"Who Needs Pizza?" a Sermon by Phillip Martin from John 6:51-58

Summary

The speaker recounts a small, intimate Wednesday evening Holy Communion service that struggled to grow despite various attempts to attract more attendees. One memorable incident involved a pizza delivery interrupting the service, which humorously highlighted the essence of Jesus as the living bread coming down from heaven to offer eternal life. The sermon emphasizes that Holy Communion is a tangible reminder of Jesus' sacrifice and God's grace, contrasting this sacred meal with a casual pizza party to underline the depth of Christian faith and the importance of receiving Jesus' presence in everyday life.

Takeaways

• 🙏 The Wednesday evening Holy Communion service was intimate and designed to be short, typically lasting about 30 minutes with one scripture lesson and no music.
• 👥 The service had a very small attendance, averaging around eight people, and efforts to grow it by adding music or changing settings were unsuccessful.
• 🍕 A memorable incident occurred when a pizza delivery man interrupted the service, walking down the aisle with pizzas as the pastor was blessing the bread and wine.
• 🌟 The incident with the pizza delivery highlighted a key message of Christianity: Jesus is the living bread from heaven, who comes down to give life to the world.
• 🕊️ The God of Christianity is a God who comes to us, rather than expecting us to reach up to Him. This is a fundamental aspect of the faith.
• 🛐 Holy Communion is a way to keep faith grounded in real, tangible things and prevent it from becoming merely intellectual or abstract.
• 🍞 Jesus uses the metaphor of bread to convey that faith is not just about ideas but involves physical acts of communion and sharing.
• 🎉 The humorous pizza incident serves as a reminder that Jesus' story is about delivery, coming into our midst in real, tangible ways.
• ✝️ Holy Communion symbolizes Jesus’ self-sacrifice and the ongoing deliverance of God’s love, forgiveness, and grace to believers.
• 🌍 The act of eating in Holy Communion is a reminder of the sacrifices involved in providing food, paralleling Jesus' sacrifice for humanity.

Q & A

What was the format and duration of the Wednesday evening holy communion service?

The Wednesday evening holy communion service was an abbreviated worship service designed to last about 30 minutes. It often included only one scripture lesson and had a spoken liturgy, typically without music.

How many people typically attended the Wednesday evening service?

The average attendance was around eight people and it rarely climbed higher than that.

What efforts were made to grow the attendance of the Wednesday evening service?

Efforts included adding music occasionally, worshiping outside during warmer months, and trying various alterations and innovations to appeal to more people.

Describe the incident involving the pizza delivery during the Wednesday evening service.

During one Wednesday evening service, the women's retreat committee had a meeting and ordered pizza. The delivery man arrived during the service, and, unaware of where to go, he walked down the aisle with the pizzas, interrupting the service.

How did the pastor use the pizza delivery incident to illustrate a point about Christian faith?

The pastor compared the unexpected delivery of pizza to the way Jesus, the living bread, comes down from heaven to give life to the world. It emphasized that God comes to us, rather than us needing to reach God.

What analogy did the pastor use to explain the concept of Jesus as the living bread?

The pastor used the analogy of a pizza delivery to explain that Jesus, the living bread, is delivered to us from heaven, much like how the pizza was delivered to the church.

Why did the pastor emphasize that the act of eating in Holy Communion is important?

The pastor emphasized that eating in Holy Communion is important because it prevents followers from turning their faith into a mere intellectual exercise. It involves real, tangible things that symbolize Jesus' self-giving and sacrifice.

What does the pastor say about the significance of bread in the context of Jesus' time?

The pastor mentioned that in Jesus' time, and still in many parts of the world, bread is the main food. It is essential for eating a full meal and symbolizes how Jesus, as the living bread, sustains and nourishes us.

How does the pastor describe the sacrificial nature of eating and its relation to Holy Communion?

The pastor explains that every act of eating involves some form of sacrifice, whether it's the animal that was slaughtered or the labor that went into preparing the food. Similarly, Holy Communion involves the sacrifice of Jesus for the life of the world.

What final message does the pastor convey about the importance of Holy Communion?

