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25 When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, "Rabbi, when did you come here?" 26 Jesus answered them, "Very truly, I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. 27 Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For it is on him that God the Father has set his seal." 28 Then they said to him, "What must we do to perform the works of God?" 29 Jesus answered them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent." 30 So they said to him, "What sign are you going to give us then, so that we may see it and believe you? What work are you performing? 31 Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, "He gave them bread from heaven to eat.' " 32 Then Jesus said to them, "Very truly, I tell you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world." 34 They said to him, "Sir, give us this bread always." 35 Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. (John 6:25-35 NRSV)
May the Lord bless you, dear Friend and yours with a special time with all with whom you share this day, and may we all rejoice in giving back to God our thanks for all God has given us!
On our plates should be filled to the brim with our thanks. We are to lift them up to God as He deserves. For it was He who blessed us with what we have. I have a tiny, but sad, memory of a movie I saw as a child. My days as a child in Kingsville would find me in the Texas Theater every Saturday. It was not difficult to find 10¢ to pay the admission. It also didn't hurt that my grandmother was an employee of the lady who worked the box office. If she was on duty, I would get in gratis. The movie was, I believe, Spencer's Mountain, starring Henry Fonda. What I remember was a prayer he said before meal time, where he basically said, "I did everything; I put this meal on the table." Even as a child I realized how wrong that was.
Today is a day to hear Jesus say again, "Very truly, I tell you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from Heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from Heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes from heaven and gives life to the world." May we say today, and all days, "Sir, give us this bread always." And may we hear again and again, Jesus' voice saying, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty."
Happy Thanksgiving!
PRAYER: Loving God, we gather together around this table, thankful for the true nourishment You lovingly, and without fail, provide for us. We are aware, loving Author of LIfe, that some of our chairs are now empty, but we rejoice they are in Your presence. Make strong our hearts to remember those missing, with fondness and love. We await our reunion with You and them. And, we are aware that some differences in opinion and view may have alienated some of us from each other, but we pray that we can forgive, and move on. Thank You for all still with us. Bless us to be a blessing. Thank You for the food and fellowship. May our hearts and spirits be nourished and strengthened. In Christ Jesus we pray, amen.
Have a great and blessed Thanksgiving Day with the Lord!
Receive Nellie's and my love for you all.
Pastor Eradio Valverde
