent much of 2021 releasing responsive songs based on various Psalms, including this version of Psalm 78.

I really have nothing I can add by way of reflection, except to point out that the image of “heavenly bread” takes on new meaning when considered in light of what Christ has done for us. When the psalmist declares that “mortals ate the bread of angels; he sent them food in abundance,” there are echoes of today’s passage in John, when Jesus refers to himself as the bread of life and declares, “Whoever comes to me will never be hungry.” When we consider that amazing truth, the refrain we’re invited to sing, “The Lord gave them bread from heaven,” becomes more than an historical statement. It speaks to the very truth which we ourselves have experienced.

If you are able (depending on your environment), I would invite you to listen to the song and join in the sung refrain. If you are unable to do so, for whatever reason, then simply meditate on the words she’s adapted from the Psalm, and spend some time thanking God for the way they are true in your own life.

REFRAIN:
The Lord gave them bread from heaven.
The Lord gave them bread from heaven.
The Lord gave them bread from heaven.
The Lord gave them bread from heaven.

VERSE ONE:
What we have heard and know, and what our fathers have declared to us,
We will declare to the generation to come the glorious deeds of the LORD
And his strength and the wonders, the wonders that he wrought.

REFRAIN:
The Lord gave them bread from heaven.
The Lord gave them bread from heaven.

VERSE:
He commanded the skies above and opened the doors of heaven;
He rained manna upon them for food and gave them heavenly bread.

REFRAIN:
The Lord gave them bread from heaven.
The Lord gave them bread from heaven.

VERSE:
Man ate the bread of angels, food he sent them in abundance.
And he brought them to his holy land, to the mountains his right hand had won.

REFRAIN:
The Lord gave them bread from heaven.
The Lord gave them bread from heaven.

Reading Three: Ephesians 4:1-16 (NRSV)

Song: One Bread, One Body (lyrics here)

Reflection

The nature of the Revised Common Lectionary during this season of the church year means that, in the version we are using here, the Old Testament texts are paired thematically with the gospel reading. This often makes the weekly epistle reading seem like the “odd one out” at times, and (speaking from experience) many pastors often perform feats of exegetical calisthenics to try and develop some connection to the other texts.

I don’t think it’s too much of a leap, though, to see a common thread in our Ephesians text that finds resonance with our other readings this week. The image of heavenly gifts (especially in v. 8) definitely echoes the story of manna, and when we consider the concept of “building up the body of Christ,” the gifts which Paul refers to here have a certain element of sustenance to them. The spiritual gifts God gives to the church are used to feed his people. I’ve actually heard more than one church member through the years refer to a teaching that blessed them as being “manna from heaven.”

And there is yet one more link to be made, I would suggest. Paul’s famous declaration that there is “one body, one Spirit…one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all” (vv. 4-6) finds its fullest expression, in my opinion, at the table of Christ. The very word we often use for the Lord’s Supper, “communion,” reflects both a vertical and horizontal truth: we commune with Christ, and we also commune with each other.

At a time when the body of Christ seems more fractured than ever, let’s continue the prayer which was encouraged a couple of weeks ago, asking God to bring unity to his church. And let’s include in that prayer petitions that God would fan the flame of the spiritual gifts which he has poured out onto the church, that all who minister to the body of Christ would desire to see “…all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ.” (v. 13). As you pray, consider the gifts which God has given to you. How might you offer them to God in deeper commitment to the work he is doing in the world?

Reading Four: John 6:24-35 (NRSV)

Song: Hungry (lyrics here)

Reflection

Having experienced a miraculous feeding, the people now come to Jesus looking for more. Their interaction with him reveals that, having eaten their fill and found satisfaction for their appetites, their minds are very much set on earthly satisfaction. Jesus is quick to point out that satisfying the hunger of their bodies is not the real gift he offers, but instead he has come to offer satisfaction for hungry souls. As they plead with him for understanding, they reference the story of manna in the wilderness, and Jesus reminds them that it wasn’t Moses who provided for the people, but God himself. And here we come to the true understanding of “bread from heaven,” bringing our readings full circle. Jesus is the living manna, who has come down from heaven to give life to all who eat.

As I sat with this text, it strikes me that I often come to God with my requests in ways that are similar to this crowd: my motivations are suspect, my understanding is dim, and my demands for a sign are plenty. And just like the crowd, I often don’t even fully grasp what I’m asking for. It’s at times like these that I sense God inviting me to strip away all the things which I layer onto my requests—all the preconceived notions of what he’s up to and all the misguided impulses that drive my prayers—and simply come to him with this simple acknowledgement:

I’m hungry.

When we admit to God the ways we have sought satisfaction outside of him, the false assumptions and motives that often drive us, we are freed to admit that we’re hungry. We’re hungry because we have not been feasting on the bread of life which Jesus offers, but instead have been seeking our sustenance from worldly sources which have no spiritual value.

As we bring our reflections to a close, let’s spend time before God admitting our need and our hunger. Let’s confess the things we have looked to apart from him, the appetites that have consumed us and now drive us to our knees by their emptiness. And let’s ask him to meet the needs of our souls anew, feeding us with the living bread from heaven (John 6:51). Ask the Spirit to search your soul and bring to the surface anything which needs to be offered to him, so that you might be his without reserve.

Broken I run to You, for Your arms are opened wide.
I am weary, but I know Your touch restores my life.