The pastor conveys that Holy Communion is a reminder of Jesus' self-giving and sacrifice. It embodies God's forgiveness, mercy, love, and grace, and it calls for gratitude and worship through tangible acts of eating and gathering together.

Outlines

00:00

🙏 A Humble Wednesday Evening Service

The author describes a modest Wednesday evening Holy Communion service at a congregation they once served. Despite attempts to grow attendance through various enhancements, the service remained small, typically drawing around eight attendees. A memorable incident occurred when a pizza delivery interrupted the service, leading the author to reflect on how Jesus' arrival and the breaking of bread symbolize God's descent to be with humanity.

05:04

🍕 Imagining a More Accessible Faith

The author muses on how a pizza party might have made Jesus' teachings more accessible and less misunderstood by early Christians. They discuss how Holy Communion, with its physical eating of bread and wine, grounds faith in tangible acts, preventing it from becoming merely intellectual. This meal, instituted by Jesus, involves real food and sacrifice, emphasizing the importance of physical sustenance and connection in worship.

10:06

🍞 The Sacrifice in Every Meal

The author elaborates on the sacrificial nature of eating, drawing parallels between the sacrifices involved in food preparation and the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus. They stress that Jesus' act of coming down from heaven to be with us and feed us is central to the significance of Holy Communion. This meal is a tangible reminder of Jesus' self-giving and the comprehensive grace and love that God offers through Him. The piece concludes by acknowledging the communal aspect of the meal and the gratitude it fosters.

Keywords

💡Holy Communion

Holy Communion, also known as the Eucharist, is a Christian sacrament in which bread and wine are consecrated and consumed in remembrance of Jesus Christ's Last Supper. In the video, the Wednesday evening Holy Communion service is a central theme, symbolizing an intimate gathering where the congregation shares the bread and wine to commemorate Jesus.

💡Liturgy

Liturgy refers to the set forms of public worship, particularly the rituals and ceremonies conducted in Christian services. The video mentions a spoken liturgy, indicating a more simplified and direct form of worship without music, highlighting the focus on the act of communion itself.

💡Bread and Wine

Bread and wine are essential elements in the sacrament of Holy Communion, representing the body and blood of Jesus Christ. The video emphasizes their significance, especially through the moment when the pastor blesses them, and the unexpected interruption by the pizza delivery, drawing a parallel to Jesus as the 'living bread' coming down from heaven.

💡Intimacy

Intimacy in the context of the video refers to the close, personal nature of the small congregation's worship experience. With an average attendance of around eight, the service allows for a shoulder-to-shoulder gathering at the altar, enhancing the sense of community and connection among the worshippers.

💡Pizza Delivery

The pizza delivery serves as a humorous and unexpected interruption during the Holy Communion service, highlighting the contrast between everyday life and sacred rituals. It symbolizes how mundane events can intrude upon spiritual moments, yet also serves as a metaphor for Jesus delivering himself to humanity.

💡Living Bread

The 'living bread' refers to Jesus Christ as described in the Bible, signifying his role in providing spiritual nourishment and eternal life. The video uses this concept to illustrate how Jesus comes down to earth to give life to the world, much like the pizza delivery man inadvertently bringing a reminder of sustenance.

💡Sacrifice

Sacrifice in the video context refers to the self-giving nature of Jesus, who sacrificed himself for humanity's salvation. This theme is reinforced through the act of Holy Communion, where the bread and wine symbolize Jesus' body and blood, reminding worshippers of his ultimate sacrifice.

💡Faith

Faith is the central belief and trust in Jesus Christ and his teachings. The video explores how faith is expressed through the act of Holy Communion, the congregation's attempts to grow their service, and the reflections on Jesus' teachings and presence, even in unexpected moments like the pizza delivery.

💡Community

Community refers to the congregation of worshippers who gather for the Holy Communion service. Despite its small size, the community's shared experiences and intimate worship create a strong sense of belonging and mutual support, as seen in their close gatherings and shared efforts to enhance the service.

💡Jesus

Jesus is the central figure in Christianity, whose life, death, and resurrection are commemorated in Holy Communion. The video underscores his role as the 'living bread' and the source of eternal life, drawing parallels between his delivery of spiritual nourishment and the unexpected delivery of pizza during the service.

