Sharing in the body of Christ

Preached at St Alphege, Solihull, UK by Patrick Gerard on 30th July 2006 at 9.15am

Year B – Trinity 7 (Proper 12)
Readings: 2Kings4:42-44, Ps 145:10-19, Eph3:14-21, Jn6:1-21


As you probably know, I was ordained deacon four weeks ago in Birmingham cathedral. To mark my ordination many people gave me gifts and this is one of the gifts I was given. It is a purse and a pyx. Now I have to say that four weeks ago I was not very clear about what a pyx was, but having received one four weeks ago I do now know. A pyx is a small container designed for carrying consecrated eucharistic wafers. In this parish the lay ministers and the clergy use pyxes to take consecrated wafers from our celebration of communion here in church to people who are sick or housebound in order that they too might receive the sacrament and share in the communion that we have shared together in church. So a pyx is a very wonderful gift to give to a new deacon, because taking communion to the sick is just the sort of thing that a deacon might be expected to do.
When I received this particular pyx I was very struck by the enamel picture on the front. Given that a pyx is for carrying communion I expected the picture on the front to be some symbol of communion, perhaps bread and wine, or a chalice and pattern. You probably can’t see it, but in fact the picture is of five barley loves and two fish.
The picture therefore reminds us of today’s gospel reading. Jesus tests the disciples by asking them how they can provide bread for five thousand people. Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, says to Jesus, “There is a boy here with five barley loaves and two fish; but what is that among so many?” But Jesus takes the loaves and the fish, gives thanks, and then distributes them, feeding a great multitude, such that there are 12 baskets full of leftovers. It is a very powerful story which tells about Jesus’ ability to do great and wonderful things with very humble human offerings. However it still was not clear to me why five barley loaves and two fish was a good symbol to put on the front of a pyx. Why is it a good symbol for holy communion?
Today’s gospel reading came from John chapter 6. The feeding of the five thousand is the first part of the chapter, but Jesus uses this story to introduce a long discussion about the bread of life. He says,
“Do not work for food that goes bad, but work for food that endures for eternal life, which the son of man will give you.”
He says, “I am the bread of life, No one who comes to me will ever hunger and no one who believes in me will ever thirst.”
He says, “I am the living bread which has come down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live for ever; and the bread which I shall give is my flesh, for the life of the world”
He says, “Anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life and I shall raise that person up on the last day”
And Jesus really emphasises this. He repeats these same thoughts over and over again in different ways for 32 verses!
So, by the time I had read the whole of John chapter 6 the links between the feeding of the five thousand and the eucharist were becoming much clearer to me. Jesus wants to feed us and nurture us with himself, with his own body and blood. He want to share with us the life that he shares with the father. He wants us to have eternal life and to raise us up on the last day.
This theme of Jesus feeding us and building us up is also repeated in the reading from Ephesians that we had this morning. This time the focus is on Love, rather than the bread of life, but it is still about being nurtured into the life of Jesus; the life that he shares with the Father and with the Holy Spirit. Paul prays that, “Christ my dwell in your hearts as you are being rooted and grounded in love.” He prays that we might grow to know the “love of Christ which surpasses all knowledge, so that we can be filled with all the fullness of God.” What a wonderful prayer. What a wonderful hope we are given.

So, how do we respond to our scripture readings today? What do we do about it? Who do we make sure that this wonderful hope is realised? Well clearly one thing we can do is to come regularly to the eucharist. In the eucharist we share together in Jesus’ body and blood and we receive the very life of Christ inside of ourselves. Little by little we are transformed so that Jesus lives in us, and we in him.
But I would also like to suggest another very practical way of sharing in the body of Christ, and that is to share in the life of the Church, of this church, of St Alphege in Solihull. The Church is the body of Christ (e.g. 1 Cor 12:27, Col 1:18,24). When we meet in the name of Jesus, then Jesus is present in the midst of us. And a big parish like this offers many different ways to share in the life of the church. We can talk to the people around us in the pews after the service. We can go for coffee in the OBH. We can get involved with the uniformed organisations, or the choir, or the guild of servers. There are many different activities that we do together in the name of Jesus. And these all provide us with ways of sharing in the body of Christ. As we do them we need to love the other people and to receive love from the other people so that the activities are truly part of the life of the church.
So, let’s respond to the great generosity of Jesus; Jesus who fees the five thousand and leaves 12 baskets of leftovers. Jesus who gives of his very self in order to nurture us and sustain us. Let’s receive the gifts that Jesus gives us in the Eucharist. As much as we can, let’s share in the life of the church here in Solihull trying always to be rooted and grounded in love in all that we do. And if we do these things then we will be slowly filled with all the fullness of God. Little by little, as individuals and as a community, we are transformed so that Jesus lives in us, and we in him. Amen.