I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.
The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat?
So Jesus said to them, Very truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day; for my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them. Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever eats me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like that which your ancestors ate, and they died. But the one who eats this bread will live forever.
John 6:51-58
Cannabilism and the Early Church
The first thing that comes to my mind when reading this passage is how the early christians were often accused of being cannibals by informers and the Roman authorities. And reading this text it is not hard to see why people might think this!
‘Eat my flesh and drink my blood’ sounds more like something from some dark ancient religion than from our western churches. In fact, I think that we (that is those of us who spend far too much time in churches) often forget how offensive and hard to understand phrases like this can be. So often if someone asks what this means we just say ‘it just means communion - where we drink grape juice and eat a piece of bread and remember Jesus and what he did for us’ - certainly sounds a lot less offensive - but perhaps that is the problem - we have taken something that is meant to be challenging and offensive and turned into a nice little ritual where we can feel good about what Jesus has done for us.
Jesus… hero one day … whacko the next
To gain a better understanding of this passage we need to briefly recount what has just gone before (John ch 6 version according to mc)
* Jesus and large crowd in wilderness
* Jesus feeds crowd from 5 loaves and two fishes (from small boy)
* People like Jesus!
* People want to make Jesus King
* Jesus runs away … goes to other side of lake (transport method: walking on water)
* Crowd goes looking for Jesus and finds him
* Jesus says ‘you want me because I gave you free food … try this for size ..’
* Jesus talks about ‘true bread from heaven, which after people eat are never hungry’
* Crowd says ’sounds great! what do we have to do to get this’
* Jesus says ‘I am the bread of life … I come from heaven … come to me and believe in me’
* Crowd says ‘who does he think he is? We know his parents!’
* Jesus says ‘I am living bread you must eat of me’
* Crowd says ‘how can we eat your flesh? what are you talking about?’
* Jesus says ‘eat my flesh (not shorts) drink my blood’ (today’s passage)
* Crowd says ‘this guy is nuts!’ and leave
Soooo typical of Jesus. People like him, he runs away, people want more of him so he does something to offend them and drive them away. Didn’t this guy read any evangelism books or go to any church growth seminars? This is no way to develop a successful and growing movement …
The crowd in this story are offended for a number of reasons
* Jesus claims to have come from heaven (yeah right buddy … we know your parents!)
* Jesus tells them they have to eat his flesh and drink his blood (obviously loony …)
In many ways these objections of the crowd are the same objections that people have to Jesus today (and this is in the church!!!)
Jesus comes from heaven vs I know your mummy!
Today many people have problems that Jesus might actually come from heaven. While we might not know Joseph and Mary we know the Gospel’s ‘parents’. That is - we know that the Gospel’s were written by people who weren’t eyewitnesses. We know they collected and edited stories and put them together. We know that they wrote with specific communities and issues in mind … in other words we say to Jesus ‘we know your mummy! we know where you came from and the process used to write these Gospels - therefore you can’t have come from heaven - you are just another human’
Drink my blood vs can I have some grape juice please … the non-alcoholic type!
Eat my flesh and drink my blood - hard offensive statements that put people off Jesus and make him an offense to the authorities … not what we want. We want nice consumer Jesus with the action models and bland music and nothing that will challenge our nice Christian middle-class way of life. Eat my flesh!
No more Grape Juice Please …
So what then do we make of this passage - John is very clearly challenging us through Jesus words. What is Jesus saying , why and what does it mean for us?
Eat my flesh, drink my blood … this is the bread that has come from heaven
come from heaven …
Jesus is claiming that he is unique - he is what no other human before or after can say - he is from heaven - what he says and who he is and therefore worthy of acceptance
eat my flesh, drink my blood
acknowledging who he is (ie head knowledge) is only the start. To receive this gift of the bread of life we have to eat and drink of him. While this obviously has references to communion it is far more than just symbolism. To receive God’s gift of life (today and for eternity) we have to Jesus into ourselves (’eat’ and ‘drink’) we have to feed upon him, allow him to become our sustenance. Just as Jesus lives in God in that close relationship, we have to live in Jesus - let his being be our very being.
