The BreadCast

(Acts 9:31-42; Ps.116:12-17; Jn.6:60-69) "We have come to believe." Yes, Peter professes for the Twelve (except Judas, of course), "We are convinced that you are God's holy one." They have heard His words and seen His works, and despite the difficulty of this latest and most challenging of words – that they must eat His flesh and drink His blood – their faith is not shaken as is that of so many others, as is the faith of so many even today regarding the same teaching. Peter declares, "You have the words of eternal life," and he knows by Jesus' words all things are possible, for "it is the spirit that gives life" to the flesh. And so Peter and the apostles can sing with our psalmist, "The cup of salvation I will take up, and I will call upon the name of the Lord," and by this invocation – "This is my body… This is my blood" – the Lord's words are proven true: His presence is with us, and of Him we eat. And in our first reading, faith comes, too, through the blessed healing of two disciples. We are told that through the healing of one, "All the inhabitants of Lydda and Sharon, upon seeing him, were converted to the Lord"; and upon the raising of the other, "Many came to believe in the Lord." Truly here is evidence that the Church "was being built up and was making steady progress in the fear of the Lord." Whereas in our gospel we see a pruning of the faithful to discover those who truly believe, here we see those so refined, today in the person of Peter, serving to increase the numbers of those who believe. "You have loosed my bonds." What appropriate words from our psalmist today for those cured by Jesus through Peter's intercession to sing in praise of God. For one is released from paralysis and the other from the very bonds of death. But how much more appropriate these words are for the others to sing, those who are set free from a lack of faith – those who come to believe in Jesus. For here truly is the greatest freedom, the greatest healing there is, to be able to declare with the whole of His faithful: "To you I will offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and I will call upon the name of the Lord." O that all might come to life in the Spirit of our Lord Jesus Christ! As Jesus did, so do the apostles. As he healed, so do they. As Jesus told the paralytic to take up his mat and go home (Mt.9:6), so Peter says, "Get up and make your bed." As Jesus said, "'Talitha, koum', which means, 'Little girl, I say to you, arise!'" (Mk.5:41), so Peter says, "Tabitha, stand up." And as surely as these are raised by the words spoken in Jesus' name, so when the apostles speak the Lord's words of spirit and life – "This is my body… This is my blood" – over the gifts of bread and wine, so truly do they become His flesh and blood. I pray all shall come to believe. ******* O LORD, let us live and act as if we believe in your Son; let us do the things He has done. YHWH, you have loosed our bonds and raised us from death by the sacrifice of your Son, and in His Name all are now saved from their sins and consecrated to you. Help us to believe the words He speaks, to be of the Spirit and life and not the flesh. O let us come to you! O LORD, let our faith not be shaken by the demands of your Son, by the challenge He offers us to believe and so come to life in His Name. Let your Church flourish and grow in fear of you and the consolation of the Spirit. Yes, let all be converted to love of you and serve to do your will in this world, till all come to dwell eternally in your kingdom. This day we take up the cup of salvation and declare your praise, O LORD. This day let us fulfill our vows to you, that in your sight our death might be blessed and we be raised to life with you.

(Acts 13:14,43-52; Ps.100:1-3,5; Rv.7:9,14b-17; Jn.10:27-30) "The Lamb who is in the center of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to springs of life-giving water." Joy is our promise in the Lord, brothers and sisters. Absolute, eternal, universal joy. And though we may suffer persecution now, "the time of great distress" upon us but provides the means, the water, by which all saints "have washed their robes and made them white." "The blood of the Lamb" is necessary to bring us to the kingdom of God. Paul and Barnabas suffer "violent abuse" today for proclaiming the word of the Lord. But from it comes their turn to the Gentiles, who delight in joy at this call to the kingdom. And these disciples themselves "were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit," despite being expelled from the territory to which they'd come. All is joy in the Lord! In our second reading, John depicts all the saints who "stand before God's throne and worship Him day and night in His temple." Here they are utterly protected from harm, the harm that afflicted them while on earth. No trials exist anymore in this everlasting shelter, for the Lord has "wipe[d] away every tear from their eyes." These tears, too, are water which cleanses the soul, which makes us robed in white before the Lord. And Jesus assures us, to our great exultation, that "no one can take [us] out of the Father's hand," or His own. He and the Father are one, and no greater power is there under or above the sun. Though threats of robbery besiege our souls as we travel through this world, let us make the Lord's assurance our own, and have faith that nothing will remove us from His arms. Our psalmist exalts in the joy that should reflect the song in all our souls: "Sing joyfully to the Lord, all you lands; serve the Lord with gladness; come before Him with joyful song." So let us search our hearts to find that joy within us and overflowing from us. Let me ask you, brother, sister, did John see you present in his "vision of a great multitude, which no one could count, from every nation, race, people, and tongue"? Is the life-giving water of the Lamb washing you clean for that day? Then joy should be yours even where you stand, for even now you stand with Him. Written, read & chanted, and produced by James Kurt. Music: "Everyone's a Baby, Everyone's a Child" from All One, sixth album of Songs for Children of Light, by James Kurt. ******* O LORD, let us follow your Son to the kingdom where He reigns over all. YHWH, souls from every nation stand before your throne in white robes, for your Son is a light even to the Gentiles; even to these do His apostles speak your Word. Even these are called to eternal life by the Messiah. Day and night we shall worship in your holy Temple, O LORD, protected by the Lamb at the center of the throne in your heavenly kingdom. What John has seen shall soon come to pass for all those who wash their robes in Jesus' blood. Every faithful soul is welcomed into His arms, is led into your pasture. And this flock you tend untiringly, your Spirit upon all your children of light. And why should we care if we should suffer for your sake and the sake of your Name? This persecution but brings joy to your blessed disciples, for in it they share in the sacrifice of your Son and so in the eternal joy of Heaven. O LORD, hold us always in your Hand!

