From
manna in the Old Testament, to Jesus’ birth at Bethlehem
(which means ‘House of Bread’) and his reference
to himself as‘the bread of life’, bread is an
important symbol in the Bible. This workshop aims to help
participants get under the skin of this symbolism through
physical contact with the things that make up bread
‘THEIR
EYES WERE OPENED’
A
breadmaking meditation based on St. Luke chapter 24:13-35
- The Emmaus Road
The
leader explains:
a) that
what follows is a form of prayer and encourages everyone
to experience it as such.
b) that
as part of the activity a loaf of bread will be made and
as many people as possible will be given an ingredient
to ‘offer’ at the appropriate time. After these
have been mixed, all will receive a small piece of dough.
During a silence of five minutes they should knead this
dough gently.
c) that
it is important to try to be as ‘open’ as possible
to the experience and to enjoy what comes to them through
all their senses.
The
group sits in silence as St. Luke 24:13-35 is read. (It
is best if this can have been prepared beforehand by three
readers)
Disciple
1: That same day, two of us were on our way
from Jerusalem to Emmaus. It was about a seven mile
walk.
Disciple
2: We were arguing about all that had been happening.
Disciple
2: That’s when Jesus came up and walked with us.
Disciple
1: We had no idea it was him, but I can’t say why.
Jesus:
What are you arguing about?
Disciple
1: Are you the only one who hasn’t heard what’s
been going on in Jerusalem?
Jesus:
What do you mean?
Disciple
2: Jesus, of course. Didn’t you hear? Despite all
he’d said and done he was crucified.
Disciple
1: Yes, and we’d been pinning our hopes on him.
We really thought he was the one to lead the liberation
struggle.
Disciple
2: That’s not all, though. He died three days ago,
but now some of the womenfolk have really put the cat among
the pigeons...
Disciple
1: Yes, they’re saying they went to anoint his
body, found it gone and had a vision of angels saying he
was alive!
Disciple
2: Mind you, some of the men checked and it was just
as the women said...
Disciple
1: But they didn’t see Jesus.
Jesus:
Just listen to yourselves! Anyone would think you’d
never read the Bible! Didn’t the prophets make it clear
that the Messiah would have to suffer before his glory could
be revealed?
Disciple
2: That’s when he gave us a Scripture lesson! He
started with Moses and carried on. He made sense of everything
his life was about.
Disciple
1: He still hadn’t finished when we got to Emmaus!
He looked as though he was going on, but neither of us could
stand the thought of that, could we?
Disciple
2: No, we were absolutely gripped by what he was saying.
Darkness was falling, too, so we begged him to stay the
night.
Disciple
1: We talked on till supper. At table it seemed natural
to ask him to say grace. He took the bread in his hands
said the blessing…broke it …offered it to us…
Disciple
2: Then it just came to us…
Disciple
I: at the same time…
Disciple
2: We were back in the Upper Room! It was him. I was
just going to say, ‘Jesus,’ when he was gone.
So real one moment and then…….We just looked at
each other thrilled, disappointed, embarrassed…
Disciple
1: Yes, we felt pretty foolish in a way. Till then,
neither of us had dared admit the way we’d almost burnt
inside as he talked to us. It was an extraordinary feeling
of knowing, yet not knowing.
Disciple
2: So here we are. Seven miles back in the darkness,
but we had to come. We had to tell you. The women were right.
He’s alive! We knew him when he broke the bread!
The
group is then encouraged to let the reading sink in. Two
or three minutes of silence or quiet music is recommended.
After
this the group is invited to stand around the table.
Leader: As
the disciples talked together, Jesus himself drew near and
went with them.
All: Lord,
draw near and be with us.
Leader: But
their eyes were kept from recognizing him.
All: Lord,
open our eyes to your presence with us - everywhere and
always.
Leader: Now
we take simple things, flour and salt, soda and oil, water
and milk, so they can be transformed into food for body
and spirit.
The
sieve is placed over the bowl and the flour is poured into
it
First
we bring the flour, which speaks of human labour and God’s
generosity.
All: Blessed
are you, Lord God of all creation; by your goodness we
have this flour to offer, fruit of your earth and work
of human hands. It will become for us the bread of life.
The
salt is poured into the sieve
Leader: We
add salt, which brings out the flavour in the flour and
reminds Christians, the salt of the earth, that their
responsibility is to bring out the best in others.
The
soda and tartar are poured into the sieve and the ingredients
are sifted
Baking
soda will lift the loaf - a picture of Jesus giving life
to despairing disciples on the journey of life.
The
oil is poured into the bowl
Oil
speaks of joy and healing. The ‘oil of gladness’
adds joy to the loaf. The presence of the risen Jesus’
heals human sadness.
The
water is poured into the bowl
Water
refreshes and revives. It speaks of the gift of living
water, a spring which never dries, welling up within to
eternal life.
The
milk is poured into the bowl
Milk
is the most basic nourishment. For Israel entering the
Promised Land it was a sign of plenty. For Peter it was
a picture of God nourishing his people with his word.
All: Blessed
be God forever!
Leader: Our
hearts burn within us. Until the truth of what we are
experiencing is revealed to us, our prayer is an urgent
one, like that of the disciples - ‘Stay with us!’
The
ingredients are mixed and then all are given a piece of
dough to knead
Leader: At
Emmaus it was scar-bearing hands that shared the bread.
