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The Rev. Dr. Cynthia Cearley
Lead Pastor of Congregational Life
Friends,
Even though it is only the beginning of August, we are in Fall planning mode at church. I want to remind you about the opportunity to serve as a host for our after church fellowship time. This begins again on September 16th. We are hoping that 1 or 2 individuals or families will sign up for 1 Sunday, sometime during the year. There is a sign-up book in the Narthex or sign up by clicking here.
This is about so much more than muffins after church! The idea behind this is to give each of you an opportunity to be the host for your church - your community of faith. Inviting a friend, a new member, or a fellow Montview member to host with you and your friendly and welcoming presence in the Commons when you host, are what is most important.
In this week's lectio, Jesus reminds us that we should seek true bread, deep sustenance for our lives. The root of the word bread carries with it a sense of sharing bread with another. The word "companion" from its Latin roots is com + panis, literally "with bread." A companion is the one with whom we share bread. Hosting a fellowship time is a chance to be bread for one another...to make this community one that reaches out to one another in love.
For the cost of 4 dozen or so mini-muffins and an invitation to another individual or family to host with you (and bring their 4 dozen bite-sized pastries!) you can embody the truth that, as a community of faith, we travel with one another as companions on the journey of faith.
Blessings and abundant bread,
Cindy
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The Rev. Ian Gregory Cummins
Lead Pastor of Spiritual Life
Hi Everyone,
Here's our Lectio Divina text for this week:
"Then Jesus said to them, 'Very truly, I tell you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.' They said to him, "Sir, give us this bread always." 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.'"
Gospel of John 6: 32 - 35
We're all hungry. If you really pay attention to how you spend your time, you'll notice how often you are trying to ease some kind of hunger. There's physical hunger, of course (is it lunchtime yet?). And then there are hungers for other things - friendship, meaning, joy. But a lot of what we consume doesn't turn out to be very nourishing. The human animal seems remarkably good at making remarkably bad choices about what we need. We feel lonely or sad... so we drink a beer. We feel angry...so we go watch a violent movie. A little bit of that is probably fine, but we should be honest with ourselves. Real bread, real nourishment, comes from God. That's what we're ultimately hungry for - the deep knowing that we are loved and made safe in God's love. So we have to spend time in prayer, taking a walk in nature, serving others, going to church, etc. These are the places where we find real food. These are the places where we find God.
Grace and goodness,
Ian
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