"Let's Go Fly a Kite"
A sermon preached by the Rev. Christopher E. Yopp at Edgemont Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) based on John 6:24-35.
Anyone who has turned on the television or picked up the newspaper lately has not been able to avoid what has turned into a rather heated and intense debate over the health-care reform bill. The intensity over this bill has escalated to the point that it has gotten out of control. In fact, several weeks ago an unnamed congressman was told by another member of Congress to “Go fly a kite.” Now, obviously this congressman wasn’t speaking literally, but figuratively. He was saying in essence, “Get out of here!” “Get lost!”
“Go fly a kite!” You know, growing up I had the luxury of several parks that were within walking distance from my house. And I have many childhood memories of my brothers and me, along with our parents, going to the park to fly kites.
In fact, those childhood memories were rekindled several weeks ago while my family and I were on vacation. Several evenings after dinner we took the kids out on the beach to fly a kite. And, interestingly enough, I had a little trouble keeping the kite in flight. I mean I was a little out of practice. After all, I hadn’t flown a kite since I was a child. But the Barbie kite, which I want to emphasize, was Miriam’s, would not stay airborne because the wind was too strong and the kite’s wings were not strong enough.
However, the few times I was able to keep it in flight, I couldn’t help but think of the song from the musical and movie, Mary Poppins:
“Go fly a kite!” You know, growing up I had the luxury of several parks that were within walking distance from my house. And I have many childhood memories of my brothers and me, along with our parents, going to the park to fly kites.
In fact, those childhood memories were rekindled several weeks ago while my family and I were on vacation. Several evenings after dinner we took the kids out on the beach to fly a kite. And, interestingly enough, I had a little trouble keeping the kite in flight. I mean I was a little out of practice. After all, I hadn’t flown a kite since I was a child. But the Barbie kite, which I want to emphasize, was Miriam’s, would not stay airborne because the wind was too strong and the kite’s wings were not strong enough.
However, the few times I was able to keep it in flight, I couldn’t help but think of the song from the musical and movie, Mary Poppins:
“Let's go fly a kite
Up to the highest heights
Let's go fly a kite, and send it soaring.
Up in the atmosphere,
Up where the air is clear,
Let's all go fly a kite.”
Our Gospel Lesson this evening is perhaps one of my favorites. Here, Jesus is trying to teach the people the difference between earthly bread and heavenly bread, between the visible and the invisible, between the temporal and the eternal, between the physical and the spiritual. It’s a distinction that Paul captured in his second letter to the church at Corinth, where he wrote: “[Let us fix our eyes] not on what is seen, but on what is unseen; for what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal” (II Corinthians 4:18).
It was really the Wright brothers who paved the way, if you will, for flying – they set the ball in motion. And while our technology has grown and greatly advanced from the days of the Wright brothers, still, the simplest and most basic form and, undoubtedly, the safest form of flying is a kite, that is, of course, if you don’t follow the example of Benjamin Franklin and you stay away from storms and power lines. But the fact is anyone can do it and it can be done virtually anywhere, as long as there is a breeze. And, what’s more, the kite is a wonderful metaphor for the Christian’s life and faith.
Kites have been around for about 3000 years. In fact, the Chinese made them from bamboo and silk. And, what’s more, kites were used for more than just entertainment, for centuries they have been used in religious ceremonies, scientific experiments, and military maneuvers.
Since the time of Babel, humanity has tried to reach God, to know God, to understand God and, in some respects, tried to put God in a box. But such attempts have proved futile. However, the gift of God’s Spirit – that gift that was poured out on Pentecost overcame the curse of Babel. The confusion that resulted at Babel, as humanity, in its selfish attempt to reach God, to know God and to understand God was overcome by God’s Spirit – that Spirit of Truth, which came to dwell with us, to reside with us, to make a home with us, to reveal God to us in a more intimate and personal way. And the one who paved this way for God was Christ.
