Rev. Michelle Manuel

Acts 2:42
And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.

Acts 2:46-47
46 Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having the goodwill of all the people. And day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.

Reflection:
I know what I’m about to write is controversial. I know, I know, the very LAST thing we need right now is controversy. But it must be said! We’re family here, right? Let’s just get it all out on the table so we can work through it.

Bread gets a bad rap. 

There. I said it.  Now, friends, you do what you need to do for your health, I get it, but there’s something to this oft-repeated phrase, “breaking of bread.” In Acts, we see this phrase, “breaking bread together,” twice within five verses. Why the repetition? Because repetition in Scripture is the author saying, “Don’t miss this! This is the thing right here!” When we look at the context for this important phrase, we realize it’s at the center of the building of the early church. A life devoted to God—a life of worship—contained shared meals and lives.

There is another central moment in our story where bread is broken: And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”

This breaking of the bread instituted an act of worship Christians have practiced for two thousand years. It’s in this act of worship, in Holy Communion, that Christ meets us and we remember him at his table. We remember his mighty acts on the cross, in the grave, and in the resurrection. But we also remember that he washed the feet of disciples, including the one who would betray him. He broke bread at the table for them and for us. This remembrance is not a mere thinking about what Christ has done for us. It is an active remembrance that invites us to participate in the life and work that God established through Jesus Christ. 

This active remembrance that occurs when we celebrate Holy Communion is not isolated to the Lord’s Table but is extended to our very own tables. Whenever we eat together, we are drawn again into the meal narratives in the Bible. We take our place in a generations-long tradition of celebrating life shared together. Many of our Thanksgiving tables look different this year—empty seats, pared-down dishes, newly stressed relationships. But what if our Thanksgiving table became THE table. The one at which Christ meets us all. Today, friends, let us worship God and break bread together. 

Prayer:
Jesus,
You said that those who come to you will never be hungry. Today as we feast may we remember you. As we gather in-person, digitally, or socially distanced, we dedicate our table as a place of worship. May our gatherings be a blessing to those who desperately need more of your love. Amen.