(Acts 5:27-32,40b-41; Ps.30:2,4-6,11-13; Rv.5:11-14; Jn.21:1-19) "You changed my mourning into dancing." Throughout our readings today we witness the glory the risen Lord effects by His sacrifice, the change of fate that comes by the Savior. In our first reading, though the apostles are brought before the Sanhedrin for persecution, they leave their presence rejoicing, happy to have "suffer[ed] dishonor for the sake of the name." In our psalm David sings the praise of the Lord for His having brought him "up from the netherworld," turning his weeping into joy. In our second reading, John sees and hears "every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, everything in the universe, cry out" the "blessing and honor, glory and might" of "the Lamb that was slain" – perceiving thus the ultimate fulfillment of the Lord's living sacrifice. And in our gospel, though the apostles had toiled in vain all the night within their boat, and were tired and hungry and disillusioned as morning approached, Jesus stood upon the shore… and at His instruction they caught more fish than they could carry, and were fed by His hand. The light follows darkness, inevitably. "At nightfall, weeping enters in, but with the dawn, rejoicing." It is the maxim of the universe, epitomized by the death and resurrection of the Christ. And so, though Jesus calls Peter from the freedom he has known in youth to the bondage that shall be his as he "grow[s] old," it is understood that, indeed, by this "death he [will] glorify God," and thus joining his death with the Lord's own, shall know the same glorious morn Jesus does now own, and to which He leads all His followers. Darkness can never overcome the eternal light of our God; of the glory of the Lord the angels and all living creatures sing in heaven even now. And we shall join their voices soon, we shall stand in the ranks with Peter and John and David and all His holy ones very soon. Once we have finished giving thanks to the living God for the suffering we are graced to endure here in His name, we will come to the joy that is ours in Him in heaven. Then we shall dance and sing forever. Written, read & chanted, and produced by James Kurt. Music: "Souls at a Carnival" from All One, sixth album of Songs for Children of Light, by James Kurt. ******* O LORD, may the blood of your Son cleanse us of sin, and may our own death glorify you. YHWH, Jesus was killed by being hung on a tree, but you preserved Him from among those going down into the pit, you brought Him up from the netherworld, and with Him all those obedient to His Word. Now in glory He sits with you upon the throne, and the angels and all creatures in Heaven and on earth and under the earth praise His holy Name. And, yes, those who follow Him here unto death shall come to such glory with Him in Heaven. To the Lamb who was slain belong all honor and glory and blessing; and to His disciples, to those who lay down their lives that His sheep might be fed, comes the blessing that rests upon Him. O LORD, make us fruitful in your sight! May we help turn the mourning of mankind into dancing and singing before your throne. Forever let us give you thanks for having been found worthy to suffer dishonor here for the sake of your Name.

