1 Kings 19:1-8; Ephesians 4:1-16; John 6:1-14; Psalms 34 & 33    

For many of us today is a "return to work" day, after a period of respite caused by Christmas and New Year's falling so close to a weekend. Time with family, friends, time for errands and home projects, time to catch up on reading or movies or hobbies, time used to simply refresh ourselves comes to a crashing end today. "Back to the old grind" my parents used to say to us as we headed back to school. And it seems like a long road ahead before another respite will come our way.

I wonder if the people who put together our Daily Office lectionary had this in mind when today's readings were chosen. For we have Elijah running away from Jezebel, collapsing from exhaustion and giving up, only to be provided what he needs to continue on his 40 day journey to Horeb, "the mount of God". We are also gifted a reading from Ephesians (one of my favorite passages of that book) where we are reminded that we have all been given different talents and gifts, that when used in tandem make the Body of Christ (which we all are) work properly. And finally we are provided with Jesus' feeding of the multitudes with five barley loaves and two fish.

The road ahead, this coming year, may seem long and arduous, the next break may seem very far off, and the year can be long and the next break could be very far off, yet we are given a gift today. God is with us on this journey. We are so loved that God will provide us with what we need, not perhaps what we want, but what we need. Elijah certainly didn't want to continue on his 40 day trek to Horeb, but he ate what God provided and continued on his way. And we are not alone on the journey. God has made some of us apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers. We are told to live into our gifts, in community, and we can make the work of God happen. And we are provided with the Gospel reading where Jesus illuminates what living around a common table means: all are fed and loved, as much as they need. What a wonderful gift these lectionary developers have given us today: God is walking this long journey with us, providing for us food enough, providing us with gifts and talents, and reminding us that we are not alone, the communion feast we celebrate around our common table can and does sustain us on the way.

Copyright: The Rev. John F. Dwyer, 2008