God Transforms Us Into the Body of Christ

READING | Matthew 17:1-9 | Gospel Reading for the Transfiguration of Our Lord

¹Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain, by themselves.  ²And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white.  ³Suddenly there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him.  ⁴Then Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you wish, I will make three dwellings here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah."  ⁵While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud a voice said, "This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!"  ⁶When the disciples heard this, they fell to the ground and were overcome by fear.  ⁷But Jesus came and touched them, saying, "Get up and do not be afraid."  ⁸And when they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus himself alone.

⁹As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus ordered them, "Tell no one about the vision until after the Son of Man has been raised from the dead."

REFLECTION | God Transforms Us Into the Body of Christ

On the Day of Transfiguration, God transformed the Body of Christ in the presence of his disciples.  Jesus' time with his disciples was running out.  He had begun to prepare them, telling him that he must go to Jerusalem and there undergo great suffering.  Jesus foreshadowed his own fate and challenged his disciples with his words: "If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.  For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it" (Matthew 16:24-25).  And just a few days after he said these things, Jesus took Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain, by themselves. 

At the top of the mountain, God transformed the Body of Christ.  Jesus was transformed--transfigured--before the disciples.  His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white" (17:1-2).  On the Mount of Transfiguration, the disciples got a glimpse of the glory of the Lord Jesus. 

On the Day of Transfiguration, God transformed the Body of Christ. 

On this Day of Transfiguration, our congregations welcome to the Table five of our young people: Emily, Andrew, Julia, Chase, and Kolin.  For the past month, we have met to learn about the Sacrament we receive today. 

At our first Gathering a few weeks ago, we learned that for Lutherans, a sacrament is three things.  It is

1) something we do because Jesus commands it ("Do this...")

2) something God does because Jesus promises it ("For the forgiveness of sins...")
3) something with "stuff," something you can see or touch or taste or smell (Bread and wine). 

As we continued to meet, we heard the Word, how Jesus shared his Last Supper with his disciples, how he took the bread, blessed it, broke it and gave it to his disciples to take and eat. 

We prepared to receive the Meal by baking the bread we use today for communion.  We mixed together wheat flour and oatmeal, sugar and salt, baking soda and buttermilk.  We formed loaves with our own hands and baked them in the oven. 

Last Sunday, in our final class we talked about how receiving the sacrament strengthens us for service, and how our worship service concludes with God Sending us into the world from the meal to do God's work.  It was appropriate that our final class was shortened, so that we could serve others by helping prepare for our congregation's talent show and benefit dinner.          

On this Day of Transfiguration, as we celebrate First Communion, we might say that God transforms the bread and the wine into the Body and Blood of Christ.  But that is more of a Roman Catholic teaching.  As Lutherans we believe that Jesus is in, with and under the bread and wine, but we don't teach that the bread and wine are transformed into Christ's body and blood.

Instead, on this Day of Transfiguration, it is better to say God transforms us into the Body of Christ.  As we receive the Body of Christ, we become the Body of Christ.  As we are fed with the bread of Holy Communion, we become bread for the world.  To paraphrase Saint Augustine, "we are what we receive." In Holy Communion, we remember that on the night in which he was betrayed, Jesus took bread, blessed it, broke it, and gave it to his disciples.  In Holy Communion, Jesus takes us, blesses us, breaks us, and gives us to others.  Today, on this Day of Transfiguration, God transforms Emily, Andrew, Julia, Chase, Kolin along with the rest of us into the Body of Christ.  And we go out from this place to feed the hungry world with our own selves--sharing breakfast with a lonely old lady, playing the saxophone to benefit a friend in need, offering someone a ride to their doctor's appointment, offering forgiveness to one who is undeserving, praying for a co-worker before a surgery, playing a favorite Sunday School song on your iPad for a preschooler. 

On this Day of Transfiguration, God transforms us into the Body of Christ.  That is good news for us today, and good news for the world today.  I can find no better way to express this good news than through the words of a favorite communion hymn:  

By your hand you feed your people, food of angels, heaven's bread.
For these gifts we did not labor, by your grace we have been fed:
Christ's own body, blessed and broken, cup o'er-flowing, life outpoured,
given as a living token of your world redeemed, restored.

