Reflections: “The God Within”

A sermon preached at Kowloon Union Church on Sunday 12 August 2018, by the Rev. Phyllis Wong. The scripture readings that day were Psalm 130; Ephesians 4:25–5:2; John 6:35, 41–51.

Your Word is a lamp, a light on my path (Chanting)

Last week I joined the Pilgrimage of Trust and Reconciliation in Hong Kong. This was an international meeting organized by Taizé Hong Kong. More than 1,500 participants, mainly young people from all over the world, joined this pilgrimage to seek God’s love, hope and unity. It was a wonderful and amazing experience. Today I am glad a number of pilgrims are with us this morning, and I would like to welcome them on behalf of the church.

Just now I chanted a Taizé song—Your Word Is a Lamp, a Light on My Path—in Chinese at the beginning. You can tell my body and spirit are still very much in a mood and mode of chanting and contemplating.

Today I would like to adopt a different approach in delivering my sermon. I will try an experiential approach that requires your active participation and attention.

John 6:35

“Then Jesus declared, ‘I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty’ ” (v. 35).

“I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world” (v. 51).

Jesus is the One that God sent from heaven to give life. Jesus is the Word made flesh. Jesus has given his flesh to each one of us and to the world.

The message I would like to share about The God Within is not going to be the spoken words from my mouth. Rather, I wish you to experience through the breaking of bread.

Timothy, Kath, Justine and myself will start by giving out the bread.

When the loaf of bread reaches you, take a small piece from the loaf and pass the loaf to the person next to you. When you give the small piece of bread to your neighbour, please say these words: This is the bread of life.

After you receive the piece of bread, please hold it in your hand. During this time, focus your heart, mind and soul on the bread. You may touch the bread, smell it, look at it attentively and feel it prayerfully. Meditate also on what is your relationship with Jesus, the incarnated God who is fully present in this very moment. I will instruct you to eat after everyone has received a piece of bread.

Jesus said, “I am the bread of life.”

Let us together share this bread, the bread of life in the broken body of Christ.

During the breaking of bread, chant “Eat this bread.”

Jesus Christ, Bread of Life, those who come to You will not hunger.

Jesus Christ, Risen Lord, those who trust in You will not thirst.

(When everyone has received the piece of bread, I will then say,

Friends, together let us eat the bread. You may close your eyes.

Chew the bread slowly; let the bread go down slowly from your mouth to your esophagus and then to your stomach.)

(Music)

As we eat the bread, Jesus, the Bread of Life, is living within our body. In this way, the God of eternity is living in us.

The God Within is a truth we need to know and remember.

In a moment of silence, let us experience The God Within—fully present in us in the here and now.

Sisters and brothers, I invite you to listen and meditate on these words:

The truth of The God Within helps us to transform and transcend our life.

The God Within leads us to accept our true self and love ourselves as God’s beloved children created in God’s holy image. (Silence)

The God Within strengthens us to embrace our personal brokenness and the brokenness of the world.

In the breaking of bread, our brokenness is healed, and we become whole in Christ. (Silence)

The God Within empowers us to face death without fear. The bread of life that we have taken will sustain our life and hope forever and ever. (Silence)

The God Within calls us to live a life like Christ, to love and to serve the world by offering and sacrifice to God. (Silence—bell)

Jesus Christ, the Bread of Life, the God who lives within us and the world, thank you; we praise you forever and ever! Amen.

# posted by Kowloon Union Church : Sunday, August 12, 2018

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