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.