Send us now with faith and courage to the hungry, lost, bereaved.
In our living and our dying, we become what we receive:
Christ's own body, blessed and broken, cup o'er-flowing, life outpoured,
given as a living token of your world redeemed, restored.

(By Your Hand You Feed Your People, text by Susan R. Briehl)

RECIPE | Communion Bread with Oatmeal

Ingredients
·     ½ cup softened butter
·     ½ cup sugar
·     3¼ cups flour
·     1 tsp baking soda
·     ½ tsp salt
·     1½ cups buttermilk
·     2¼ cups oatmeal
 

Directions

Cream together butter and sugar until well blended and fluffy.  Sift together flour, baking soda, and salt.  Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture, alternating with buttermilk until all ingredients are used up and have come together.  Add oatmeal and mix until just blended. Dough will be sticky.  Prepare 2 ungreased baking sheets.  Split dough into 4-6 equal clumps. Working with one clump at a time, place on a well-floured surface and coat sides and edges with just enough flour to make it workable. With floured hands and/or floured rolling pin, roll dough to ¼ inch even thickness. Dough will rise slightly and must be rolled this thin to facilitate easy breaking once baked. Dough can also be placed on parchment paper and rolled flat right on a baking sheet. Bake bread for 12-15 minutes at 350° F.  Makes 4 to 6 rounds.

God Connects Us to Jesus and His Disciples

READING | John 15:5 | Lunar Communion
[Jesus said] ⁵"I am the vine, you are the branches. Whosoever abides in me will bring forth much fruit, for you can do nothing without me."

REFLECTION | God Connects Us to Jesus and His Disciples

I was in first grade when the Space Shuttle Columbia launched for the first time.  The astronauts were soaring into outer space and leaving planet Earth far behind. 

Well, not too far behind.  The first mission of the Columbia—and all of the following shuttle missions—took the astronauts into a low Earth orbit.  A low Earth orbit is about 2000 kilometers (1200 miles) above earth, the distance from New York City to Key West, Florida.

The astronauts who went to the Moon did leave the Earth far behind.  The distance from the Earth to the moon is—on average—384,400 km (238,900 miles).  On July 16, 1969, Neil Armstrong, "Buzz" Aldrin, and Michael Collins were launched into space aboard the Apollo 11.  Days later, on July 20, Armstrong and Aldrin landed the Eagle lunar module on the surface of the Moon. 

Aldrin writes of the moments after the lunar module touched down in his book, Magnificent Desolation:

I decided that this would be an excellent time for a ceremony I had planned as an expression of gratitude and hope.  Weeks before, as the Apollo mission drew near, I had originally asked Dean Woodruff, pastor at Webster Presbyterian Church, where my family and I attended services when I was home in Houston, to help me come up with something I could do on the moon, some appropriate symbolic act regarding the universality of seeking.  I had thought in terms of doing something overtly patriotic, but everything we came up with sounded trite and jingoistic.  I settled on a well-known expression of spirituality: celebrating the first Christian Communion on the moon, much as Christopher Columbus and other explorers had done when they first landed in their 'new world.'[I]

Before Aldrin departed on his Apollo mission, Rev. Woodruff broke the corner off a loaf of bread.  He gave Aldrin a piece to take with him to the moon and saved the remainder for the congregation.[ii]  On Sunday morning, July 20, Rev. Woodruff explained to the worshippers at Webster Presbyterian that they would be receiving communion using the remainder of the loaf, and that Aldrin would partake of his piece of the loaf later that afternoon.[iii] 

Aldrin continues his recollection of the first lunar communion: 

During those first hours on the moon, before the planned eating and rest periods, I reached into my personal preference kit and pulled out the communion elements along with a three-by-five card on which I had written the words of Jesus: 'I am the vine, you are the branches.  Whoever remains in me, and I in him, will bear much fruit; for you can do nothing without me.'  I poured a thimbleful of wine from a sealed plastic container into a small chalice, and waited for the wine to settle down as it swirled in the one-sixth Earth gravity of the moon... I silently read the Bible passage as I partook of the wafer [sic] and the wine, and offered a private prayer for the task at hand and the opportunity I had been given." [iv] 

