By Rev. Anna Blaedel
We are here because we know:
“hearts starve as well as bodies;
we need bread, and we need roses, too.”
And now, nourished by visions and dreams and possibilities
our bellies, too, need fed.
It requires sustenance, this hard and holy labor of:
opening to Truth and to each other
recognizing God-With-Us
tending to pain and possibility
birthing the kin-dom where all and each and every is fed, and free
So, we continue our prayer:
Gathering at table, we follow strains of living yeast, kneaded into the Gospel:
ordinary people, all beautiful and broken and blessed
tending realities around and within
sending a different future, unfolding here, now
claiming our longings and needs and lives as holy
facing the thresholds
turning crumbs into feasts
Emmanuel teaches us: when we do not know, exactly, what comes next:
feed each other
break the bread
share the cup
taste and see
daily bread
manna in the dessert
bread of life
soul food
So. Trusting the food to nourish our bodies and this time together to nourish our souls:
we give thanks to this land that grew it
we give thanks for the hands that prepared it
we cup our hands, preparing to receive this offering
of generosity
of care
of sustenance
Because we are companions on this journey.
Companions. Com-panis. With bread.
With bread
we remember
we are nourished
we feed each other, and are fed
we feast together.
May it be so.