This is not just some spiritual feeling - this is hardcore business of following Jesus. Showing love where there is hate, proclaiming justice where there is injustice, not being afraid to being an offense to Governments and authorities and most of all rejecting the bland bread and grape juice of modern western Christianity and wanting the real ‘flesh and blood’ of Jesus. Wanting the Jesus who rejected the legalism of the Pharisees and the insitution of the Saducees. who proclaimed a God who was active and involved in the life of all people, not just ‘good’ people, but called all people to a new life, a new community a community of life and faith.
We need more cannibals for Jesus!
People who take Jesus seriously and don’t want the bread and grape juice but want the flesh and blood. Let me give you a concrete example …
Jesus said blessed are the peacemakers … yet if you believe some people being a good christian is rolling over and accepting good ol’ George and co when they tell us that God wants us to make war. Then they lie about Revelation and say that the beast will come in the form of someone bringing world peace … (read Rev ch 13 and find that …) and so they turn the words of Jesus on their head.
Now rather than being cannibals who are an affront to power and authorities we have a nice bread and grape juice christianity who accept almost anything from the Government - as long as they say ‘I believe in Jesus!’.
Grape Juice. Give me the flesh and blood Jesus who wasn’t afraid to offend those who wanted a popular hero, or those in power.
‘Eat my flesh, drink my blood - come and live with me forever!’
Amen.
Soul Food Application - Enjoying Intimate Relationship with God
Often we think of intimate relationship as some fuzzy spiritual feeling (and sometimes in can involve that) - but there is nothing as intimate as eating the flesh and drinking the blood of someone!
Jesus doesn’t just want your spiritual feelings - he wants you to eat and drink from him.
Questions for Reflection
How often do you settle for a bread and grape juice Jesus rather than a flesh and blood Jesus?
How are you trying to ‘feed’ on Jesus - make him your sustenance and way of life?
Where is Jesus calling you to be someone who might offend others through taking a stand?
Alan Jamieson at Prodigal Kiwi(s) Blog is posting a series on books that engage with ‘living and dying’ - books that help us face our dying so we may really live.
Dave explains that he’d been listed in a dissertation blog on the Emerging Church. He defines ‘Emerging Church’ as “People who are going about being ‘the church’ in a bit of a different way to the way that most people are going about it”. Dave connects the ‘Emerging Church’ scene in the UK with alternative worship, a scene he’s been involved in. He discovered a comment on Emerging Church Research from Mark Berry, a fellow blogger who says that Worship Matters, as wonderful as it is, is not a leading voice in the Emerging Church. And so the cartoon. As it turns out, Mark was critiquing the idea of listing ‘emerging church’ blogs according to the number of times they’re listed in Technorati with the Emerging Church tag.
Whatever the case, Dave’s provided an excellent critique of the angst over who’s influencing who in the Emerging Church conversation. I was at a seminar on missional church recently when the session leader suggested that Andrew Jones was the equivalent of the Pope in the international Emerging Church conversation. Surely!? The nature of ‘emerging’ is that most people involved in the grassroots could not care less about who is blogging, publishing, speaking, or leading excellent worship experiences in high profile events.
Last week I met up with another expatriate Kiwi, Carolyn Kelly, who’s doing postgraduate study at the University of Aberdeen. Her doctorate in systematic theology is focusing on George MacDonald and the Baptised Imagination, looking at the ‘creative’ self and revelation.
This week I stumbled upon “Back of the North Wind“, a blog developed over the past year by “Donal Grant”, a recovering fundamentalist in California. His blog discusses theology, philosophy, religion and life inspired by the writings of George MacDonald, and perhaps others such as CS Lewis.
MacDonald’s capacity to write fantasy influenced other writers such as J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis and Madeline L’Engle. He influenced me too, through my reading of his fantasties “At the back of the North Wind” and The Princess and the Goblin when I was about 11 or 12. Reading the world through MacDonald’s eyes opened my imagination and creative capacity to new levels.
