Welcome to Pastor Jack Buckley's weekly blog and podcast.
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Thursday, July 30, 2009
Wonder Bread Al Fresco - Jesus Feeds 5,000
 Exodus 16:1-5, 11-18; John 6:1-21
Back in the day, Buffalo Bob Smith would interrupt the comic mayhem of Howdy Doody and his pals to face the television camera, and hold up a loaf of bread decorated with red, blue, and yellow balloons. Then he'd say, "Kids, don't forget to have your parents buy a loaf of Wonder Bread at the supermarket. It helps build strong bodies eight ways!" Yes, eight different vitamins and minerals were added to the basic recipe, all for our health and well-being. (By the time I was in high school, four more miracle ingredients had been included to make it twelve ways!)
All these years later, that memory rose up from my unconscious to put a funny little spin on this week's Gospel story.
Jesus and his disciples face a dilemma at the end of a busy messianic day. He's been teaching, preaching, and healing scads of people. Now everyone is kind of tired, and more than a little hungry as well. Jesus asks his men where some bread can be found for the crowds. Humph. It would take a half year's worth of work to raise enough money to buy that much bread.
But Peter points out a young boy whose lunch box contains five loaves of bread and two fish. And that's more than enough for Jesus.
He has everyone sit down on the grassy fields, for an impromptu picnic. Then he takes the bread in hand, says a prayer over it, and proceeds to break it up for distribution. And break it up, and break it up, then break it up some more -- like a magician doing some deceptively simple sleight of hand, until about 5,000 hungry souls are finally fed.
Then, after all of that, here's the kicker: The disciples finished up the party by gathering twelve full baskets of leftovers for doggie bags!
Talk about your Wonder Bread...
Actually, the Bible is filled with stories about bread and wonders, about miracles big and small that have to do with some kind of bread. Manna in the desert every morning for forty years... Matzohs in Egypt when there was no time to wait for yeast to rise... Jesus' last meal with his disciples during Passover week... Paul's poetic formula for the Holy Communion ceremony...
This is not your everyday plain, white, squishy Wonder Bread. The Bible's version is solid, substantial, soul-nourishing stuff.
Listen to the GODcast!
posted by Jack Buckley at
3:27 PM
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Grab a Grad Bag
  Pastoral Intern Elizabeth Campbell recently organized a generous surprise for our church's 2009 crop of high school graduates. She and her team collected donations of college supplies from congregation members, packed them into tote bags, and presented them at a celebration party honoring the grads. Here's her report...
Generosity & Congratulations Surge for Grads
It was a truly wonderful experience to be part of a new tradition in our church: The creation of gift bags filled with useful & unique gifts for our congregation's graduating high school seniors. The tradition does not stop here with just the bags, however. We also celebrated the seniors with a day devoted to fun and congratulations with our "Light" youth group. This year's festivities merit sharing!
I am so thankful for the generosity of our church family. Putting together these gift bags was like preparing for Christmas. As the accompanying photos help to testify, our bags were certainly brim full to the top -- and bearing all kinds of useful and intriguing items: pens, pencils, computer paper, recyclable notebooks (thanks to Stacey) and even an intriguing "This way is up" arrow that could have been as popular as the "pet rock" if we could predict fads -- as well as numerous gift cards and so much more. Thank you so much for your generosity FPCA!
Peace,
Elizabeth
posted by Jack Buckley at
2:21 PM
Monday, July 27, 2009
Good Words, Good People
Phillips Brooks, probably the most popular pastor in Boston well over a hundred years ago, said that preaching is God's truth mediated through human personality.
While I was on vacation this month, three guest preachers bore living testimony to that idea. None of the three was much like the other in temperament or style, so our congregation got to hear the word of God inflected in three very different ways.
You can do the same by tuning in below to the GODcast recordings of three uniquely different takes on the one great truth of Christ's gospel. You'll be glad you did.
Leslie Veen, "May I Choose Option A?"
Elizabeth Campbell, "A Musing on Life With God: House Building"
Ray Campton, "A Certain Man Had Two Sons..."
posted by Jack Buckley at
11:55 AM
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Word Is Out
While I was away on vacation (restful bliss!) our church won a place among the East Bay Express's annual "Best Of" awards [July 15-21, 2009]. Thanks to some anonymous angel, we got the nod for "best stained glass windows" in the East Bay Area. Among other choice phrases, they mentioned the windows's "eye-rattling brilliance."
We modestly accept the accolades and invite you to come see for yourself -- and stay for the fellowship.
posted by Jack Buckley at
4:16 PM
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