Your Faith Journey - Finding God Through Words, Song And Praise

A national survey was done a few years ago by the Barna Group, and there was one simple question on the survey.  That question was, "What is the phrase you most long to hear?"  The overwhelming answer was not at all surprising: "I love you." In a solid second place was the phrase "I forgive you."  And, the third most longed to hear phrase was, "Dinner is ready!"  I find it fascinating that these three answers articulate the deepest longings and needs of every human being. Well, the Jesus we meet this morning in John's Gospel, understood these deepest longings that exist in peoples’ lives, longings for love, forgiveness and, yes, sustenance.  And, in the 6th chapter of John, we repeatedly hear Jesus address these three areas of human need.  In this lectionary year, for five Sundays in a row, we hear Jesus address these deep human desires as he claims, "The Bread that I present to the world so that it can eat and live is myself, this flesh-and-blood self."   As we enter today’s reading we see the crowds becomin