In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

     Why do we come to church? Why is it important to come to church every Sunday? Why is it not enough to come to church, say, once a month, or once a quarter? Of course, there are lots of reasons.God's reasons, and then, our reasons. But one of the primary reasons to come to church, for worship, each and every Sunday, is so that we don't miss God's Word for us. And I don't mean the totality of God's Word-God's Word that you can pick up and read in the Bible any day of the week, if you so choose. But we come to church every Sunday, so that we don't miss God's particular Word, for us, for me, for you. I used to tell our parish project group, that was a part of my doctoral program in preaching, that I had no delusions about having the particular word being read and preached on any given Sunday, hitting everyone in the congregation. I think it is more realistic to consider that on any given Sunday, God's particular Word, God's particular Word of comfort, insight, or freedom, may only be for one of us, sitting here in the Sanctuary. That doesn't mean the rest of us won't get something out of that particular Word and Sermon, but it may be a Word God is specifically aiming at one person.one worshiper here who is struggling, suffering, questioning, or needing to hear just that Word from God, on that day. And experience bears that out. Most any Sunday, as any pastor will tell you, there are the commonplace, "Nice sermon, pastor" comments after worship. But most any Sunday, there is also that one person who leaves worship, leans in a little closer, and says, "Pastor, God gave you that sermon, just for me today." Most often, it's just one. And that's okay. So, back to my original questions, then, it is important, vital, critical that we come to worship every Sunday possible, because we dare not miss the one Sunday when God has a particular word, for us! For you! For me! What if God has worked through the appointed lectionary, and worked in our parish experience, and worked through me, as I'm preparing the sermon-so that God is ready to provide for you just exactly the word you need to hear to keep going-but, being tired, and having struggled the past week, you sleep in, or decide to drive to the mountains to clear your head-and not being in worship, you miss God's particular Word, for you? The greatest tragedy of all is, it's when we're struggling, it's when we're needing a word of comfort or refreshment, that we are more likely not to be in worship.because we feel we just don't have the energy, we can't face the world another day, we don't want to be around people just now. So, we stay away, and perhaps, we miss God's Word for us. That's why we come to worship, and that's why it's important for us to come as often as possible, and especially when we're struggling and going through difficult times-so that here, we may hear God's specific Word, for me. And I'm glad you're here this morning, because I believe surely, God has a Word, for at least one of us, today.

     As you know, we've been hearing for several weeks now about how Jesus is the Bread of Life, come down from heaven to give life to the world. We've been reading through John chapter 6, where Jesus talks about himself, as this Living Bread, and next week, we'll hear Jesus speak more directly and carnally about how we are to partake of His presence, by eating his flesh and drinking his blood-yes, Jesus says that outright to his disciples-and it's recorded in John 6. So Jesus, the Bread of Life is our overarching theme these weeks during the Season of the Sundays after Pentecost. But within that theme, we hear, today, a meaningful text from the Old Testament as our First Lesson, where we hear about a particular, specific Word God had for Elijah. As you may remember, Elijah, the prophet of the Lord, had been fighting with the prophets of Baal, who had been enlisted by Jezebel, the pagan queen of the Jewish King, Ahab. Ahab was the ruler of the northern kingdom, and rather than taking a faithful Jewish woman as his wife, he married Jezebel, who sought to have all the prophets of the Lord slaughtered, so that she could install prophets of the pagan idols, Baal and Asherah as counselors to the king. Finally, Elijah confronted Jezebel and her false prophets, conquered them in a test of supernatural power, and then had the Israelites slay the prophets of Baal and Asherah, killing every last one of them by the sword. And then, after that great display of faith and power, Elijah flees in fear, for Jezebel has sworn to destroy Elijah within 24 hours. Our reading from I Kings picks up at that point, as we find Elijah, exhausted, fearful, sitting under a solitary broom tree, wishing he might just die and be done with it. Then he lay down under the broom tree and fell asleep. And that's what I like about this account from the life of Elijah-he's all too real-he's just like us. Who can't see themselves, in Elijah? Isn't this you, and me, at times in life? We're out, doing battle for the Lord-or at least, doing battle to keep our jobs, and in spite of momentary successes, we flee, exhausted, worn out, not sure if we can go on, not sure if we have the energy to continue, ready to just bag it all and be done with it. Middle aged men seem to have a corner on the market in this regard, as many men get to the point in life where they are so burdened with responsibility, so tired of fighting the day to day battles, that they either become distant and detached, or they do, indeed, flee their families and their responsibilities-flee to an adulterous affair, a new home in a new place, and sometimes, even a new country and a new identity. It's what we call middle-aged crazy. Women also experience this exhaustion and frustration and weariness of responsibility, it's just that women have more stamina and fortitude-women stick it out-many men flee.but all of us know what it's like. Most of us have, at one time or another, sat down with Elijah under that solitary broom tree, and cried ourselves to sleep. When dealing with ill and aging parents; when struggling with the death of a spouse, or a child; when wrestling with addictive behaviors; when trying to raise teenagers; when looking for a new job; when trying to juggle out-of-balance finances; when we have issues with co-workers, or bosses on the job; when our spouse is deployed and we're trying to keep the family going; when the everyday stresses and strains and schedules and pressure of life get us down-we want very much to run away, to run to a lonely place, curl up, and yes, die. We think we want to be alone, and perhaps we do want that. Why else would Elijah have run away, a day's journey into the wilderness? The solitary broom tree symbolizes Elijah's internal strife and feelings.he is a solitary tree, bending in the wind and storms of life, bending, bending, ready at any moment, to break. That is us, at times, isn't it. All alone, and lonely, feeling like we have to do it all. Feeling like it's all up to us, yet feeling like we just can't do it. But then, what happened to Elijah? This is when, in Elijah's life, things turned around. Suddenly, an angel touched him, and said to him, "Arise-get up and eat." And Elijah looked, and there at his head was a cake, baked on hot stones, and a jar of water. He ate and drank, and lay down again. And the angel of the Lord came a second time, touched him, and said, "Arise and eat, otherwise the journey will be too much for you." And Elijah got up and ate and drank again, then he went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights.