George MacDonald has his own MySpace page, (administered posthumously of course), an entry at Wikipedia, and fan sites at www.george-macdonald.com, and the George MacDonald Society.
MacDonald, a congregationalist minister, was not admired by his colleagues when he challenged the Calvinist doctrine of subsitutionary atonement. He preferred to look at the Christus Victor understanding of atonement in which Jesus died to deal with sin rather than the wrath of God against sin. I can see how MacDonald’s work would be helpful for a recovering fundamentalist.
The Spirit of Generation Y project (2003-2006), is a national study of spirituality among Australian young people in their teens and twenties, conducted by researchers from Australian Catholic University, Monash University and the Christian Research Association. The research consisted of a survey of a nationally representative sample of Generation Y (born 1976-1990), with comparison groups from Generation X (born 1961-75) and the Baby-Boomer generation (born 1946-60), supplemented by extended, face-to-face interviews.
The project explored Generation Y’s range of worldviews and values, their sense of meaning and purpose in life, the ways in which they find peace and happiness, their involvement in traditional religions and alternative spiritualities, how they relate to the society around them, and the influences which shape their outlook and lifestyle.
Key Findings
Belief
48% of Generation Y (Gen Y) believe in a God, 20% do not, and 32% are unsure. Two-thirds of those who do not believe in God, or are uncertain, do believe in a higher being or life-force.
Spirituality
There are three main strands in the spirituality of Generation Y:
Christian: (44% of Gen Y)
Eclectic: (17%)
Humanist: (31%)
Christian
Only 19% of Gen Y are actively involved in a church to the extent of attending religious services once a month or more; (conservative Protestant denominations, 16% of Gen Y, have by far the highest rates of attendance); but many more believe in God and Jesus, and pray regularly. Religion is seen as a private matter, and there is a strong tide of movement among Gen Y Christians away from previous involvement or identification with a church, and even from religious belief.
Eclectic
17 % of Gen Y have an eclectic spirituality, believing in two or more New Age, esoteric or Eastern beliefs (including belief in reincarnation, psychics and fortune tellers, ghosts, astrology) and perhaps engaging in one or more alternative spiritual practices (yoga, Tarot, tai-chi). Some of these people attend religious services but most do not. Such beliefs and practices are more common among young women than young men.
Humanist
31 % of Gen Y can be classified as Humanists, rejecting the idea of God, although a few believe in a higher being. Of these secular-minded young people, almost half believe that there is very little truth in religion, and less than a quarter believe in life after death. They also largely reject alternative spiritualities.
Social concern
Gen Y are not notably more self centred and lacking in altruism than older generations. For example, 27% are involved in some kind of volunteer work per month. Those who are actively involved in service to the community and have positive civic values are far more likely to come from the ranks of those who have spiritual and religious beliefs and actively practise them.
Influences
The significant social forces shaping contemporary religion and spirituality - secularisation, the relativism of postmodernity, consumer capitalism, individualism - influence more than Generation Y alone, although young people, by virtue of their age and life stage, are more subject to their effects.
Conclusions
Generation Y are what their parents and Australian culture have made them. They have taken strongly to two late modern principles: that an individual’s views and preferences, provided they harm no-one else, should not be questioned or constrained, and that spiritual/religious beliefs and practices are purely personal lifestyle choices - in no way necessary. Despite moving away in large numbers from traditional religious sources of meaning, they seem to have a strong sense of purpose in their lives. There is no evidence from this project of a widespread plague of meaninglessness or social alienation among Generation Y, nor of a critical lack of social support.
Although broader support structures such as church and local community have grown weaker over the last century, families appear to have compensated by increasing the intimacy of family life, and young people also rely more heavily on friendship networks. By these means, Generation Y appear to be successful, for now, in holding at bay the threats to personal security inherent in the much more isolated status of the individual within society.
Much has been written and theorised about the changing spiritual landscape in late modern societies: the rise of alternative spiritualities, the increasing popularity of the New Age, the attraction of Eastern religions, the development of eclectic mix and match spiritualities and the emergence of nature religions and Neo-Paganism. This study did not find that Gen Y are a generation of spiritual seekers; less than one-fifth of Gen Y have a mix and match spirituality, while few are seriously exploring alternatives like Buddhism or Wicca.