One of the Bible passages Aldrin read was John 15:5, in which Jesus says, "I am the vine, you are the branches. Whosoever abides in me will bring forth much fruit, for you can do nothing without me."  Through communion, Aldrin experienced a connection with Jesus and Jesus' followers back on earth.  By eating from the same loaf of bread as his congregation in Texas, Aldrin remained connected to the disciples at Webster Presbyterian, even though he was separated from them by 238,900 miles.  Through communion, Buzz Aldrin was connected with the whole Christian Church--living and dead; on earth and in heaven, and in the heavens. 

"I sensed especially strongly my unity with our church back home, and with the Church everywhere," Aldrin reflected.[v] 

______________

ⁱ Aldrin, Buzz with Ken Abraham.  Magificent Desolation: The Long Journey Home from the Moon, Three Rivers Publishers, 1999? pp.25-26.

ⁱⁱ Aldrin, Buzz.  Guideposts article, 1970. 
ⁱⁱⁱ "Communion Celebrated on the Moon," The [Sarasota] Herald-Tribune.  18 August 1969, p. A5.
^iv Magificent Desolation, pp.26-27.  Though Aldrin mentions a communion "wafer" here, earlier accounts of the events suggest bread was used. 
^v Aldrin, Buzz.  Guideposts article, 1970. 

RECIPE | Rustic Italian Bread

After I learned of the story of the first lunar communion, and as I formulated the format of this blog, I wondered if there was a recipe for the bread baked for the moon landing. I contacted the staff of Webster Presbyterian.  Pastor Helen DeLeon was gracious to provide this reply in an e-mail: "We would have used either a French or Italian bread, though no one thought to record that detail... One of the reasons no one thought to bake a special loaf of bread for this service may well have been that the times were very hectic.  NASA people were working 60 hours a week, and their wives were covering all aspects of life on the home front.  Some of the decision about the service were taken over by NASA, thus beyond the control of our congregation and were made at the last minute. 

So, since there is no "official" recipe, here is a link to a simple recipe for a loaf of Italian bread, from "For the Feast," a blog by Carrie Pacini: http://forthefeast.com/2011/09/rustic-italian-bread/

God Prepares a Feast for Us

READING | Luke 15:1–3, 11b–32| Gospel for the Fourth Sunday in Lent, Year C

¹Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to [Jesus].  ²And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, "This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them."

           ³So he told them this parable:  ^11b"There was a man who had two sons.  ¹²The younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the share of the property that will belong to me.' So he divided his property between them.  ¹³A few days later the younger son gathered all he had and traveled to a distant country, and there he squandered his property in dissolute living.  ¹⁴When he had spent everything, a severe famine took place throughout that country, and he began to be in need.  ¹⁵So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed the pigs.  ¹⁶He would gladly have filled himself with the pods that the pigs were eating; and no one gave him anything.  ¹⁷But when he came to himself he said, 'How many of my father's hired hands have bread enough and to spare, but here I am dying of hunger!  ¹⁸I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you;  ¹⁹I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired hands." '  ²⁰So he set off and went to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him.  ²¹Then the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.'  ²²But the father said to his slaves, 'Quickly, bring out a robe — the best one — and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.  ²³And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate;  ²⁴for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!' And they began to celebrate.
           ²⁵Now his elder son was in the field; and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing.  ²⁶He called one of the slaves and asked what was going on.  ²⁷He replied, 'Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has got him back safe and sound.'  ²⁸Then he became angry and refused to go in. His father came out and began to plead with him.  ²⁹But he answered his father, 'Listen! For all these years I have been working like a slave for you, and I have never disobeyed your command; yet you have never given me even a young goat so that I might celebrate with my friends.  ³⁰But when this son of yours came back, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fatted calf for him!'  ³¹Then the father said to him, 'Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours.  ³²But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found.'"