(1Cor.15:1-8; Ps.19:2-5; Jn.14:6-14) "The man who has faith in me will do the works I do." What is the message the apostles preach "to the ends of the world"? What is "the glory of God" that "the heavens declare" and "the firmament proclaims"? It is none other than Jesus' words to Thomas: "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through me"; it is His answer to Philip: "I am in the Father and the Father is in me." The Father "lives in [Jesus] accomplishing His works," and Jesus lives in His apostles continuing the great work of God. Here is the Gospel in short, which Paul preaches to the Corinthians in our first reading: "Christ died for our sins in accord with the Scriptures… He was buried and, in accord with the Scriptures, rose on the third day." He has appeared to all the apostles who preach His Name, who declare His salvation to all men; and He is known to us this day in His Spirit, in His Church, in His Sacraments and in His Word. And indeed it is so that knowing Him we know the Father; filled with His Spirit we cannot but proclaim the majesty of the grace at work in Him through His Church. Standing on the solid foundation the apostles have set, what can shake our faith or keep us from His glorious presence? Brothers and sisters, on days such as this – and indeed on all days – our hearts should burn intensely with the love of the Lord. Our souls should join with the blessed spirit of these holy apostles and declare aloud the silent Word that "imparts knowledge" to the minds of all. So should our "voice[s] resound" of the glory of God and the grace He has poured forth in our spirits. Let the earth be filled with His light! Written, read & chanted by James Kurt; produced by Roger Fortney. Music by Roger Fortney; used by permission. ******* O LORD, you are seen in your Son; let Him be seen in us. YHWH, let us do your works; let us believe in you and bring your Gospel to the ends of the earth. Let us declare with your holy apostles that your Son has died for our sins, and that He is now risen. Dear LORD, open our eyes to see that Jesus is in you and you are in Him. Truly He is the way, the truth, and the life – by His presence amongst us, we are saved and drawn into life. Let us follow in His way and so become one with you and with the Spirit. With confidence may your apostles speak, LORD, that your voice might go out to all the world and all hearts might declare that Jesus is God, and that in Him alone we are redeemed. O let us all speak for Him as He comes to us this day! Make us His brothers in the faith, dear Father, those who see you and know you and do your will. Strengthen us today to do your work, and so find glory in your Name.

O Shepherd of the Church who led her through a difficult time, seeing to her reform in faith and morals, in teaching and prayer, that the foundation once established by the Lord Jesus Christ might be confirmed and strengthened, kept from decay – pray this day, too, MotherChurch will be blessed by the nourishing food of the Spirit, that she might be fed at the Lord's table and all might be encouraged to enter the gates of Heaven she guards and opens to all souls in communion with the Savior and His way… May Peter lead us unto His Day.

O wise and holy virgin whose love for God was matched by a great love for the Church and a great desire to see her pure and holy as He… peace you brought to peoples and to MotherChurch, for peace you held within your blessed soul, held as you were in the hand of God – pray the light of the Lord will be shed upon the Church and all souls this day, and that reconciliation shall come and we stand as one in that surpassing light and peace of the Trinity. May holiness be all men's desire, to live in accord with the will of God.

(Acts 5:12-16; Ps.118:1-4,22-27; Rv.1:9-13,17-19; Jn.20:19-31) "When I caught sight of Him, I fell down at His feet as though dead." But Jesus "touched [John] with His right hand and said, 'Do not be afraid.'" Thomas exclaimed, "My Lord and my God!" as he humbled himself at the sight of the risen Christ who had appeared before him, and so he was blessed with faith. The first believers "carried the sick out into the streets and laid them on cots and mats so that when Peter came by, at least his shadow might fall on one or another of them." And the sick and possessed brought forth "were all cured." All "those who fear the Lord" know His eternal mercy! Brothers and sisters, let us not be afraid to humble ourselves in awe before the mighty Lord and the apostles He sends forth in His name and with the blessing of the Father. We must set our hearts on "the first and the last, the One who lives," and let nothing keep us from the path to His grace, to the glorious vision of His holy face. He waits. He waits in expectation for all humble souls to turn to the blood poured out by the nail marks in His hands and the wound in His side. He wishes not to have died in vain, and so with power He sends the Spirit out through the ministry and the sacraments of His Church on earth. "Many signs and wonders were done among the people at the hands of the apostles," and these same wonders and more are offered for our edification and our salvation this day. The time of fulfillment is upon us and the Lord Jesus is not remiss with His graces: generously the fount of mercy gushes forth. And as John was surrounded by water on the island of Patmos in the day of his divine vision, so are we surrounded with the blessings of the Lord, if we but come to His presence. He is near. He is waiting. Do not doubt; but believe – and whatever ailment of body or soul, heart or mind, which seems to obstruct your reception of the glory of God, will be removed in an instant, if you but fall down at His feet in awe. Dead before Him we must be, dead to sin and sadness. Alive in the Spirit we must remain, keeping His peace within us. With John let us share "the distress, the kingdom, and the endurance we have in Jesus," and the distress will disappear and the kingdom come, even as we endure all in His name. God's "peace be with you." Written, read & chanted, and produced by James Kurt. Music: "Branch of the Vine" from Loving Spirit, third album of Songs for Children of Light, by James Kurt. ******* O LORD, your mercy endures forever; help us to trust in you. YHWH, let us lay our broken bodies in the streets that your apostle might pass by and we be healed of our infirmity. Let us fall down at the feet of your glorious Son and feel His hand upon us and hear His voice reassuring us. May the risen Jesus be known to us that in faith we might proclaim, "My LORD and my God!" O let His peace be upon us! May the Holy Spirit ever guide us. O LORD, let your divine mercy be upon our souls that we might be forgiven all our sins; all our doubts and fears be washed away in the blood of your Son. He has been rejected by the builders, but those who are pressed hard by the trials of this earthly life know the wonders He does for all who believe. He was once dead but now is alive, and we who believe in Him are raised up from all sin to look upon Heaven. In His wounds we find new life.

