Our Father: DailyBread

Have you tried some of the exercises related to each phrase of the Lord’s prayer so far? We are about half way through the prayer. If you would like to share some insights, feel free to comment. In our adventure, we’ve met our Father, who is God in heaven and yet who wants to be in relationship with us to bring about the Kingdom and reign of the Holy will of God. We are an integral part of that process.

This week we turn from looking at God's greatness and glory, to asking God that our physical and spiritual needs be met. “Give us this day, our daily bread” is the first real petition in the Lord’s Prayer. Bread is a basic food in all cultures. The harvesting and grinding of grains was one of the earliest evidences of civilization. In asking for our ‘daily bread’, we acknowledge that we need sustenance.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus told his followers, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? Therefore do not worry, saying, “What will we eat?” or “What will we drink?” or “What will we wear?” For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matthew 6:25-33 and Luke 12:22-31)

We are assured that God does ‘know our needs before we ask’ (Matthew 6:8). In fact, the most important thing is to ‘strive for the kingdom of God’. Isn’t that exactly what the entire Lord’s Prayer is about-aligning our wills with God’s will? I heard a sermon recently which reminded me of this important aspect of faith. Mother Carolyn stated that as Paul says in Romans 6:6-9, ‘our old self was crucified with Christ…so that the body of sin might be destroyed, and we might no longer be enslaved to sin.’ Because of this, we need to work at fitting our lives into God’s plan. As she pointed out, that includes welcoming and giving ‘a cup of water to these little ones…’ (Matthew 10:42)

Enter the Presence: We are also asking for the ‘Bread of Life’ when we pray. The ‘true bread which came down from heaven’ (John 6:58) in the form of Jesus, is what we seek to make us fully alive and members of the body of Christ. It is not surprising that we compare Jesus to bread because we need daily bread for living, and we need spiritual food as well.

The Bread of Life is found in the bread of the Eucharist and in the bread we eat for nourishment. Have you ever paused to think what it takes to make bread? When I was a little girl, I had a Children’s Book of Prayers (not sure if that’s the real name) that had in it a poem about a child thanking God for his toast. He thanks the farmer who grew the wheat, the miller who ground it, the baker who baked it, the trucker who brought it to the store, and the store keeper. He even thanks the sun that made the grain grow.

How often do you think about where your physical daily bread comes from?

Do you pause on Sunday to think of the spiritual nourishment we receive from the Eucharistic bread?

Stand In Awe: Hold a piece of bread in your hand. Consider, like the little child, the road it traveled from the seed in the ground to your meal. Communion bread has a similar journey whether it is a loaf baked for the service, or wafers. Whether it’s a simple biscuit or tortilla, or a loaf of yeast bread, the process is similar. The wheat is planted, grown, harvested, ground, packaged, purchased, mixed and baked. The grain of wheat is nothing like the final product.

Communion bread has an additional step before feeding you. In the consecration, the priest asks the Holy Spirit to come and transform the physical bread into spiritual food. The wheat seed is nothing like the bread or wafer. Neither are we the same after eating the bread of life. 

The next time you receive communion, remember you are receiving spiritual food to strengthen you for your daily journey.   

Involve your Heart: This week you may want to make some bread from scratch.

Draw a loaf of bread and on it list the many people you need to thank for having bread to eat.

There are many in the world who lack the basic daily bread. Do a fast for a day. Perhaps you will feel moved to make a donation to some organization that feeds the homeless or refugees or those in famine struck areas.

This week focus on daily bread.

Next week we will turn to the difficult task of being forgiven. 

Our Betrothal Feast with the Holy Bridegroom

Now we come to the image that got me started down this meditation path-the Betrothal Feast, or as we normally call it, the Eucharist, Holy Communion, the Last Supper…

Back on Maundy Thursday, the day in the church calendar when we remember Jesus’ final meal with his disciples, I was struck by the idea that what we are really celebrating is a Marriage Feast. Of course the real Marriage Supper of the Lamb will be in the final resurrection as outlined in Revelation, but each time we celebrate a Communion service, we get a foretaste of that Banquet.