REFLECTION | God Prepares a Feast for Us

It is hunger (and poverty) that motivates the younger son to return home after he has squandered the inheritance that he received from his still-very-much-alive father.  Even the pods he is feeding the boss's pigs are starting to look appetizing.  The son recalls how the father provided for his hired hands: "Even they have bread enough, and to spare!"    

When his lost son returns home, the father provides more than bread.  "Get the fatted calf," he proclaims.  "Let us eat and celebrate, for this son of mine was dead and is alive again. He was lost and now is found!"

This story of the prodigal son and his merciful father is actually the third parable in Luke 15.  In each of the three, Jesus teaches about God's grace.  In the first parable, God is the shepherd seeks out the lost sheep.  God rejoices in heaven over one sinner who repents.  In the second, God is the woman who lights a lamp, sweeps the house, searches carefully until she finds a lost coin.  God rejoices with the angels over one sinner who repents.  And in the third, God is the father who waits and watches and runs to his wayward son, rejoicing when he returns, giving a feast in celebration for the child who returns home.      

In Holy Communion, God's wayward sons and daughters are invited to a celebration of God's forgiveness.  We gather at the table to share a feast even more precious than the fatted calf--the bread and the wine, the body and blood of God's Son.  In communion, God the Father brings his family together.  God reconciles and restores the broken relationship between God and his children. 

So, come, eat your fill!  Satisfy your hunger.  Let us eat and celebrate, for in Christ, we who were dead and are alive again. We who were lost are now found!

RECIPE |Flax Soda Bread

This recipe from Better Homes and Gardens, which can be prepared rather quickly, is perfect for an impromptu feast. 

Ingredients
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour or rye flour
1/2 cup ground flax seeds
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons butter
2 eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup buttermilk or sour milk*
2 tablespoons honey
1/4 cup flax seeds
1  egg, lightly beaten

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease a baking sheet; set aside. In a large bowl stir together the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, ground flax seeds, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Using a pastry blender, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture; set aside.

In a small bowl stir together the 2 eggs, the buttermilk, and honey. Add egg mixture to flour mixture all at once. Using a fork, stir just until moistened. Stir in flax seeds. (Dough will be sticky.)

Turn dough out onto a well-floured surface. With well-floured hands, knead dough by folding and gently pressing it for 10 to 12 strokes or until dough is nearly smooth. On the prepared baking sheet pat the dough into a 7-inch oval loaf. With a sharp knife cut a 4-inch cross, 1/4 inch deep, on the top of the loaf. Lightly brush with the remaining egg.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Remove bread from baking sheet; serve warm.

* To make sour milk, place 1-1/2 teaspoons lemon juice or vinegar in a glass measuring cup. Add enough milk to make 1/2 cup liquid. Let mixture stand for a few minutes before using.

Flax Soda Bread

God Promises Forgiveness of Sin

READING | Luke 4:1-13 | Gospel Reading for the First Sunday in Lent, Year C

¹Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness,  ²where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing at all during those days, and when they were over, he was famished.  ³The devil said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become a loaf of bread."  ⁴Jesus answered him, "It is written, 'One does not live by bread alone.'"

         ⁵Then the devil led him up and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world.  ⁶And the devil said to him, "To you I will give their glory and all this authority; for it has been given over to me, and I give it to anyone I please.  ⁷If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours."  ⁸Jesus answered him, "It is written,

          'Worship the Lord your God,

          and serve only him.'"

        ⁹Then the devil took him to Jerusalem, and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here,  ¹⁰for it is written,

          'He will command his angels concerning you,

          to protect you,'

  ¹¹and

          'On their hands they will bear you up,

          so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.'"

        ¹²Jesus answered him, "It is said, 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'"  ¹³When the devil had finished every test, he departed from him until an opportune time.

REFLECTION | God Promises Forgiveness of Sin

In Luke's gospel, the story of the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness is one in which bread features prominently.  Over a period of forty days, Jesus was tempted by the devil.  Jesus "ate nothing at all during those days," the text says, and unsurprisingly, "when they were over, he was famished."

