Sermon: Abiding in the Creator's Womb, Part 1

Reflections on John 6:51-58 and Dr. Astrid Lobo Garjiwala's essay, "The Passion of the Womb: Women Re-Living the Eucharist," published in the book, The Strength of Her Witness: Jesus Christ in the Global Voices of Women, edited by Elizabeth A. Johnson. My deep gratitude to Rev. La Ronda Barnes for sending me a copy of this essay.

"Regardless of the Christian Church’s theological meaning making of this particular claim Jesus makes [that "Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life"], this passage still remains viscerally...unappetizing.

But haven’t we have all had this kind of visceral experience: in our mother’s womb."

Dr. Jenny Whitcher, Founder, Juniper Formation

John 6:51-58 NRSV: I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.” The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” So Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day; for my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them. Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever eats me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like that which your ancestors ate, and they died. But the one who eats this bread will live forever.”

Preached by Rev. Dr. Jenny Whitcher at Sixth Avenue United Church of Christ in Denver, CO, on August 19, 2018.