Readings for the Day:
I Kings 19:4-8:  First Kings chapter 18 describes the contest between Elijah and the prophets of Baal.  The contest proves that the Lord is God, and afterward Elijah orders the killing of the Baal prophets.  Angered by the deaths of her prophets, Queen Jezebel threatens to kill Elijah.  This reading finds Elijah fleeing, fatigued, and in utter despair.

Ephesians 4:25-5:2:  Christians are called to be imitators of God.  This does not mean Christians are perfect.  Rather, the Spirit is at work in our lives so that our actions and attitudes genuinely reflect the love and forgiveness we have received through Christ and his death.
John 6:35, 41-51:  After feeding more than five thousand people in the wilderness, Jesus teaches them regarding the true significance of this remarkable sign.

 ‘From Sunday & Seasons, copyright 2023 Augsburg Fortress’

Questions To Ponder:
1— How does the story of Elijah connect to the Gospel text? (I Kings 19:4-8)
2—What does it mean to be an imitator of God? (Eph. 5:1)
3—What do you understand the significance of Holy Communion? (John 6:35, 41-51)
4—How do these texts speak to you today?

Prayer:  Gracious God, your blessed Son came down from heaven to be the true bread that gives life to the world.  Give us this bread always, that he may live in us and we in him, and that strengthened by this food, we may life as his body.  Amen.