"If you are the Son of God," the devil taunts, "turn this stone into bread."  The devil tempts Jesus with a promise of a hearty meal--a promise that Jesus' appetite will be satisfied.  For the reader, there should be no doubt that Jesus could turn the stone into bread.  After all, in the previous chapter, we heard a voice from heaven say, "You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased."  Yet if Jesus were to turn the stone into bread, it would seem a self-serving miracle.  As I think of the stories in the gospels, Jesus always performs miracles in service to others, and to bring glory to God, not to serve himself or to glorify himself. 

Eating bread from stones would simply be consuming empty calories.  It might taste good at first, but such bread would ultimately be un-fulfilling.  Like eating a Twinkie.

Jesus answers the devil by quoting Deuteronomy.  "It is written," Jesus says, "'One does not live by bread alone.'"  The devil knows the scriptures well enough that Jesus does not need to finish the quote: "One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord" (8:3).

Though the story of the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness is one in which bread features prominently, it is a stretch to find any Eucharistic connections in the passage.  The bread discussed is neither created nor consumed. 

Yet, in Jesus' response to the devil, I am reminded that the sacrament of Holy Communion is not bread alone, but bread with the Word of God.  Holy Communion is not simply eating and drinking, but also hearing and trusting the promises of Jesus. 

Each time we receive communion, we hear again the promises "given for you" and "shed for you for the forgiveness of sin" in the Words of Institution: "In the night in which he was betrayed, our Lord Jesus took bread, and gave thanks, broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying: 'Take and eat; this is my body, given for you. Do this for the remembrance of me.' Again, after supper, he took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it for all to drink, saying: 'This cup is the new covenant in my blood, shed for you and for all people for the forgiveness of sin. Do this for the remembrance of me.'" 

As Martin Luther explained in his Small Catechism, these words of promise, "when accompanied by the physical eating and drinking, are the essential thing in the sacrament, and whoever believes these very words has what they declare and state, namely, "forgiveness of sin."

Jesus was tempted by the devil, but resisted the temptation to turn the stone to bread.  We are not always as steadfast when tempted.  However, when we do give into temptation, we can be assured that we receive forgiveness of sin when we receive the bread of communion--the body of Christ, the one who was tempted but did not sin.  

RECIPE | Stovetop Scones

If Jesus had turned the stone into bread, what kind of bread would it have been?  I posed this question on Facebook, and got a number of clever responses.  Pastor Kara Shaw suggested scones.  I probably wouldn't serve these dense treats for communion, but I do like the fact that "stones" and "scones" rhyme.  Here is a simple recipe from the Food Network's Sandra Lee.  

Ingredients

4 cups baking mix (recommended: Bisquick)

4 tablespoons sugar
1 egg
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon vegetable shortening

Directions

Preheat a cast iron skillet or griddle over medium-high heat.  Combine the baking mix, sugar, egg and milk in a medium bowl. Mix gently. Form a ball and knead the dough gently on a floured surface for 5 to 8 strokes, until the dough holds together. Pat or roll the dough to form a 6-inch circle. Cut the dough into 12 wedges.

Grease pan with shortening. Turn down to medium heat and add the wedges of dough.  Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, adjusting the heat and repositioning the wedges until they're an even pancake-brown. Flip and cook another 3 to 4 minutes.

Stovetop Scones on the Food Network

God Gives the Meal to the Baptized

READING | Luke 3:15–17, 21–22 | Gospel Reading for the Baptism of Our Lord
 

¹⁵As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah,  ¹⁶John answered all of them by saying, "I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.  ¹⁷His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire."

²¹Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened,  ²²and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, "You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased."

REFLECTION | God Gives the Meal to the Baptized

Remembering Jesus' baptism--as we do each January--prompts us also to remember our own baptism.  I was baptized just 15 days after I was born by my grandfather, who is a Lutheran minister.  In Baptism, God "brings about forgiveness of sins, redeems from death and the devil, and gives eternal salvation to all who believe it, as the words and promise of God declare" (Martin Luther's Small Catechism).

