Today’s Readings: Psalm 93; Isaiah 65:1-9; John 6:1-14; Revelation 3:1-6; Psalm 11
It’s easy to take a story like today’s story from the Gospel of John where Jesus feeds the crowd of 5,000 plus with just five barley loaves and two fish and turn into a platitude like: “God will provide what you need when you need it”. It’s especially powerful, however, when you have a lived experience of such a story. My own lived experience of today’s parable came back in 1999. That year I had just finished my first campaign for elected office. I had had a great experience! Folks were already talking with me about next steps in my new political career. Having lived in the community of Spokane for nearly 10 years (and in the area for 28), I had my roots firmly established. So what happened? Did I do what most people in their right mind would have done – hang around and continue to establish my life there? No. I answered my call to go to seminary 1,100 miles away. As I filled out my application to attend seminary that winter, I remember thinking: “What are you thinking? You have no money left in your savings account after the campaign – no way of paying for your education or supporting yourself once you’ve moved down there. Why would you even consider doing this!?” And yet I knew I couldn’t say no to my call. When I arrived Denver, I had a part-time job in a local church within five days and – after my first semester – paid for my seminary education through scholarships that I could never have anticipated. I watched as my meager supply of loaves and fish were turned into basketfuls. I would note, parenthetically, that those basketfuls didn’t appear overnight. It was a day-to-day process that took 3 years to fully play out. What sustained me through the experience, however, was living in a place of thanksgiving and sufficiency from one day to the next – trusting that while I may not have always had what I wanted, I had what I needed. That experience transformed my life and forever changed the way I live out my faith. Perhaps you are living in a place of real or perceived scarcity. If you are, my advice would be to focus on whatever manifestation of loaves and fish you currently have at your disposal – even if all you have is a crumb and a bit of a fish tail. Once you have identified them, then take a step of faith and intentionally invite God’s presence into the circumstance as you watch those loaves and fish multiply. Til next time…
It’s easy to take a story like today’s story from the Gospel of John where Jesus feeds the crowd of 5,000 plus with just five barley loaves and two fish and turn into a platitude like: “God will provide what you need when you need it”. It’s especially powerful, however, when you have a lived experience of such a story. My own lived experience of today’s parable came back in 1999. That year I had just finished my first campaign for elected office. I had had a great experience! Folks were already talking with me about next steps in my new political career. Having lived in the community of Spokane for nearly 10 years (and in the area for 28), I had my roots firmly established. So what happened? Did I do what most people in their right mind would have done – hang around and continue to establish my life there? No. I answered my call to go to seminary 1,100 miles away. As I filled out my application to attend seminary that winter, I remember thinking: “What are you thinking? You have no money left in your savings account after the campaign – no way of paying for your education or supporting yourself once you’ve moved down there. Why would you even consider doing this!?” And yet I knew I couldn’t say no to my call. When I arrived Denver, I had a part-time job in a local church within five days and – after my first semester – paid for my seminary education through scholarships that I could never have anticipated. I watched as my meager supply of loaves and fish were turned into basketfuls. I would note, parenthetically, that those basketfuls didn’t appear overnight. It was a day-to-day process that took 3 years to fully play out. What sustained me through the experience, however, was living in a place of thanksgiving and sufficiency from one day to the next – trusting that while I may not have always had what I wanted, I had what I needed. That experience transformed my life and forever changed the way I live out my faith. Perhaps you are living in a place of real or perceived scarcity. If you are, my advice would be to focus on whatever manifestation of loaves and fish you currently have at your disposal – even if all you have is a crumb and a bit of a fish tail. Once you have identified them, then take a step of faith and intentionally invite God’s presence into the circumstance as you watch those loaves and fish multiply. Til next time…
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