Highlights

The congregation had a Wednesday evening Holy Communion service, typically lasting about 30 minutes.

The service was intimate with around eight attendees, sharing bread and wine shoulder to shoulder.

Various innovations were tried to grow attendance, including adding music and outdoor worship, but nothing worked.

One evening, a pizza delivery interrupted the service, leading to a humorous and reflective moment.

The incident with the pizza delivery highlighted the message of Jesus as the living bread that comes down from heaven.

The story emphasizes that God comes down to us, rather than us having to reach God.

The fundamental aspect of Christian faith is the delivery of God's presence and life into our midst.

Jesus' act of giving bread and wine is a tangible reminder of God's self-giving and self-sacrifice.

Holy Communion prevents faith from becoming purely intellectual by involving physical eating and drinking.

The living bread from heaven, Jesus, offers eternal life through partaking in his body and blood.

Bread, a staple food in many parts of the world, symbolizes the essential and sustaining nature of Jesus' sacrifice.

Eating of Jesus' body and blood allows believers to receive all that God offers, similar to how bread enables one to enjoy a meal.

The act of eating involves sacrifice, mirroring the sacrifice of Jesus for humanity.

The meal of Holy Communion embodies Jesus' mission to deliver God's forgiveness, mercy, love, and justice.

The story concludes with the reminder that we don't need pizza to celebrate, but the true essence is in the self-giving love of Jesus.

