Seeing in the Breaking of the Bread
I serve on the Board for Bon Secours Health Systems CPE program. CPE is the acronym for Clinical Pastoral Education and it is required for board certification for chaplains. There are many “chaplains” who do not have CPE, but CPE is the gold standard and 4 units of CPE or 1600 hours of clinical experience are required before a chaplain can even begin to think of becoming board certified. Episcopal priests, as part of their seminary experience are required to do one unit of CPE, as are Presbyterian ministers and maybe a few others require it as well. CPE can be very challenging for some, for besides the clinical learning, students are required to share didactics with their CPE group and explore in depth their conversations and interactions with others and it causes one to reflect deeply on who they are and why they may do some of the things they do. At times this can be uncomfortable for self-reflection and exploring those parts of ourselves that may need some work can be uncomfortable and challenging and leaves you exposed at times amongst your peers.
We are in what is referred to as the Easter Season of the Church calendar. Easter is the season following the Resurrection and it runs for seven Sundays and culminates on May 28th this year, which is the Day of Pentecost and then we move into the season of Pentecost.
The Easter season is all about coming to faith and belief and reflecting about what that means for us. It is about hearing the testimonies of others and believing; it is about receiving personal confirmation via experience, and being reminded that sometimes we ask for more proof than what we need.
Different people respond differently and need different experiences and information to believe and everyone comes at their own pace. Some need direct encounters with the presence of God to believe. Faith is a journey and the Easter season is about reflecting about where you are on your journey.
The community of faith plays a significant role in helping those along the way to believe - we are not meant to go at it alone. As a parish our job is to provide a welcoming and warm place for people to worship and experience God. To provide opportunities for people to grow and develop in their Christian walk. No one except for God and ourselves can actually make us believe, but the communities part in revelation work is significant.
It’s Sunday - Easter Sunday - in the Gospel passage today, and Luke tells us and two disciples are walking together trying to make sense of the things that have happened- Jesus’ crucifixion and burial and claims that He has risen from the dead; when Jesus comes alongside of them and began to walk with them. They don’t recognize him and Jesus asks them what things they were talking about and discussing. They began to tell their story to him wondering why he had not heard of the things that had happened, and then Jesus called them “foolish” and “slow of heart” and began to explain the Scriptures to them and how to interpret the Scriptures beginning with Moses.
Jesus’ comments seem a bit harsh - but his commentary should not be ignored. For he was commenting on their personhood and speaking to the fact that they had not yet embraced what Jesus’ whole earthly existence proclaimed.
When they arrived at the village where they were going they urged Jesus to stay with them and share a meal with them, and when he was at the table with him we are told he broke the bread, blessed it and gave it to them, and their eyes were opened.
Reflection is essential to our work of discipleship and to our personal growth. It is only those who take the time to deeply reflect on themselves who are able to improve and grow and really develop skills to help them as they interact and minister with others. There is usually, hopefully a moment when eyes become opened. Those who become so uncomfortable during CPE that they quit are not able to go beyond a unit or two or those whom often are unable to face themselves and the demons they may carry.
Jesus sat and broke bread with the disciples, had a meal and suddenly they know who they are with. Maybe it was something in the way that Jesus blessed the food, or explained the Scripture, or dealt with them in general that caused the disciples to suddenly know who they are with. They realize he was the Messiah and then he is gone.
Frenzy and movement can often keep us from deep reflection. The busyness of our everyday lives keeps us from reflection. For the disciples, the frenzy of the Passover celebration was not over and behind them, and it was as they were out walking and talking and reflecting - and then pausing to have a meal - that is when their epiphany came and they realized who Jesus was.
And… “He had been made know to them in the breaking of the bread.”
Don’t skip over the reality that it was in the breaking of the bread that Jesus became known to them - it is often the same for you and I.
The Book of Acts is written by the same person who wrote the Gospel of Luke, just a few generations after the resurrection of Jesus. Most of Acts 2 is a sermon given by Peter, and we arrive in today’s lectionary selection at the conclusion of it. What comes before Peter’s sermon here is important because it’s the day of Pentecost: violent wind, tongues of fire, suddenly speaking in different languages, all enabled by the Holy Spirit.
