One of the things I enjoy doing is
baking bread. I long ago gave up my bread machine and started teaching myself
the art of baking bread by hand, from scratch. It is a hobby that I love. Part
of why I love it is because it is something that I can share with others to
nourish their bodies as well as spirit. So when my church offered me the
opportunity to make the bread for communion each month, I accepted with a glad
heart. At the time I had no idea what this once a month baking would teach me
about hospitality. You see our communion table needs to accommodate multiple
food allergies and sensitivities. So I set out to find a recipe that would
accommodate our needs so that no one would be excluded from or singled out at
Christ’s table. For several years now this inclusive bread has graced the
communion table of our church and other tables.
As I have taken on this task, it
has caused me to reflect deeply on what inclusion at the table means and what
hospitality at Christ’s table looks like. I have come to the conclusion that
hospitality of Christ’s table is more than just providing bread that all can
partake of. It goes deeper than that. By having the same loaf of bread that
everyone can eat from we create community. Community is shared when we break and
eat of the same loaf. When I eat from the same loaf of bread created for
someone with special dietary needs, I am reaching beyond my own ability to eat
what ever I want to connect with them in their place of need. It may seem like
such a small gesture, but to those that have this need the symbolism and
meaning of this deep hospitality is not lost and it connects at a spiritual
level.
Recently
this act of inclusive hospitality was expanded a bit. My daughter is still
learning what it means to be a follower of Christ, so she partakes only of the
grapes provided during communion for the youngest at the table. This has not
stopped her from showing an interest in helping me make the bread each month. So
the first Saturday in November she and I went to the kitchen and embarked on the
journey of me teaching her how to make the bread. This went beyond just showing
her how to measure each ingredient and mix it together. It meant teaching her
why we use each type of flour that we do; why there is no dairy or eggs. I was
teaching her that the table of Christ is there for everyone, no exceptions, and
that the hospitality of the table means that we do our best to be sure everyone
is invited and can partake. This is why we make the bread we do and take such
care in making it.
Another
tradition of hospitality that my church engages in is that there are two loaves
of bread, one for the table and one loaf to share with a family to take home. In
the past, I have been the one to give the bread to a family. This time I had my
daughter take the bread over to the chosen family. Not only did she get to help
make the bread, she got to participate in the hospitality of giving. The joy on
her face at being included in such an important tradition reinforced to me the
importance of finding a role for even the youngest at Christ’s table.
So
now I have a new first Saturday of the month tradition, baking communion bread
with my daughter. She has a new role at the table, delivering hospitality. And
as we continue in this tradition, I cannot think of a better or more hospitable
way to teach my daughter about communion and its meaning.
No comments:
Post a Comment