Many young people in Australia are what we have called Humanists, following an avowedly secular path in life, rejecting belief in God and declaring that there is little truth in any religion, affirming instead human experience, human reason and scientific explanations. Some are angry at or disenchanted with organised religion, but most simply do not care or are not interested. This is not unique to Generation Y; their parents are the Baby Boomer generation, 23 percent of whom are Humanists, while a further 24 percent are nominal Christians - people who might maintain a residual belief in God and identify with a denomination, but little more than that. Non-religious young people simply reflect the broader secular context and the spirituality of their own parents.
Summary of the project’s final report (A book is in preparation)
A summary report of the project’s findings is available on the Gen Y Report website:
or to navigate more easily to the site, just put the word genyrep into Google.
Research team (available for interviews):
Dr. Michael Mason Australian Catholic University
Ph (03) 9817-9758 (Mobile): 0417 467 480
Assoc Prof Ruth Webber Australian Catholic University
Ph (Work) (03) 9953-3221 (Home) (03) 9686-4068 (Mobile) 0429 142 782
Dr. Andrew Singleton, Monash University
Ph (Work) (03) 9905-5836 (Home) (03) 9317-5720 (Mobile): 0422 696 651
Dr. Philip Hughes, Christian Research Association
Ph (Work) (03) 9878-3477 (Mobile): 043 870 8675
The Australian Reserve Bank announced yesterday a further increase in interest rates, taking us up a quarter of a percent to 6%. Which means we’ll be getting a letter from the bank shortly informing us that our monthly payments need to increase again. Last time this happened I didn’t bother changing the automatic payment, figuring that it would need to change again shortly. I was right. So I’m just putting more and more into the mortgage via BPay.
We’re being told in the Australian press that the inflation increase is due to the cost of oil/petrol and the cost of bananas. Bananas are around $10 a kilogram in the supermarkets - have been since Cyclone Larry hit North Queensland. But I’d say that even without banana shortages we’d be facing this interest rate rise. It’s an international phenomenon this week.
Megan McCardle at Instapundit says that high oil prices are a big part of this. But she says there’s another part of the story.
“The entrance of China (and to a lesser extent India) into the global labour market has effectively held down prices in developed countries, even when those economies are running at full capacity. Economic bottlenecks and problems with the financial system in China are making it harder for China to effectively export deflation (deflation is the opposition of inflation), which means consumer prices may rise still further.
That, in turn, is forcing central banks to raise interest rates even when the economy isn’t that strong. Both the European Central Bank and the Bank of England did so today, and while the former was all-but-foreordained, the latter move was a big surprise to everyone.”
Auckland - was March 17 - now November 24
Auckland - was March 18 - now November 25
Brisbane - was March 21 - now November 7
Melbourne - was March 24 - now November 18
Melbourne - was March 25 - now November 19
Adelaide - was March 28 - now November 16
Sydney - was March 31 - now November 10
Sydney - was April 1 - now November 11
The Australian Democrats have commissioned an online survey, ‘God and Government‘, exploring the connection between religion and government in Australia.
Tax Breaks for Church-run businesses
Currently some churches run commercial businesses as part of their operations. These businesses benefit from the tax breaks that churches are entitled to. Should the commercial businesses run by churches get the same tax breaks as the charitable parts of the church operation?
The reality is that many churches run commercial businesses that sustain charitable work. Receiving public funding does however point to the need for transparency in operations. I would be cautious about state control for organisations who receive tax breaks. After all, film companies who receive tax breaks for their work in Australia do not become subjected to state control on their work.
Religious Education in Public Schools
A basic level of religious education (RE) is taught in public schools in Australia. It takes place within school hours under the jurisdiction of the school. Although it is not compulsory most schools have an opt out system, which means that unless parents specifically notify the school that they do not wish their child to be involved then their child will have to attend the RE classes. Should religious education be part of the school curriculum? If yes, should it be compulsory? Should it be opt in or opt out? Should RE be linked to a particular religious faith or should it be more about comparing differing religious beliefs? Should classes in ethics be taught as an alternative to RE?