“The bread of life… that comes down from heaven,” that was how Jesus described himself. And in doing so, he was reverting back to an experience that the Israelites had while on their wilderness journey. We read in the 16th chapter of Exodus that once again the Israelites were in the Wilderness of Sin and they began complaining and grumbling, saying: “we had it better off as slaves in Egypt then out here wandering in the wilderness. At least in Egypt we ate and had our fill.” And they said to Moses, “Have you brought us out here to kill us with hunger?” And so, the great provider – God, hears the cries of the Israelites and God rains down manna - bread from heaven for the people to eat while on their journey. God sustains them with this manna during their forty-year journey through the wilderness.
Now, you can rest assured in the fact that there were times when they desired for a more varied menu and frequently they grumbled and complained for the delicacies that they had enjoyed while in Egypt. But manna was what they needed, manna was what sustained them on that journey, and God provided it faithfully.
And certainly, we could argue with the Israelites in saying that there really isn’t anything unusual about bread, nothing out of the ordinary about it. Sure, while the aroma of freshly baked bread is wonderful and enticing, and while bread is both filling and satisfying, still, there really isn’t anything unordinary about it. Bread is bread!
I recall a minister who had just died and was standing in line at the gates of heaven. And while waiting, he struck up a conversation with the man in front of him – who was a taxi driver from Manhattan. Suddenly, there conversation was interrupted as St. Peter called out, "Next!" The cabbie stepped forward and St. Peter handed him a golden staff and a tray of assorted fruits and cheeses and wines, then motioned him through the gates and into heaven. Pleased with himself, the taxi driver proceeded through the gates. "Next!" St. Peter called again, this time the minister stepped forward and to his astonishment, St. Peter only handed him some bread. "Wait a minute!" cried the minister. "That guy drove a cab while on earth and he gets golden staff and a large tray of fruits and cheeses and wines. I spent my entire life as a minister and all I get is some lousy bread! Why?" "Well,” St. Peter said, “up here we judge on results. People slept through your sermons. In his taxi, they prayed."
Bread for the journey: that was what Jesus called himself. And in doing so, Jesus was using an image more profound than a staple of the diet. You see, he was drawing on a rich symbol of Jewish life. Bread was not only a necessity when it came to the Jewish diet, but it also played an important role in Jewish worship and history. For instance, all of the major Jewish feasts and festivals used bread as their main ingredient. It was manna - “bread from heaven” that God provided for the Israelites while they were in the wilderness. That “bread from heaven” played a vital role in Israel’s survival. And, in the same way, it is Jesus who feeds, and nourishes and sustains us. It is Jesus who satisfies the hungry heart, as the hymn writer affirms. It is Jesus who gives us strength in our weakness and hope in our times of despair. It is Jesus who meets our spiritual needs and hungers!
Who is Jesus? You know, that’s what we’ve been focusing on during this revival – who is Jesus? In our Gospel Lesson this evening, Jesus declared; “I am the bread of life.” Now, obviously, Jesus is more than physical bread: he is the bread that nourishes our relationship with God. You see, it is in Christ that we know God; it is in Christ that we experience God; it is in Christ that we encounter God. Someone once said; “Bread is to the physical body as Jesus is to spiritual body.” And certainly that’s true!
Sadly, we are so physically minded – we are so fixated and focused on the physical – what we want that, so much so that we often fail to take notice of the spiritual – what we need. Our wings of faith are weakened and vulnerable, sometimes, so much so that we are unable to connect to the Spirit of Life and Strength.
And certainly, this was where the people’s focus was, in our Gospel Lesson this evening – on the physical, on their own physical wants and cravings, and hungers. You see, keep in mind, earlier in this chapter Jesus had just finished feeding them and then the people were thinking back to when God provided manna in the wilderness for their ancestors, and they wanted that! I mean who wouldn’t want free food. With so much hunger and poverty in our world today, there is not only the want, but there is also the need for food. But, my friends, there is also a greater hunger and that is the spiritual hunger – the soul’s hunger! There are many who are spiritually hungry and impoverished. Even we, from time to time, become spiritually impoverished, as well.
