Context

The last fortnight has seen the death of both Aretha Franklin (a black American) and Kofi Annan (the first African to lead the UN); in very different ways each was an icon of their generation.

 

Reflection

Drawn from today’s Epistle reading, ROOTS resources focus on standing firm together – this can be difficult. The Gospel reading includes difficult teaching by Jesus. In her personal life Franklin faced real difficulties, as did Annan professionally. Neither got everything right all the time, as their respective obituaries demonstrate.

Kofi Annan won the 2001 Nobel Peace. His Methodist school taught him ‘that suffering anywhere concerns people everywhere’. His career at the United Nations (UN) included being head of peace-making before his much better known role as Secretary General (1997-2006). The UN is essentially about the nations of the world standing firm together. Paul writes from prison about the gospel of peace (Ephesians 6.15). Annan lived the gospel of peace but (unsurprisingly) some of his actions were questioned both at the time and subsequently. And in the end peace is not just made by people who win prizes but by the everyday actions of ordinary people.

Aretha Franklin began singing in the Detroit church where her father was the minister. She gave God credit for her singing voice.

As to the difficulties she faced, her obituary on the website Christianity Today includes these words:

[A] highlight of One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism is the best-known composition from Ward, her surrogate mother, ‘Surely God is Able’:

As pilgrim we, we sometimes journey.
We often know not which way to turn
But there is one, who knows the road.
Who’ll help us carry, who’ll help us carry your heavy load?

Aretha Franklin often couldn’t live by the words she sang. But she sang the words anyway and believed them, too. That album was recorded live in the church which her father served and in which she was nurtured. The New York Times obituary includes the cover picture for that album. 

In this week’s Gospel passage Jesus’ teaching about the bread of life is understood as difficult – not complicated, but hard to take. In that passage, Jesus offers his disciples a choice – stay or go – and many choose to go. But for those who will stay, it is the Spirit who will make it possible for them to understand.

This week’s Gospel reading is the last of a series of passages from John 6 around Jesus teaching on the bread of life. You might like to remember that the original meaning of the word ‘companion’ was someone with whom one ate bread. Richard Gillard’s hymn which speaks of us being ‘pilgrims on a journey and companions on the road’ (Brother, sister let me serve you – verse 2) could be helpful.

People (including this writer) from some churches will be away attending the Greenbelt Festival this weekend. On Sunday morning they will be remembering the Windrush generation during a communion service featuring the Soul Sanctuary Gospel Choir.

 

Prayers 

In your prayers of intercession, remember:

• students and teachers preparing to return to education next week;
• those affected by flooding in Kerala;
• refugees, asylum seekers and immigrants affected by the Government’s ‘hostile environment’ policy.

 

A reflective prayer which might be used at the end of a sermon.

Creator God,
we recognise that the teaching of Jesus
is intended to be difficult and to challenge us.
Help us to respond to this challenge thoughtfully.
Help us to say with Simon Peter:
‘You have the words of eternal life.
We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.’
And help us, today and every day, to stand firm in the faith which inspires us.
Amen.

 

Questions

• In this week’s Gospel reading, some disciples are reported to have said ‘This teaching is difficult; who can accept it?’. In What’s Wrong with the World (1910) G K Chesterton wrote: ‘The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting. It has been found difficult; and left untried.’ Do you agree?

• What makes it difficult for you to stand firm in your faith? Does Paul’s use of military imagery help in this generation? If not, can you identify more helpful imagery about standing firm in your faith today.

 

All-age activity

ROOTS All-age conversation (AAA issue 96, page 40) suggests exploring the use of technology as a contribution to the ‘armour of faith’. In addition to the suggestions there, invite people to discuss the ways in which your church uses technology (e.g. does it have a Facebook or Twitter presence?) and how it could use such technology more effectively to appeal to all ages.

 

Young people

It may be that young people will be focussed on the end of the school holidays and looking forward (or not) to the next stage of their education. Against that background invite them to discuss whether it is difficult for them to discuss their faith commitment with others in education and what, if anything, they think the church (locally or more widely) could do to help to arm them for such encounters.

 

Dudley Coates is a Local Preacher in the Yeovil and Blackmore Vale Methodist Circuit and a former Vice President of the Methodist Conference.

 

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ROOTS publishes weekly lectionary-based worship and learning resources online and in two magazines.