In the words of the service we are invited to remember what happened that night 2000 years ago. I esp. like the wording from the Episcopal Book of Common Prayer, Eucharistic Prayer D:

When the hour had come for him to be glorified by you, his heavenly Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end; at supper with them he took bread, and when he had given thanks to you, he broke it, and gave it to his disciples, and said, "Take, eat: This is my Body, which is given for you. Do this for the remembrance of me."

After supper he took the cup of wine; and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, and said, "Drink this, all of you: This is my Blood of the new Covenant, which is shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Whenever you drink it, do this for the remembrance of me."

Father, we now celebrate this memorial of our redemption. Recalling Christ's death and his descent among the dead, proclaiming his resurrection and ascension to your right hand, awaiting his coming in glory; and offering to you, from the gifts you have given us, this bread and this cup, we praise you and we bless you.

Lord, we pray that in your goodness and mercy your Holy  Spirit may descend upon us, and upon these gifts, sanctifying them and showing them to be holy gifts for your holy people, the bread of life and the cup of salvation, the Body and Blood of your Son Jesus Christ. Grant that all who share this bread and cup may become one body and one spirit, a living sacrifice in Christ, to the praise of your Name.

An ancient form, “The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles,” that I ran across (on Facebook of all places) gives these instructions: Celebrate the Eucharist as follows: Say over the cup: “we give you thanks, Father, for the holy vine of David, your servant, which you made known to us through Jesus your servant. To you be glory for ever.”

Over the broken bread say: “we give you thanks, Father, for the life and the knowledge which you have revealed to us through Jesus your servant. To you be glory for ever. As this broken bread scattered on the mountains was gathered and became one, so too, may your Church be gathered together from the ends of the earth into your kingdom. For glory and power are yours through Jesus Christ for ever.”

When you finish the meal, offer thanks in this manner: “We thank you, holy Father, for your name which you enshrined in our hearts. We thank you for the knowledge and faith and immortality which you revealed to us through your servant Jesus. To you be glory for ever. Almighty ruler, you created all things for the sake of your name; you gave men food and drink to enjoy so that they might give you thanks. Now you have favored us through Jesus your servant with spiritual food and drink as well as with eternal life. Above all we thank you because you are mighty. To you be glory for ever.

“Remember, Lord, your Church and deliver her from all evil. Perfect her in your love; and, once she has been sanctified, gather her together from the four winds into the kingdom which you have prepared for her. For power and glory are yours for ever. May grace come and this world pass away! Hosanna to the God of David. If anyone is holy, let him come. If anyone is not, let him repent. Maranatha. Amen.”

There are also some warnings in this old version: “Do not let anyone eat or drink of your Eucharist except those who have been baptized in the name of the Lord. For the statement of the Lord applies here also: Do not give to dogs what is holy. On the Lord’s day, when you have been gathered together, break bread and celebrate the Eucharist. But first confess your sins so that your offering may be pure. If anyone has a quarrel with his neighbor, that person should not join you until he has been reconciled. Your sacrifice must not be defiled. In this regard, the Lord has said: In every place and time offer me a pure sacrifice. I am a great king, says the Lord, and my name is great among the nations.”

In all current forms of the Communion prayer we are commanded to do this in “remembrance of [Christ]”. In the Jewish culture remember has a deeper connotation than just thinking back on an experience. Instead, like in the Passover, the actual historical event is brought present each time the ceremony is enacted. In the same way, we are present with Christ and the 12 each time we come to Communion. We are present with the saints and sinners throughout the ages who have shared the Supper in many times and places. We are sharing the Bread and Wine with St. Paul and St. Francis, with Constantine and with a humble peasant. We are sharing the Body of Christ with martyrs and with persecutors, with slave and free men (and women). We are in the great cloud of witnesses throughout the ages as we hold the Bread in our hands, whether it is a wafer or a piece of a loaf of bread. We are in the company of great and small at the Banqueting table when we consume the Blood of Christ, be it as wine or grape juice, from a chalice or in a cup. It doesn’t matter if we are worshipping with a thousand or a few, the Holy Bridegroom is in our midst and we are part of the Holy Banquet stretching from Jerusalem to the present.