Anyone who’s ever flown a kite knows that they don't typically go up in a straight line. Instead, they meander left and right – even sometimes in circular motions. There is, without a doubt, an art to kite-flying. Sometimes, catching the wind can be difficult or tricky; it is an exercise in faith. The force of a gentle breeze or a strong blast cannot be seen, but it is felt. Sure, all around us there are signs of its presence, from the swaying limbs of a tree, to the rustling of its leaves, to the wind’s touch upon our skin. However, sometimes the wind, without warning, seems to disappear completely, and the kite falls to the ground. Quick tugs on the string may reconnect it to the wind. Other times a full-scale sprint in the opposite direction is necessary. Sometimes nothing can be done to alter the course. It can be frustrating and challenging. What can be said of kite-flying can also be said of our own spiritual lives. Our spiritual journey can feel like this sometimes. As though we are being tugged in every direction! There are times when we become complacent. There are times when we feel we are flying, but then our lives become blasé. There are times when we don’t even realize the Wind or Spirit is with us. We feel no power, no presence, and no strength, we feel all alone and lost.
I love the story that is told of the man who was hired by the highway department to paint the yellow stripe down the center of the highway. This was when the task was done by hand. The first day on the job, he managed to paint the stripe down two miles of highway and his foreman was ecstatic. He complimented him on just progress. However, by the second day he only managed to paint a single mile, and by the third day only a half a mile. At end of the third day he was called into his foreman’s office where he was told he was fired. He told his foreman: “But it’s not my fault.” His foreman said, “You mean to tell me that it’s not your fault. How do you figure that?” The worker said: “Well, I kept getting farther and farther away from the paint can.”
You know, we find our efficiency and spiritual strength reduced when we keep getting farther and farther away from the source of our strength.
There is a beautiful story that I came across not too long ago that tells how during World War II Europe was flooded with countless homeless, hungry children. Many of them had gone without food for so long, and they were hungry, frightened and insecure. And so they were housed in refugee camps in Europe. They were cared for and they were adequately housed and fed, however they could not sleep. And a psychologist had an idea, after the children were put to bed they were each given a slice a bread to hold. If they wanted more to eat, more was provided. But this particular bedtime bread was not meant to be eaten, it was meant to be held. And that slice of bread caused a miracle to occur. The children went to sleep, subconsciously feeling that they would have something to eat tomorrow. And that assurance provided a calm and restful sleep.
The same is true of Christ. God has given each of us the Living Bread – Christ as a reminder of God’s presence and provision, of God’s care and love. Like the very bread that nourishes our physical bodies, so we too must feast upon Jesus – the bread of life, daily. And so, let us allow our lives to be kites in the hands of God that are guided by the Wind or Spirit of God, and ever connected to our living bread – Jesus.
Up to the highest heights
Let's go fly a kite, and send it soaring.
Up in the atmosphere,
Up where the air is clear,
Let's all go fly a kite.”
Our Gospel Lesson this evening is perhaps one of my favorites. Here, Jesus is trying to teach the people the difference between earthly bread and heavenly bread, between the visible and the invisible, between the temporal and the eternal, between the physical and the spiritual. It’s a distinction that Paul captured in his second letter to the church at Corinth, where he wrote: “[Let us fix our eyes] not on what is seen, but on what is unseen; for what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal” (II Corinthians 4:18).
It was really the Wright brothers who paved the way, if you will, for flying – they set the ball in motion. And while our technology has grown and greatly advanced from the days of the Wright brothers, still, the simplest and most basic form and, undoubtedly, the safest form of flying is a kite, that is, of course, if you don’t follow the example of Benjamin Franklin and you stay away from storms and power lines. But the fact is anyone can do it and it can be done virtually anywhere, as long as there is a breeze. And, what’s more, the kite is a wonderful metaphor for the Christian’s life and faith.
