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Dear Friend:

I hope you are finding Bread for the Preacher to be a helpful resource as you plan worship for your community.  Our goal is to provide ideas for weaving the biblical themes of compassion and justice for hungry people into the fabric of your congregation's life.  Please share with us any ideas you may have for making this a more effective tools for your ministry.  Just click here to share your thoughts.

Tell-a-friend about Bread for the Preacher and encourage them to sign up for this monthly resource.

Grace and Peace,

Gary Cook
Director of Church Relations

Lectionary Reflections

Many often think of summer as a time to relax and forget about worries.  In the reflections for this month, Rev. Donald Dixon Williams and Karen Fitzpatrick open the texts to show that God's work is never done and God's people are continually called to be agents of that work, regardless of the time of year and season.

From Hunger for the Word, Year A

• August 3, Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost)
  …Matthew 14:13-21 is a tremendous example of Jesus using his personal pain to have compassion on others in the feeding of the five thousand.  Jesus gets the news that his cousin John the Baptist has died of what I would call a man-made aneurysm.  I imagine that many things were going on in Jesus' mind after getting this awful news... more > >
  
  
• August 10, Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost)
  …Joseph's story has great appeal to me on many levels. Joseph's big mouth, Isaac's favoritism, and his brothers' envy combine to set the stage for the revelation of God's ultimate purpose for their lives... Isn't it ironic, with all the joyous banquets in Scripture to which God invites us, that here the brothers sit down to eat in the midst of their brutal treatment of their younger brother... more > >
  
  
• August 17, Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost)
  …Time has a way of bringing about changes, and Joseph is no exception.  When he left home, he was a wisecracking 17-year-old slave.  Now he is a mature governor, full of wisdom. Only the king had more power. Isn't it wonderful to see how God has a way of making powerful those who are powerless? more > >
  
  
• August 24, Twenty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time (Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost)
  "Who do you say I am?" It is startling when the preacher asks this question in worship, using the names of members present: "Jim Brown, who do you say I am?" Ask at least three members you know by name, both men and women.
  more > >
  
  
• August 31, Twenty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time (Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost)
  …We know the status quo can’t continue. In today’s reading from Matthew, Jesus calls us to self-denial, changing our own status quo. We who preach and lead congregations owe the people of faith no less than this; to be well informed, so that change can happen.  more > > 

Youth Corner

In these dog days of summer it is sometimes hard to focus young people's thoughts on things other than the heat and the many ways to cool off.  Take time to talk to the youth of your congregation about those who do not have a place for respite, who do not have a place to cool off when it is hot out.  Encourage them to take part in your church's outreach programs that assist those in need.

If you used last month's suggestion of creating a community vegetable garden have you harvested anything yet?  Have you used the garden as an illustration in sermons or studies?  Make sure to take advantage of opportunities to lift up the ministry of your young people and the importance of their work.

In addition, make sure to check out the “Children’s Time” section at the conclusion of each Lectionary Reflection to help you prepare time with your community’s children.

Praying Together

Gracious God, though we know you call us to care for your people, we do not always know how.  Help us to discern how you are working among us so that we may follow Christ’s example by reaching out to those in need and being agents of change. In the name of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.  Amen.

Bulletin Inserts

Keeping ourselves focused on God's will for us and for the world can sometimes be hard, especially with all the things competing for our attention – the latest fads and trends and even the mundane things like playing sports.  Our newest bulletin inserts (for adults and children) are a great way to remind your congregation to focus on God's work and will for the world in their every day lives.  These bulletin inserts can be viewed and printed online.

The 2008 Offering of Letters bulletin insert is available to order at no charge and can be viewed and printed at our online store. 

Other Resources and Opportunities

Did you know that Bread for the World has a monthly podcast called Breadcast?  It's available on iTunes and the Bread for the World website www.bread.org/podcast.  Each monthly installment keeps you up to date on Bread for the World's activities and what is going on in Congress regarding hunger and poverty focused legislation. NO IPOD NEEDED!

Don't Forget!  Bread for the World Sunday is coming up in October and is a great opportunity for your church to renew its commitment to overcoming hunger and poverty in God's world. 

When:  October 19 (or another Sunday this Fall)
Who:  Your church and other faith communities across the country.
What:  In unity we will lift up the needs of hungry people through education, worship, music, and prayer.

For more details and resources to help your congregation's participation in Bread for the World Sunday please visit us on the web at www.bread.org/sunday. If you have immediate questions please send an email to church@bread.org or call 1-800-822-7323.