     Often, we hear this account from the life of Elijah, and wish, if only an angel would come to me, to rouse me, and strengthen me, and feed me for the journey ahead? I just feel lost and alone. I just feel exhausted and worn out, and spiritually dry. Where is my angel? Where is my word and my encourage-ment from the Lord? One of the guys on the Blue Collar Comedy tour always asks, "You looking for a sign?" And then he answers, "Here's your sign-right here!" My question is, are you looking for a sign? Are you waiting and hoping for a specific Word from the Lord, to uplift and encourage you? Do you feel you've been waiting and wondering, but nothing comes? Well, here's your own special angel, with your own special Word from God, aimed directly at you, today. If you are sitting with Elijah under that solitary broom tree today, worn out, frustrated, tired of life and of living-then the angel of the Lord has come for you, today, through this Scripture lesson. And the particular message God has for you, today-is the same message God had for Elijah-"Arise, and eat, otherwise the journey will be too much for you." I don't know exactly whom this Word from the Lord is for, today-but I know that this Word, is for one of you-one of you who is feeling lost; one of you who feels all alone; one of you who is struggling in marriage; one of you who is grieving; one of you who is seeking direction; one of you who is uncertain in life; one of you who is concerned about a loved one; one of you who is looking for work; one of you who is spiritually dry; one of you who has lost your sense of meaning and purpose; one of you who feels unloved and unaccepted; one of you who is afraid of the future; one of you who needs a word from the Lord. And lo and behold, here it is, brought from God, through your own special angel: "Arise and eat, otherwise the journey will be too much for you." And of what are you to eat?

     Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life. I am the living bread from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh." In our gospel reading for next Sunday, Jesus continues saying, "Truly I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you; but he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the Last Day." This is the food, of which we are to arise and eat-the flesh and blood of the Son of Man, Jesus Christ, our Savior. And just as those who eat of this food will be raised at the Last Day, so also, will those who eat and drink, be raised, today. Those who eat and drink, will be raised today, with Elijah, to continue on the journey. The strength of this food may just keep you going for forty days and forty nights-or, it might just get you through till next Sunday. Either way, that's why this food is provided for you. It is a gift to keep you going. The angel of the Lord provides it for you.it is the one and only, proverbial, "free lunch". You don't have to earn it, or pay for it, or cook it yourself. You just get up, and eat.of, the Bread of Life; the Living Bread come down from heaven; the Bread which gives life to the world, and. to you! That's why you came, this morning, and why you come each and every Sunday morning! So again, we say, "Come.come and eat, get up and eat of the Bread of Life!"

     In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.