Transcripts

the congregation i once served had a

wednesday evening holy communion service

that had been started by the pastor

just prior to me it was an abbreviated

worship service

designed only to last about 30 minutes

or so

we often only read one scripture lesson

it was also a spoken liturgy meaning we

typically didn't have any music with it

it wasn't a fancy worship service by any

means but

it was very intimate when it came time

to share the bread and the wine

there were typically so few of us that

we could all

gather shoulder to shoulder right in

front of the altar

in fact by the time i arrived our

average attendance was around

eight and it rarely climbed higher than

that

a more experienced and courageous and

creative pastor

might have cancelled it right off the

bat but i was determined to give it a go

and see if we could grow it

we tried adding music here and there we

tried worshiping outside in warmer

months

we tried all sorts of various little

alterations and innovations in order to

appeal to

more people but nothing seemed to work

it happened that one wednesday evening

our women's retreat committee was having

a meeting at the same time as that holy

communion service in another room

somewhere else in the building

they had made it a dinner meeting and

had ordered pizza to be delivered but

they mentioned to me

right before worship that the delivery

man might know

might not know which door to come to

i told them not to worry i would point

him in the right direction if i saw him

we went forward with worship that

evening and they went forward with their

meeting

then right as i was standing in front of

the altar about to bless the bread and

the wine for holy communion

the large heavy red front doors of the

church cracked open and the evening

sunlight

streamed through my arms

were spread open in prayer but all of

the worshipers were

turning their heads focusing on the

person who propped open the door with

his foot

and started down the aisle straight for

me with a stack

of steaming hot pepperoni pizza the

timing

could not have been better or worse

since there was no one else to receive

him

he walked all the way down the aisle

with those pizzas

and met me at the altar

i eventually paused the service so i

could show him out the side door

but for a minute or two there that guy

probably thought

this pastor will try anything to boost

his worship attendance

pizza for holy communion let's party

everybody

jesus says i am the living bread that

came down from heaven

and whoever eats of this bread will live

forever

he means to tell us that the heavy door

of heaven

has cracked open and he comes down the

aisle

all the way to give himself for the life

of the world

it's so easy sometimes to miss

this fundamental aspect of christian

faith among the rest of this

conversation

about bread and wine

the god to whom we pray the god we

worship

the god we call to for life and

salvation is a god who comes down

to us from heaven the god who sends

jesus is not a god who asks us to be a

certain way

or do certain things in order to reach

him

as if our task is to climb to his

holiness

the living bread comes down from heaven

to give life for the world

let's party everybody

although those of us in the sanctuary

that night didn't get to eat it

the pizza made us think again

how the whole story of jesus is one

of delivery it's not

takeout it's not pickup it's god's

delivering

all of god's fragile but mighty self

into our midst repeatedly

delivered into the manger into the

humble fishing life of galilee

into the suffering of ordinary human

beings delivered

into our very hands to die on the cross

as the late great aretha franklin once

sang in one of her earliest gospel songs

yes i hear a voice pleading with me

quietly quietly commune with me just

steal away in secret and pray

quietly quietly come break bread with me

in all honesty sometimes we might wish

jesus

had just thrown something like a pizza

party with his disciples

it might make our faith a little more

accessible to seekers and newcomers and

get us out of this awkward situation

where we

eat a bit of bread and drink a sip of

wine when we gather

plus given the way jesus himself talks

about that meal

it's easy to see why early christians

were accused of being cannibals

as they wait for his return as god's

holy spirit ignites faith and more and

more people

his followers are not just going to

assemble to remember

jesus and his teachings they're not just

going to

sing hymns and psalms and make melody to

the lords in their hearts

as the writer to the ephesians says this

morning

but to eat of his flesh and drink of his

blood

in fact if that's not graphic enough for

you the word for eat

that jesus uses is the english word

gnaw which indicates he's not speaking

metaphorically here

he's not saying we just consume him and

his words with our brain

he's talking about teeth and jaws

he intends for people to eat when they

meet for worship

holy communion is jesus way to prevent

his followers from ever

turning their faith into a head trip

from making church into some form of a

ted talk or self-help seminar

it's like god says here here's bread and

here's wine

you can't avoid it real things god loves

created matter

and you are created matter not just

ideas

and you are sent to take care of created

things

jesus says these things right after he

has multiplied the loaves and fishes and

has

gotten into an argument with the jewish

leaders about what is the living bread

from heaven

they've already failed to grasp how

jesus will be

the living bread from heaven how his

life will be even

better than the manna that sustained

their ancestors in the wilderness

as it dropped each night from the sky

now he takes it another step further by

saying that his body

will be that bread and that by eating it

they will gain eternal life

the living father delivered him to them

and so now they can take him and eat him

and have the same life as the father

we often think of bread nowadays as

somewhat of an

optional food as something that can make

some people ill

but in jesus day and still in many parts

of the world

bread is the main food i remember

growing up and going to sunday dinner

after church at my grandmother's house

out in the country

they always had fresh rolls on the table

i got the impression that you couldn't

really eat a full meal unless there was

bread involved

fried chicken or barbecue or short ribs

might be the main course but

bread is when it abe what enabled you to

eat it all

because you see they taught me you eat

everything

by holding the roll in your left hand so

you can sop

up everything on your plate and leave it

clean

when we eat of jesus we get everything

god offers

we realize it sounds strange and maybe

even a little off-putting but jesus

wants us to know that

he comes to deliver god's life all the

way inside of us

when we partake of jesus it's like we've

got that role in our left hand

we can sop up everything god offers

this meal embodies the self-giving and

self-sacrifice that jesus

is sent to deliver all of god's

forgiveness and mercy

all of god's love and compassion all of

god's justice and concern for those who

don't have enough

all of god's grace is given to us

in this meal it's a visible

tangible reminder of what jesus comes to

do

give himself

eating is necessary for life and so if

we've got a new life in christ

it will require food furthermore if you

think about it and

every act of eating somewhere involves a

sacrifice

somewhere whether it's the chicken that

was slaughtered at the tyson plant

up off of staples mill road here in

richmond or the wheat

that was cut out in nebraska or the

labor of the grandmother that woke up

early to get it cooked and arranged

just right on the checkered tablecloth

i think most of the time we eat without

thinking about those sacrifices i know i

do

food implies sacrifice

and this meal that jesus gathers us

around is no different

the fact that jesus spent his life

coming down from heaven to be

with you to feed you to heal you

to walk with you is the reason why he

gathers you

around this table and breaks bread with

you

a voice is pleading with you says aretha

not just you of course but all of us

his body blessed and broken shoulder to

shoulder we gather

and yes at a dinner meeting let's call

it what it is

where we sing psalms and hymns and

spiritual songs making melody to the

lord in our hearts

giving thanks to god the father at all

times

and for everything in the name of our

lord jesus christ

let's be real friends we don't need

pizza thanks be to god