Kites have been around for about 3000 years. In fact, the Chinese made them from bamboo and silk. And, what’s more, kites were used for more than just entertainment, for centuries they have been used in religious ceremonies, scientific experiments, and military maneuvers.
Since the time of Babel, humanity has tried to reach God, to know God, to understand God and, in some respects, tried to put God in a box. But such attempts have proved futile. However, the gift of God’s Spirit – that gift that was poured out on Pentecost overcame the curse of Babel. The confusion that resulted at Babel, as humanity, in its selfish attempt to reach God, to know God and to understand God was overcome by God’s Spirit – that Spirit of Truth, which came to dwell with us, to reside with us, to make a home with us, to reveal God to us in a more intimate and personal way. And the one who paved this way for God was Christ.
“The bread of life… that comes down from heaven,” that was how Jesus described himself. And in doing so, he was reverting back to an experience that the Israelites had while on their wilderness journey. We read in the 16th chapter of Exodus that once again the Israelites were in the Wilderness of Sin and they began complaining and grumbling, saying: “we had it better off as slaves in Egypt then out here wandering in the wilderness. At least in Egypt we ate and had our fill.” And they said to Moses, “Have you brought us out here to kill us with hunger?” And so, the great provider – God, hears the cries of the Israelites and God rains down manna - bread from heaven for the people to eat while on their journey. God sustains them with this manna during their forty-year journey through the wilderness.
Now, you can rest assured in the fact that there were times when they desired for a more varied menu and frequently they grumbled and complained for the delicacies that they had enjoyed while in Egypt. But manna was what they needed, manna was what sustained them on that journey, and God provided it faithfully.
And certainly, we could argue with the Israelites in saying that there really isn’t anything unusual about bread, nothing out of the ordinary about it. Sure, while the aroma of freshly baked bread is wonderful and enticing, and while bread is both filling and satisfying, still, there really isn’t anything unordinary about it. Bread is bread!
I recall a minister who had just died and was standing in line at the gates of heaven. And while waiting, he struck up a conversation with the man in front of him – who was a taxi driver from Manhattan. Suddenly, there conversation was interrupted as St. Peter called out, "Next!" The cabbie stepped forward and St. Peter handed him a golden staff and a tray of assorted fruits and cheeses and wines, then motioned him through the gates and into heaven. Pleased with himself, the taxi driver proceeded through the gates. "Next!" St. Peter called again, this time the minister stepped forward and to his astonishment, St. Peter only handed him some bread. "Wait a minute!" cried the minister. "That guy drove a cab while on earth and he gets golden staff and a large tray of fruits and cheeses and wines. I spent my entire life as a minister and all I get is some lousy bread! Why?" "Well,” St. Peter said, “up here we judge on results. People slept through your sermons. In his taxi, they prayed."
Bread for the journey: that was what Jesus called himself. And in doing so, Jesus was using an image more profound than a staple of the diet. You see, he was drawing on a rich symbol of Jewish life. Bread was not only a necessity when it came to the Jewish diet, but it also played an important role in Jewish worship and history. For instance, all of the major Jewish feasts and festivals used bread as their main ingredient. It was manna - “bread from heaven” that God provided for the Israelites while they were in the wilderness. That “bread from heaven” played a vital role in Israel’s survival. And, in the same way, it is Jesus who feeds, and nourishes and sustains us. It is Jesus who satisfies the hungry heart, as the hymn writer affirms. It is Jesus who gives us strength in our weakness and hope in our times of despair. It is Jesus who meets our spiritual needs and hungers!
Who is Jesus? You know, that’s what we’ve been focusing on during this revival – who is Jesus? In our Gospel Lesson this evening, Jesus declared; “I am the bread of life.” Now, obviously, Jesus is more than physical bread: he is the bread that nourishes our relationship with God. You see, it is in Christ that we know God; it is in Christ that we experience God; it is in Christ that we encounter God. Someone once said; “Bread is to the physical body as Jesus is to spiritual body.” And certainly that’s true!