(Dn.3:14-20,91-92,95; Dn.3:52-56; Jn.8:31-42) "The truth will set you free." Sin binds. Like the cords with which "the strongest men in [Nebuchadnezzar's] army bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego," sin fetters our souls and casts us "into the white-hot furnace." "Everyone who lives in sin is the slave of sin." But for those like these three faithful servants who "will not… worship the golden statue that [the king of this world] set up," there is freedom. For the Lord who is "praiseworthy and exalted above all forever," who sits "on the throne of [His] kingdom… in the firmament of heaven," "can save us from the white-hot furnace and from [the king's] hands." For those who "yielded their bodies rather than serve or worship any god except their own God," sin holds no sway. And so we find them "unfettered and unhurt, walking in the fire," the angel of God at their side. God sits on His "throne upon the cherubim," but He "look[s] into the depths." And so He sends His Son to walk among us and set us free from slavery to sin. As Jesus says, "I come forth from God, and am here." Here is the Son; here is the true reflection of the Father. Here, indeed, is Truth itself, by whom we are all set free. How Jesus strove to bring the truth to "those Jews who believed in Him" but struggled in their acceptance. But the Lord does not pull punches; He does not gloss over the truth, however harsh it may seem. He tells them plainly, "You are trying to kill me," and so they do the works of Satan – and so do they sin. In their pride they deny their sin, and the envious plots in their hearts: "Our father is Abraham," they argue, and not the evil one. "We are no illegitimate breed!" But the truth is that they are, and though it mean His death, Jesus must deliver this truth unto them… for it is all that will set them free. How little it seems the truth is brought to the people today, and so, how few it seems are set free. As sin goes merrily along, the devil sits laughing… But God is still God, and the Son is still the Son, and all who give themselves to Him and not the idols of this earth will still find themselves set free. Brothers and sisters, "if the Son frees you, you will really be free." Confront your own sin, and entrust all to Him. ******* O LORD, from your throne on high you send your Son to rescue us from the fires of sin; let us love His words and put faith in Him and you. YHWH, you alone are God, exalted above all on your glorious throne. This is truth. And so, you alone should we worship with heart, mind, and soul. You alone we should praise. In you alone we should trust – you alone should be our Father. But how easily we lie and become children of the father of lies; how readily we harden our hearts against your Word, against your truth, LORD, bowing down before the golden statue and going so far as to kill the One who bears your truth to us. Jesus would convict us of our sins. He would reveal to us the truth of our fallen nature that we might be saved, that we might be set free from the sin that binds us and casts us into the white-hot furnace. But our pride will not be broken, and so, trapped within it we remain. O LORD, let us show the faith of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Let us trust our very lives into your hands. Even in this furnace let us praise your Name, and your Son will come to us to set us free.