In addition to bringing forgiveness, redemption, and eternal salvation, God also brings to the baptized an invitation to the Table, in my understanding of the sacraments.  The Use of the Means of Grace states, "Admission to the Sacrament is by invitation of the Lord, presented through the Church to those who are baptized" (Principle 37).

When it came to time to baptize our firstborn child Jonathan, my wife and I also brought him to the communion table later in the service.  Jonathan received his "First Communion" the same day he was baptized. 

That was over three years ago.  Since then, he has learned to drink and eat, talk and walk, sing and pray.  He has worshipped at Daddy's church and Mommy's church.  He has watched our friend Bette prepare the wine and grape juice for communion and helped her clean up afterward.  He has a limited understanding of the sacraments, but he knows when it's time to come forward, he will receive the bread and the wine along with the rest of the baptized.  As his parent and his pastor, I will help Jonathan learn about Communion as he grows up.  And I am sure that I will grow in my own understanding of the meal as I do so.

The Use of the Means of Grace: A Statement on the Practice of Word and Sacrament was adopted for "guidance and practice" by the Fifth Biennial Churchwide Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America on Aug. 19, 1997.  It focuses on Holy Baptism and Holy Communion and other aspects of worship.  I will refer to this document frequently in these blog posts.  It is available as a free pdf download at www.elca.org.

RECIPE | Communion Bread, Grace Lutheran, Thornville,Ohio

This is the communion bread I grew up with.  As a child, it was the sweetness of the honey that made the bread so appealing. 

Ingredients
3 ¾ cups whole wheat flour
1 ¼ cups regular all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons oil
1 ¾ cups water (approx.)
½ cup honey (approx.)

Directions

Mix dry ingredients together.  Cut in oil.  Stir honey into water and then add mixture to the flour.  Dough should be sticky and VERY wet.  Divide into thirds and press into greased cake or pie pans.  Lightly brush with oil.  Press lines into the bread with a straight-edge or ruler if you desire “breaking lines” for easy distribution.  Decorative crosses or other symbols may also be made.

Bake at 350 degrees for 18 minutes (325 degrees for glass pans).  Remove bread and lightly paint the surface with oil.  Return to oven and bake for 10 minutes more.

Bread may be baked in advance and kept in the freezer.  Be sure to wrap ad seal well as the bread will dry out quickly, especially n the freezer.  Ordinarily it should be removed the night before the communion service and thawed at room temperature, kept in the sealed plastic bag to retain moisture.

Tips from the Bread Bakers

If you can fit only two loaves in your oven at a time, keep the third loaf covered with a damp to wet paper towel while the others are baking.  This helps keep the third loaf moist while it’s waiting.

This recipe is extremely variable and can yield different results from one batch to the next on the very same day in spite of using the exact same ingredients and handling it exactly the same way.  You may need to use more water and honey in the winter because of the low humidity.  Older ingredients can also require the use of more water and honey.

When I asked his advice, a communion bread baker once told me that extra honey makes the bread better.  Every time I’ve tried it, it has worked!

The most important hint: the faster you mix this up and throw it together, the better it comes out, probably because it has less time to dry out.  But we have found that the less you fool with it, the better.  Remember—the children of Israel were in a hurry to get out of town fast!

Due to potential allergies of members or visitors, please be careful to avoid using any ingredients or plastic wraps that may have been contaminated with peanuts.   For the same reason, do not use peanut oil in this recipe.

God Gives Provisions for Our Spiritual Journey

READING | Matthew 2:1–12 | Gospel Reading for the Epiphany of Our Lord

In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, "Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage."  When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born.  They told him, "In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet:

          'And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,

          are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
          for from you shall come a ruler
          who is to shepherd my people Israel.'"

Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared.  Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, "Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage."  When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was.  When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy.  On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.  And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.

      
REFLECTION | God Gives Provisions for Our Spiritual Journey

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, “Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews?”  They were searching and seeking, wondering and wandering, following a “star of wonder, star of night, star with royal beauty bright,” as the old hymn goes.  They inquired of King Herod where they might find this new King, so that they might pay him homage.  Herod consulted his chief priests and scribes, and learned that the Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem.  And so, the wise men began the next leg of their journey. 

