2-Jun-24 (Mark 2:23-3:6)

Jesus and the disciples were going through a grain field and as was allowed in Jesus' time, they picked off some of the heads of grain and ate them.
Some of the Pharisees were not happy about this because, to them it was work and it was the Sabbath, where the people were supposed to rest.
Jesus told a story of about David being hungry and eating the bread that was placed on a table in the tabernacle and which only the priests were to eat. He said, "the Sabbath was made for human beings. We were not made for the Sabbath.
In just the same way, this table is made of all of us. It is a reminder of how much God loves us. The bread and the cup are symbols of that love. It is meant to draw us closer to God. In all the ways it does that, it serves its purpose.
Let us pray.

Prayer:

God, who is our host at this table and who welcomes each and every one of us, we thank you for Jesus' example of living a life of faith in you that shows us how it's done. We thank you for your love, which he showed us and for these symbols of that love, the bread and the cup.
As we take those symbols into ourselves, renew us and strengthen us so that we would be able to carry that love into the world.
In the name of Jesus, our Christ, AMEN