(Dn.13:1-9,15-17,19-30,33-62; Ps.23:1-6; Jn.8:12-20) "Judgment of mine is valid because I am not alone. I have at my side the One who sent me, the Father." "It is laid down in [the Mosaic] law that evidence given by two persons is valid." Thus does the assembly condemn Susanna to death, because the two elders testify as one against her. But then "God stirred up the holy spirit of a young boy named Daniel," and so we find a better pair of witnesses – the Spirit and Daniel – to refute the lies of the wicked elders. And so Daniel, empowered by the Spirit, separates these evil men; and so the lack of integrity and unity in their testimony is exposed; and so "an angel of God shall receive the sentence from Him and split [them] in two" – the "fine lie" they have told will cost them their heads. And can there be any truer witness of two than that which is known in the Father and the Son, both of whom testify, in the Spirit, that Jesus is "the light of the world"? This great truth cannot be hidden, and so those whose witness is most perfect must speak it, that "no follower of [His] shall ever walk in darkness" but "shall possess the light of life." This is the will of God, whose Word is true; and this revelation shall be accomplished despite any deceptions devised by those who walk in darkness. Brothers and sisters, be comforted that the Lord is "at [your] side, with [His] rod and staff that give [you] courage." With Him and with His Spirit you shall be saved from all evil. Be as Susanna in your time of trial: "Through her tears she looked up to heaven, for she trusted in the Lord wholeheartedly," and He will strengthen you and "spread the table before [you] in the sight of [your] foes." Taking Him as your witness, you cannot be denied. And the same justification she has known will be your own. All wicked men shall meet their end, for lies cannot stand and the "past sins" of the false judges shall "come to term." There is but one Judge whose verdict is true and lasting, and all those who find refuge in Him and His Father shall stand as He does unto eternity. ******* O LORD, your testimony is true as is that of your Son for the Holy Spirit is upon Him. YHWH, your Son is the light of the world; to this you testify in His every word, in His every action. He is one with you, O God, and looking upon Him we see your face. Father in Heaven, your Spirit is upon Jesus to speak the truth – may we know Him well that we might know you. If in you we trust, dear LORD, we shall be saved from every trial. If we keep our eyes up and looking to Heaven, even through our tears you shall answer our prayers. None is left alone who calls upon your Name; help comes quickly to those who recognize their need. And so, in your kindness you have sent us Jesus; the Spirit goes forth in His wake. To your table we are drawn, LORD, where our heads are anointed with holy oil. No judgment comes upon the soul who trusts in Christ, for He walks only in light… and so it is with those who follow in His way.

(Is.43:16-21; Ps.126:1-6; Phil.3:8-14; Jn.8:1-11) "Forgetting what lies behind but straining forward to what lies ahead, I continue my pursuit toward the goal." In times past the Lord opened "a way in the sea" for the Israelites to pass through, while Pharoah's army He "snuffed out and quenched like a wick." Afterward, He "brought back the captives of Zion" from the lands to which they had been scattered to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem. "Great things" the Lord has done for His people, but through the prophet Isaiah He enjoins all to "remember not the events of the past," to "consider not" these mighty and wondrous deeds. For as marvelous as His deeds once were, now He proclaims, "See, I am doing something new!" And indeed, something new is in our midst. We see perfect evidence of this surpassing work in the apostle Paul, who has "accepted the loss of all things" – including any righteousness this former Pharisee may have had by the law – that he may "gain Christ and be found in Him," for he knew that all good things are to be found in Jesus the Lord. And now he is but "depending on faith to know Him and the power of His resurrection." Here is the new thing which is done: the only Son has died and been raised from the grave, never to die again. And so Paul seeks to share "of His sufferings," to be "conformed to His death," that he too "may attain the resurrection from the dead." Nothing else is worth our time or our breath in this world; only this "one thing" calls us upward to God. And see how this new thing has affected the adulterous woman, the sinner who represents us all. She is brought forward in all her abomination, deserving death for the act she has knowingly committed… yet she leaves Christ's presence an entirely free woman. Free not merely to go as she pleases, but free from the sin which should have spelled her condemnation. Here is the new thing as it affects every human soul: the forgiveness of our sins. And what joy this should bring us! For if Jesus who is to judge the heart of all sentient beings does not condemn us, who shall stand with stone in hand to punish our transgression? But heed, my brother, my sister, the Lord's due warning, if you would truly know the grace of this new thing – "from now on do not sin anymore" – or what is new and bringing refreshment will become old and stale very soon. Forward we must strive all the days of our lives, leaving well behind our sins; only in heaven will we take full hold of Him who has taken possession of us by His mercy. Written, read & chanted, and produced by James Kurt. Music: "Cleansing" from Cleansing Human Frailty, fourth album of Songs for Children of Light, by James Kurt. ******* O LORD, cleanse us of our sin and draw us into your kingdom. YHWH, great things you have done for us, and so we should announce your praise. For you have put behind us all our sins and call us upward now to you in your Son. There seemed no way through this desert, but like torrents of water in the wasteland you have poured your grace upon us; and we are set free, and we escape judgment… and we come running now to you. Something new you indeed accomplish in our midst, something greater than the parting of the Red Sea or the drowning of Pharaoh's army. For then you saved your people from certain death, yes, as well as from slavery; but they would soon die anyway, as do all who travel here. But now it is eternal condemnation from which we are redeemed. Now everlasting life we strain toward as we embrace Jesus' holy Cross. O LORD, let us but know the grace come to us in your Son! Thank you for your forgiveness.