I think that is pretty amazing. If you really think about it; it can leave you rather breathless and in awe. Thanks be to God who “loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end” and gave us the way of remembering, of coming together to not just reenact but to make alive in our day and time the Betrothal Feast.  

Over the next couple of weeks, we’ll look at the Holy Bridegroom’s work of redeeming the Bride.

God's Covenant Meal

During the class this week, we discussed the words ‘covenant’ and ‘testament.’ They are similar, yet different. According to a dictionary of Biblical usage, the word ‘testament’ is more often used in relation to dealing between humans, while ‘covenant’ is used for agreements between God and humanity. Both are from the Hebrew "berith." 

A covenant is more than a contract. A covenant established by God is not negated by our failure or defaulting on our part of the agreement. God's blessing will still happen-aren't we glad that is true! This is true because God's covenants are based in Grace. Our response should be similar to Psalm 51, which is often prayed (read or sung) during Lent to remind us of our need to repent.

With the Psalmist, we pray, "Have mercy on me, O God, according to thy steadfast love...Against thee, thee only, have I sinned...Hide thy face from my sins...and blot out all my iniquities...Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me...The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise."

Ancient peoples often sealed a treaty or covenant with a meal. One example is the meal Jacob and Laban share (Genesis 21:51-54) God also covenanted with God’s people again and again. Examples are the Rainbow covenant in Genesis 9:8-17 and the meal Abraham shared with the 3 visitors (angels) in Genesis 18. Joseph shared a meal with his brothers after he was reconciled with them.

Passover is the most important of the Old Testament covenant meals. Exodus 12 tells the institution of the Feast of Passover. Despite 9 different plagues, Pharaoh refuses to let the Children of Israel leave Egypt. Finally, God instructs Moses to tell the Israelites to mark their doorframes with the blood of a lamb and to prepare a feast to be eaten with “your loins girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand.” The Angel of the Lord comes to Egypt and the “Lord smote the all first born in the land of Egypt…there was not a house where one was not dead.” However, the families of the Hebrews are spared because as the Lord promised, “when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague shall fall upon you.”

From that time forward, the Jewish people have repeated the Passover meal every year. It is now a week long remembrance, culminating with the Seder meal. It usually falls near Easter. This year, Passover starts on April 19. In the class on Thursday, we did a slightly simplified Seder. There are two parts to a Seder-the symbolic, one could say liturgical, part and the meal itself. It was during this symbolic remembrance that Jesus instituted the Eucharist. (Matthew 26:26-29, Mark14:17-25, Luke 22:19-20) During class we repeated the ancient symbolic remembrance of the Passover event. There are four distinct parts to the Seder:

The First Cup, of Thanksgiving, followed by the hand washing and breaking of the first matzo and hiding the Afikomen.

The Second Cup of Haggadah or Telling (of the events of Passover and the symbolism of the foods) and the Blessing of the Foods

The Third Cup, of Redemption, where the hope for Messiah (for the Jewish people) is expressed with the chair for Elijah. This is when the hidden matzo (Afikomen) is found and shared.

The Fourth Cup of Melchizedek and Blessing ends the remembrance part of the Seder. In the context of a family gathering, a real meal would be shared then. On Saturday, I was privileged to be at Epiphany Episcopal in Socorro where we also recreated the Seder and then had lunch.

All of us at the class on Thursday and in Socorro found it very moving to participate in recreating the meal. Everyone agreed that the Eucharist or Communion itself will be more meaningful this Sunday after experiencing the Seder. If you get the chance, participating in a Seder will help you understand more clearly what our Lord meant when he said “this is my Body” and “this is my Blood.”

I close today with the ancient blessing that ends the Seder: "The Lord bless thee and keep thee: The Lord make His face to shine upon thee and have mercy on thee! May the Lord lift up His countenance upon thee and give thee peace!” To which all respond “Amen, Amen, Amen.”

Next week we will look at the Triumph of Christ in Jerusalem as we enter Holy Week.