I believe that Christian beliefs are best taught in an environment in which people can evaluate them alongside other beliefs. We’re talking about education not indoctrination.
Intelligent Design
Intelligent design is the idea that the complexity of the universe and living things is best explained as the result of the actions of an intelligent supernatural being, rather than a result of a scientific process such as evolution. Recently politicians have started to argue that this idea should be taught in science classes rather than in religious education. Should intelligent design be taught in schools as an alternative to evolution? If yes, should it be taught in science classes or religious education classes?
I have no problem with the concept of intelligent design as long as it is not set up as an alternative to scientific explanations. Intelligent design is being touted by many groups as a way to refute evolution as a theory. Intelligent design could provide a philosophical background to many theories of evolution. I think it belongs in religious education classes rather than science classes.
School Chaplains
Currently some public schools in states and territories have publicly funded school chaplains. These chaplains come from a variety of religious backgrounds and provide spiritual support as well as generally play a role in student welfare. Generally they are not required to have any specific qualifications or experience. Should taxpayers money be used to fund school chaplains? Should funding for school chaplains be redirected towards funding for professional counsellors? Should school chaplains be subject to minimum educational qualifications regarding youth work?
As the chair of a local chaplaincy committee I’m biased on this one. However in most cases chaplains are employed alongside qualified professional counsellors, and in some cases alongside qualified youth workers. It would be helpful for school chaplains to work towards qualifications in youth work.
Government-subsidised Church-run Hospitals and Pharmacies
Currently some religious groups/individual that receive government funding refuse to provide some services based on their own religious beliefs, For example, catholic run hospitals will not perform vasectomies or abortions and some chemists will not stock or supply condoms or the contraceptive pill. There are also government funded pregnancy counselling services that will not refer for abortion and do not make this clear in their advertising. Should hospitals that receive government funding be obliged to provide vasectomies? Should hospitals that receive government funding be obliged to provide abortion services? Should pharmacists that receive government funding be obliged to provide contraception? Should pregnancy counselling helplines which receive government money have to refer for abortion if women ask for a referral? Should pregnancy counselling helplines which receive government money and DO NOT refer for abortion have to make this explicit in their advertising?
Government funding should not have to mean absolute control. Contraception, abortion and sterilisation are provided in public hospitals. Funding of providers is often linked to specialised services. What’s the big deal?
Religious Beliefs and Government Policy
In which of the following areas do you think government policy has been influenced by religious beliefs?
Asylum seekers, gambling, welfare, drug and alcohol use, sex education, contraception, euthanasia, stem cell research, gay marriage, same sex relationships, adoption, abortion, war, industrial relations?
What kind of religious beliefs are we talking about here? Obviously religious people in Australia have a similar spectrum of political views to those in the wider community.
Do you think that politicians who have strong religious beliefs should try to use the political system to turn their religious beliefs into law? Do you think that religious leaders/churches/houses of worship should try to influence government decisions on issues? In the last 10 years, do you think that political leaders in Australia have used religion for their own political purposes?
On a continuum from apathy through to conversation to persuasion to intimidation, I’d rather religious leaders were somewhere in the conversation/persuasion sector.
The final question is interesting. Would you be in favour of legal moves to formalize a separation of church and state in Australia?
Formalizing a separation of church and state would lead to artificial walls. We have an organic approach now that allows for growing pluralism in Australia.
Duncan Macleod posts on life, faith and culture in Australia, drawing from his involvement in the creative industry, the Uniting Church, the blogosphere, generational research, the emerging church and life on the Gold Coast.
MacDonald’s capacity to write fantasy influenced other writers such as J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis and Madeline L’Engle. He influenced me too, through my reading of his fantasties “At the back of the North Wind” and The Princess and the Goblin when I was about 11 or 12. Reading the world through MacDonald’s eyes opened my imagination and creative capacity to new levels.