I wonder if they were surprised by what they found—a young boy with his mother, in a humble house?  Perhaps they were expecting to find the one born King of the Jews in a palace, surrounded by riches and luxury and attended by nurses and servants.  I wonder, as they sought to pay homage to this baby king, if they were surprised by twists and turns of the journey itself?

In some ways, we are all like those wise men of old.  As we pay homage to our God in worship, as we desire God’s will for our lives, as we search and seek, wonder and wander, we often encounter surprises along the way.  We travel with and learn from other pilgrims, we meet new people, we return to familiar places.

I write this reflection on Epiphany, which falls on a Sunday this year.  I am in the middle of another spiritual journey, a pilgrimage of sorts, as I transition from one pastoral call to another.  I recently concluded nearly two years of ministry in Northwestern Minnesota; at the end of the month I will begin a new call in Northwestern Ohio.  Right now, I am "in between," which is a difficult place for me to be.  My family and I are "homeless" for the moment; nearly all of our worldly possessions are on a semi truck, located somewhere between there and here.  I am tired of spending hours in the car with three infants.  I am already missing friends in Minnesota, but excited about being reunited with extended family in Ohio.  I am ready to unpack and explore our new home.

One thing that has sustained me in my spiritual journey is Holy Communion.  The Meal is refreshing food and drink for this weary traveler.  In the sacrament, God provides the strength that is needed for the next leg of the journey.  Each entry in this blog will provide a reading, most often from scripture; a reflection on an aspect of Holy Communion; and a recipe for bread, which may be used in the celebration of the meal, depending on the tradition and context of the assembly. 

RECIPE | Rosca de Reyes

Rosca de Reyes, or Kings' Ring, is a bread eaten on Epiphany in Spain and some Latin American countries.  With its round shape and dried fruit decorations, it may look like a crown worn by the magi that visited baby Jesus.  Often a tiny Jesus figure is hidden in the bread, though this is not recommended if the bread is used for communion.  Here is a recipe for Rosca de Reyes from the Food Network's Ingrid Hoffman.      

Ingredients

 

1 (1/4-ounce) packet active dry yeast

1/4 cup warm water

1/4 cup dried figs, cut into strips, plus more for garnish

1/4 cup candied orange peel, cut into strips, plus more for garnish

1/4 cup candied lemon peel, cut into strips, plus more for garnish

1/4 cup chopped candied cherries, plus more whole for garnish

2 tablespoons light rum

1/4 cup milk

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt

3 1/2 to 4 cups all-purpose flour

3 large eggs, divided

Water

Directions

In a small bowl, combine the yeast and warm water; stir to blend. Let stand until the yeast comes alive and starts to foam, about 5 to 10 minutes.

Put all of the candied fruit in small bowl and drizzle the rum on top. Let stand for 15 minutes to 1 hour to infuse the flavor.

In a small pot, warm the milk over medium heat. Add the sugar, butter, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt.

In a large bowl, mix 3 1/2 cups flour, 2 eggs, yeast mixture, milk mixture, and the rum soaked candied fruits, mixing very well until the dough gathers into a ball. If the dough is too wet, Add additional flour, a little at a time, if needed to form a soft dough. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until it's smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Put the ball of dough back into the bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and set aside in a warm spot to rise for 1 hour.

Remove the dough from the bowl and knead on a lightly floured surface. Using your palms, roll the dough into a long rope. Shape the coil into a ring, sealing the ends together. Insert a little doll or coin into the bread from the bottom, if desired. Line a baking pan with aluminum foil and coat with nonstick cooking spray. Carefully transfer the dough ring to the prepared baking pan.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Beat the remaining egg in a small bowl with 1 tablespoon of water to make an egg wash, and brush the top of the bread. Decoratively garnish the top of the bread with more candied fruit and bake for 35 to 40 minutes until the cake is golden.

Cool on a wire rack before slicing.

Cook's Note: Let your guests know there is a little doll or coin inserted inside.

Three Kings Bread: Rosca de Reyes on the Food Network

Thank you to Pastor Scott Morey for the inspiration for this blog entry.  Photo by Tamorlan.