Bread - March 17
Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 101, 109:1-4, 20-30; PM Psalm 119:121-144; Jer. 18:1-11; Rom. 8:1-11; John 6:27-40
“Can I please have some more bread?” piped a sweet child's voice on Sunday morning as Becky, John, and I walked around the parking lot distributing the consecrated bread during Communion. For outdoor worship the last two weeks, we have been using baked loaves of bread for Eucharist -- round, golden brown rolls from the Publix bakery. I noticed this week that some kids (including my two) gathered after the service near the altar to get leftover bread. These young children gather to get their fill of the food that endures for eternal life – the Body of Christ, the Bread of Heaven.
The image of children beaming with the gift of bread and life lingers upon my heart today as I read John 6. A crowd is searching for Jesus after he feeds them loaves and fish; they are intrigued by the power of this charismatic man. They are curious about the signs and wonders he will perform. The crowd pipes up that their ancestors were nourished in the desert by manna and Jesus responds:
‘Very truly, I tell you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.’ They said to him, ‘Sir, give us this bread always.’ (v. 32-34)
Jesus guides the crowd to deeper understanding, and they say yes! To what are they assenting? To satisfaction. To acceptance. To wholeness. To comfort. To belief. To salvation. It’s a compelling invitation, isn’t it?
There is a rich and invigorating poem called “Eat Bread and Understand Comfort” by Mary Oliver. It opens with these stanzas:
Eat bread and understand comfort.
Drink water, and understand delight.
Visit the garden where the scarlet trumpets
are opening their bodies for the hummingbirds
who are drinking the sweetness, who are
thrillingly gluttonous.
For one thing leads to another.
Soon you will notice how stones shine underfoot.
Eventually tides will be the only calendar you believe in.
In Oliver’s words, I hear God’s transformative power in Eucharist, opening our eyes to belief, exhilaration, and love. She ends with this line, “Love yourself. Then forget it. Then, love the world.”
Mary Oliver gives us the gift of wisdom here. The Bread of Life nourishes us. And as we are filled with belief, we move out into the world to share that love…that hope…that generosity. May God nourish and enrich your life today - and then pass it on!
-- Katherine+
Questions for Reflection
What is a comfort food for you?
What does receiving Holy Communion mean to you? How does it change you?
Daily Challenge
Treat yourself to a moment of comfort and reflection by reading the entirety of Mary Oliver’s poem “Eat Bread and Understand Comfort”. Then, eat a snack that brings you comfort, and read Oliver’s words again. What stands out to you? What do you feel moved to share with someone else?