“Pat-a-cake, pat-a-cake, baker's man, Bake me a cake as fast as you can.”  This familiar nursery rhyme from centuries ago hints at the desire, even then, for fast food. And yet, this yearning can already be seen in the crowds from the gospels for the last few Sundays. The crowds search out and want more from Jesus. They had eaten their fill. Jesus had provided a quick, abundant feast from five loaves and two fish, but the crowds want more from this Baker's man. What is it they are wanting?    Another free lunch, that will satisfy them quickly - that which calms the cravings - if only for the moment.
We, too, are that crowd. We want the quick fixes. From fast food to weight loss to immediate news to toys and possessions: what we want - we want now. And the cravings never stop. First it's a T.V., then it's a VCR, then it's a stereo, then it's surround sound, then it's a DVD player, then it's a sub-woofer, then it's a big screen T.V. Our cravings never end. And in our consumer-driven culture, there will always be more to crave.

CALENDAR
Sun., Aug. 9 – 4pm, Vets Home Visit
Fri., Aug. 14 – 9:30am, Feed My Starving Children Project
Sun., Aug. 16 – Worship led by Musician Jerry Nelson; Bring a Friend Sunday
Tues., Aug.18 – 6:30pm, Leadership
Sun., Aug.30 – Polka Service

STORY TIME
A folktale entitled "The King's Loaves" tells about two beggars who went daily to the palace to beg at the king's gate for bread.  Every day the king gave each of them a loaf of bread. One of the beggars would always thank the king for his generosity. But the other thanked God for giving the king sufficient wealth to give charity. The second beggar's words always hurt the king. So the king decided to teach him a lesson. The king ordered his baker to bake two identical loaves, but in one he had him conceal precious jewels. Then he instructed the baker to give the loaf with the hidden jewels to the beggar who always thanked the king for his charity.

The next day the baker went to the king's gate and handed the two loaves to the beggars. He took great care not to confuse the two, for he feared the king's wrath. When the beggar with the special loaf felt how heavy and hard it was, he concluded that it was poorly made and asked the other beggar to exchange loaves with him. The second beggar, always eager to help a friend, agreed. Then they went their separate ways. When the second man bit into the loaf, he discovered that it was filled with jewels. He thanked God for his good fortune, grateful that he would no longer have to beg for his bread.

The next morning the king was surprised to find only the first beggar at the palace gate. He had the baker brought before him and asked him, "Did you mix up the two loaves I had you bake?"

"No, your majesty," answered the baker. "I did exactly as you asked." Then the king turned to the beggar and asked, "What did you do with the loaf you received yesterday?" The man replied, "It was hard and poorly baked, so I gave it to my friend in exchange for his."

Then the king understood that all his riches had indeed come from God, and that only God can make a poor man rich - or a rich man poor.