Virtual Methodist

This week's offering is a paraphrase based on Psalm 105, which we're using as a call to worship in our 11am service at Belfast South Methodist, where we are looking at the story of the feeding of the 5000+... Hallelujah! Give thanks to the Lord, Call on him by name; Tell the nations what he has done. Sing to him, sing praises to him; Sing songs about his wonderful acts. Honour his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice. Look to the Lord and seek his strength; Keep your eyes peeled for signs of his presence. Remember the wonders he has done, All his miracles, and the promises he pronounced, He remembers his covenant for ever, He’s been true to his words down through a thousand generations, He brought his people out of slavery They asked, and he fed them with quail and the bread of heaven. He opened the rock, and water gushed out; it flowed like a river through the desert. He led out his people rejoicing, his ch...

No Saturday supplement today as most of the stories that caught my eye this week were anything but edifying or encouraging, many of them marking out the church at its most divisive and toxic, and while I have put my lenten discipline of "whatever is good" behind me, I don't want to spread vitriol, animosity and shame on the name of Christ on a sunny Saturday morning. Instead I thought I would pass on my find of the week (with a hat-tip to my wonderful wife who pointed me towards it). It is a short series of 15 minute documentaries about bread on Radio 4... It is available here on BBC iplayer and, so far as I see it isn't on a timed self-destruct fuse. It looks at the role of bread in the history of society, culture, religion and science. Although every nation has a different cuisine, with different emphases, nearly every nation has a form of bread as a basic. It may be a Mexican tortilla, Italian foccacia, pitta bread or nan bread, it may be German ryebrot, or Fr...

When they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, "Rabbi, when did you get here?" Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. On him God the Father has placed his seal of approval..." So they asked him, "What miraculous sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? Our forefathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written: 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.' " Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world." "Sir," they said, "from now on give us this bread....