SUNDAY 1ST AUGUST 2021

This short act of worship has been prepared for you to use if you are unable to attend church.

If you are well enough why not 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.

Hymn: 252 (StF) Jesus the Lord said ‘I am the Bread’

Sing/Read/Pray/Proclaim the words or listen to it HERE

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’ve rejected your food, we are sorry.
For the invitations to eat with you we have turned down, we are sorry.
Amen

Today’s 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: Jesus, bread of life

Listen to it HERE

or sing a verse of another hymn that comes to mind.

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

and locally under CCLi 246179.