“We Come to the Hungry Feast,” ELW 479
Devotion
After years in college and graduate school, a young professional I know is now
bringing home a paycheck. Recently, she called me and asked, "Do I
still have to struggle when I go shopping? Now that I have a good
salary, do I still have to think about how the money I spend on clothes
is money I'm not giving to the poor?" And, I said, "Yeah, I think so - I hope so."
Following Jesus will mean living thoughtfully – often struggling to make good decisions. Discipleship means actively resisting the idolatries of our culture – the lures of materialism and consumerism. In his song, “We Come to the Hungry Feast,” Ray McKeever reminds us that even though we “eat our fill” at Holy Communion, a “hunger stays with us still.” The Eucharist both fills us with new life in Christ and renews our hunger and thirst for Christ’s passion for the world – a deep hunger to act in ways that bring wholeness and healing to God’s creation.
Prayer
Loving God, throughout the world, ministers are preparing to proclaim the Gospel through word and sacrament. Send your spirit upon all worship leaders, and grant that those who gather may be refreshed in worship and sent forth as Christ’s healing presence in the world. Amen.