Silence
is kept for five minutes
When
the kneading is complete, the dough is brought back into
a single lump
Leader: As
the dough is brought back into a single lump, we remember
St. Paul’s words: "Though we are many, we are
one body, because we all share the one bread."
A
cross is cut into the top of the loaf
Leader: Jesus
said, ‘I am the living bread that came down from
heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live forever.
The bread that I will give them is my flesh that the world
may live.’
All: Lord,
give us this bread always.
Leader: This
cold dough needs the warmth of the oven, to rise and be
transformed.
All: Lord,
by the warming fire of your Holy Spirit, bring us to life!
Leader: Grasped
at last by the truth that had eluded them, the disciples
raced to share their news.
All: Transform
us by your Spirit’s power that our neighbours may
find us, not stones, but bread that satisfies their hunger
for your love.
Silence
follows or quiet music is played for 2-3 minutes
The
bread is placed in the oven
Whilst
the bread is cooking, there is time for about 30 minutes’
discussion and reflection.
The
following questions may help to start the discussion going:
1. Does
this experience shed any new light on those familiar words
‘Give us today our daily bread? (N. B. Leader
- be aware how bread is physically the ‘staff
of life’, but how it was recognizing the presence
of Jesus that brought the two dispirited Emmaus disciples
back to life. Is there some connection? i.e. that when
we pray for "daily bread", we are praying as
much for the spiritual and emotional strength that comes
from the knowledge of Jesus’ presence with us, as
for the physical strength we receive from food).
2.
For the two disciples, this was a moment when ‘the
penny dropped’. It occurred over the simplest and
most everyday event of a meal. Can members of the group
recall any similar everyday experiences which have become
a meeting-point with God?
Discussion
of Question 2 can lead into reflection. The leader can
remind the group of some of the prayers of Celtic Christians,
which show great awareness of God in the everyday.
Alternatively,
encourage everyone to sit well and alertly and to close
their eyes. Read, say, St Patrick’s words, ‘Christ
be with me...’ or these words by Guy Brinkworth:
‘As
I work, a Loved Presence over my shoulder; as I drive,
a Loved Passenger beside me. In my reading, cooking, studying,
whilst teaching, nursing, accounting: in the maelstrom
of the supermarket or waiting for the bus or train –
ever the loving sense of a Presence.’
Encourage
the group to think back over the past week, trying to
remember as many experiences encounters with people as
they can. As each comes to mind, they should ask themselves
‘How was Jesus there?’ and ‘Was I conscious
of it?’
Encourage
them not to worry. The disciples on the Emmaus Road did
not recognize Jesus. But now they see things differently,
how do the events they have experienced and the people
they met now seem different, too?
Allow
at least five minutes of quiet for this. Then have a time
in which people can share their thoughts.
End
by saying the Lord’s Prayer together. Try saying
it slowly, with a pause between each line. Take time especially
over ‘Give us today our daily bread’.
Now
the bread should be shared and eaten with joyful ceremony,
perhaps with the response "We break this bread to
share in the body of Christ or St. Luke 24:35.
(Leader’s
notes follow on the next page)
‘THEIR
EYES WERE OPENED’
Leader’s
notes
The
bread chosen for this meditation is a very simple version
of Irish soda bread. It was chosen because it requires no
time to rise, but goes straight into the oven and can be
ready for the group to eat in half an hour. Just time for
discussion of the passage in the light of the meditation
shared by the group!
FOR
THE BREADMAKING YOU WILL REQUIRE:
- Scripts
(as above) for each participant
- A
large table - preferably one that can be easily cleaned
afterwards
- Tape
recorder and quiet music.
- Large
mixing bowl
- Baking
tray
- Measuring
jug
- Small
containers for salt, soda, cream of tartar (3 participants
can then add these ingredients)
- Sieve
- Wire
cooling rack
- Fork
(it helps with mixing) and Iong-bladed knife for cutting
the cross
- Bread
knife and board, knife and butter - for sharing
bread afterwards
- Timer
INGREDIENTS
8
oz strong wholemeal flour
8
oz strong white flour
I
level teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
2
level teaspoons cream of tartar
1
teaspoon salt
2
tablespoons olive oil
1
tablespoon cold water
Half-pint
milk (approx.)
METHOD
Preheat
oven to 225 0C, 4750F, Gas Mk 8)
Sift
the flours in the sieve with the salt, the bicarb, and the
cream of tartar. Add the oil. Mix in the water and the milk.
When the dough has come together, divide it between participants.
Knead gently for five minutes.
Form
the pieces of kneaded dough into a flat round, about 1’/2
inches thick. Make a deep cross–cut in the top,
which goes at least halfway through the loaf.
Dust
top with flour and place on floured baking tray. Cook immediately
for approx 30 minutes. (N.B. if using a fan oven, the
cooking time can be reduced to about 15-20 minutes)
TIPS
Weigh
out all ingredients beforehand and put into appropriate
containers.
It
sometimes helps if the leader is not the "baker",
leaving her/him free to focus participants’ thoughts.
Make
sure that whoever is in charge of the baking has tried out
the recipe beforehand. If problems arise, for example with
adding too much water, it can disrupt the flow of the meditation.
If
the group is not used to silence, it may help to inject
a very brief thought on which to focus, perhaps twice during
the five minutes. If so, tell the group that this will happen.
You may even like to invite others to share their reflections
as they come to them, but it is vital that these be kept
short.
For
more information contact Robert
Cooper
|
