Faith
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Thinking the Faith, Praying the Faith, Living the Faith is written by the PC(USA) Office of Theology and Worship.
Thinking, praying, and living the faith is at the core of ministry in the Office of Theology and Worship. In the following videos, learn more about what thinking, praying, and living the faith means to the leadership of the Office of Theology and Worship. Discover why it matters and what difference it makes in our lives, work, and worship.
Charles Wiley
Barry Ensign-George
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Christine Hong
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This Bread
We have been experimenting with gluten-free bread at the Presbyterian Center's weekly Word and Table service -- trying to find a recipe that is good to "taste and see," of the right consistency not to crumble during intinction, and safe for those with gluten allergies. If we come up with the formula, we'll post an update on the blog; and if you have a good bread recipe to share (gluten-free or otherwise), please let us know!
For today's service, however, our resident baker was unavailable, so we needed to make other arrangements. I went to Kroger last night to get a loaf of regular bread (we already had some gluten-free crackers). First I picked up a loaf of my old standby: King's Hawaiian, but then on the way out of the deli section a package of tandoori naan (an Indian flat bread) caught my eye.
During the Great Thanksgiving I knew why. At the time for intercessions, our presider prayed for the people of India -- in particular, victims of the bombing at New Delhi's high court building earlier today -- dozens wounded and at least eleven dead.
When the church gathers at Christ's table we are like grain -- once scattered over the hills, now gathered into one whole loaf (Didache), gathered from the ends of the earth. We hear the good news of the gospel: that Christ is the true bread of heaven, who has given his own body for the life of the world, so that those who believe in him may have everlasting life (John 6). When we break bread in Jesus' name, we give thanks for God's goodness and grace, we remember Christ's dying and rising to reign, we pray for the Spirit's gifts and the coming of God's eternal realm of peace. As we are nourished in Christ's body, we are sent out "to be the body of Christ in the world" (BCW Great Thanksgiving A), to show and tell his saving love, and to bring good news to those who mourn.
We'll return to our experiment with gluten-free bread next week, but I'm thankful today that we could -- in some way -- share bread with people in India, giving thanks for the promise of the gospel and bearing witness to our faith and hope in Christ's resurrection.
Living God, on this day of violence and pain,
we give thanks for the life that death cannot destroy
and for your love that swallows up death forever.
At the table our Savior sets before us
give us a foretaste of your realm of peace
where mourning and crying are no more
and we may feast with you in unending joy;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
- Posted at 12:31 p.m.
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