Bread

This morning we begin worship with:

John 6:35

Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst."

Yes, Lord we need out daily bread (Matthew 6:11)!

Family

This morning we begin worship with:

Luke 8:19–21

Then [Jesus'] mother and his brothers came to him, but they could not reach him because of the crowd. And he was told, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, desiring to see you.” But he answered them, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it.”

 We are told in John that His family had rejected Him:

John 7:5 

For not even his brothers believed in him.

In fact, none of Jesus’ brothers were at the crucifixion, when Jesus (the first-born) gave responsibility for the care of Mary to His disciple John (John 19:25-27).  But our verse today appears to include rather than simply exclude.

Romans 8:14-17

For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.

 We, who believe, are family!

Body

 We begin worship this morning with:

Colossians 1:27

God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

"This mystery" is mentioned also in the previous verse.

the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints

Paul demonstrated this mystery in the following:

Colossians 1:24

Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church, 

So inmate his relationship to Christ that his own suffering is an extension of Christ's suffering.

But the mystery itself is so beautifully written as:

Colossians 1:18-20

And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. 

 We are both in Him and He in us, as we are His body, and He is the hope of Glory.

Beautiful

This week we begin worship with:

Isaiah 52:7

How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.”

The sky may fill with grey clouds to the point that we would call it dreary. But come sunset, they become a brilliant collage of red, yellow, and orange.  We call others to the window to show them how beautiful it is.

This verse is not talking about beautiful feet. 

It is talking about the effect that a person has, the transformation that occurs, when they use those feet to spread the Good News. That walk to a neighbor, that walk to comfort a friend, that providential conversation on a plane, can turn a life around. It can make them a new creation, to which we say “How beautiful!”