Sadly, we are so physically minded – we are so fixated and focused on the physical – what we want that, so much so that we often fail to take notice of the spiritual – what we need. Our wings of faith are weakened and vulnerable, sometimes, so much so that we are unable to connect to the Spirit of Life and Strength.
And certainly, this was where the people’s focus was, in our Gospel Lesson this evening – on the physical, on their own physical wants and cravings, and hungers. You see, keep in mind, earlier in this chapter Jesus had just finished feeding them and then the people were thinking back to when God provided manna in the wilderness for their ancestors, and they wanted that! I mean who wouldn’t want free food. With so much hunger and poverty in our world today, there is not only the want, but there is also the need for food. But, my friends, there is also a greater hunger and that is the spiritual hunger – the soul’s hunger! There are many who are spiritually hungry and impoverished. Even we, from time to time, become spiritually impoverished, as well.
Anyone who’s ever flown a kite knows that they don't typically go up in a straight line. Instead, they meander left and right – even sometimes in circular motions. There is, without a doubt, an art to kite-flying. Sometimes, catching the wind can be difficult or tricky; it is an exercise in faith. The force of a gentle breeze or a strong blast cannot be seen, but it is felt. Sure, all around us there are signs of its presence, from the swaying limbs of a tree, to the rustling of its leaves, to the wind’s touch upon our skin. However, sometimes the wind, without warning, seems to disappear completely, and the kite falls to the ground. Quick tugs on the string may reconnect it to the wind. Other times a full-scale sprint in the opposite direction is necessary. Sometimes nothing can be done to alter the course. It can be frustrating and challenging. What can be said of kite-flying can also be said of our own spiritual lives. Our spiritual journey can feel like this sometimes. As though we are being tugged in every direction! There are times when we become complacent. There are times when we feel we are flying, but then our lives become blasé. There are times when we don’t even realize the Wind or Spirit is with us. We feel no power, no presence, and no strength, we feel all alone and lost.
I love the story that is told of the man who was hired by the highway department to paint the yellow stripe down the center of the highway. This was when the task was done by hand. The first day on the job, he managed to paint the stripe down two miles of highway and his foreman was ecstatic. He complimented him on just progress. However, by the second day he only managed to paint a single mile, and by the third day only a half a mile. At end of the third day he was called into his foreman’s office where he was told he was fired. He told his foreman: “But it’s not my fault.” His foreman said, “You mean to tell me that it’s not your fault. How do you figure that?” The worker said: “Well, I kept getting farther and farther away from the paint can.”
You know, we find our efficiency and spiritual strength reduced when we keep getting farther and farther away from the source of our strength.
There is a beautiful story that I came across not too long ago that tells how during World War II Europe was flooded with countless homeless, hungry children. Many of them had gone without food for so long, and they were hungry, frightened and insecure. And so they were housed in refugee camps in Europe. They were cared for and they were adequately housed and fed, however they could not sleep. And a psychologist had an idea, after the children were put to bed they were each given a slice a bread to hold. If they wanted more to eat, more was provided. But this particular bedtime bread was not meant to be eaten, it was meant to be held. And that slice of bread caused a miracle to occur. The children went to sleep, subconsciously feeling that they would have something to eat tomorrow. And that assurance provided a calm and restful sleep.
The same is true of Christ. God has given each of us the Living Bread – Christ as a reminder of God’s presence and provision, of God’s care and love. Like the very bread that nourishes our physical bodies, so we too must feast upon Jesus – the bread of life, daily. And so, let us allow our lives to be kites in the hands of God that are guided by the Wind or Spirit of God, and ever connected to our living bread – Jesus.
posted by Pastor Christopher @ 11:44 AM
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