The crowd had witnessed these things and was wondering what to do.
Peter tells them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven…”
Peter does not just remind them that they are loved and covered by grace - he calls them to action and sacrament. The people must repent and act through baptism. The resurrection requires a response.
The second reading for today is from 1 Peter, and it serves as sort of a summary for us from the other readings for today - now that we know who Christ is - now that we have had time to reflect and obey through repentance and baptism - now what?
Well, “Now that you have purified your souls by our obedience to the truth so that you have genuine mutual love, love one another deeply from the heart.”
Love one another deeply from the heart. (1 Peter 1: 22)
Your are loved. You have received Christ’s grace, now love one another.
The commands are so simple and yet often are so difficult for us. Love one another. How are we doing that? What in your life reflects that?
Reflection always has the potential for growth. Rarely does spending time to reflect not lead to some sort of growth and increased understanding of ourselves and others.
What things may you need to reflect upon this week?
This week, take time to take a walk. Take time to discuss something that you are pondering with a friend. Come to the table of the Lord and through the breaking of the bread, see Christ. Know what he has done for you. Consider what Christ may be calling you to this Easter season.
Amen.
We are in what is referred to as the Easter Season of the Church calendar. Easter is the season following the Resurrection and it runs for seven Sundays and culminates on May 28th this year, which is the Day of Pentecost and then we move into the season of Pentecost.
The Easter season is all about coming to faith and belief and reflecting about what that means for us. It is about hearing the testimonies of others and believing; it is about receiving personal confirmation via experience, and being reminded that sometimes we ask for more proof than what we need.
Different people respond differently and need different experiences and information to believe and everyone comes at their own pace. Some need direct encounters with the presence of God to believe. Faith is a journey and the Easter season is about reflecting about where you are on your journey.
The community of faith plays a significant role in helping those along the way to believe - we are not meant to go at it alone. As a parish our job is to provide a welcoming and warm place for people to worship and experience God. To provide opportunities for people to grow and develop in their Christian walk. No one except for God and ourselves can actually make us believe, but the communities part in revelation work is significant.
It’s Sunday - Easter Sunday - in the Gospel passage today, and Luke tells us and two disciples are walking together trying to make sense of the things that have happened- Jesus’ crucifixion and burial and claims that He has risen from the dead; when Jesus comes alongside of them and began to walk with them. They don’t recognize him and Jesus asks them what things they were talking about and discussing. They began to tell their story to him wondering why he had not heard of the things that had happened, and then Jesus called them “foolish” and “slow of heart” and began to explain the Scriptures to them and how to interpret the Scriptures beginning with Moses.
Jesus’ comments seem a bit harsh - but his commentary should not be ignored. For he was commenting on their personhood and speaking to the fact that they had not yet embraced what Jesus’ whole earthly existence proclaimed.
When they arrived at the village where they were going they urged Jesus to stay with them and share a meal with them, and when he was at the table with him we are told he broke the bread, blessed it and gave it to them, and their eyes were opened.
Reflection is essential to our work of discipleship and to our personal growth. It is only those who take the time to deeply reflect on themselves who are able to improve and grow and really develop skills to help them as they interact and minister with others. There is usually, hopefully a moment when eyes become opened. Those who become so uncomfortable during CPE that they quit are not able to go beyond a unit or two or those whom often are unable to face themselves and the demons they may carry.
Jesus sat and broke bread with the disciples, had a meal and suddenly they know who they are with. Maybe it was something in the way that Jesus blessed the food, or explained the Scripture, or dealt with them in general that caused the disciples to suddenly know who they are with. They realize he was the Messiah and then he is gone.
Frenzy and movement can often keep us from deep reflection. The busyness of our everyday lives keeps us from reflection. For the disciples, the frenzy of the Passover celebration was not over and behind them, and it was as they were out walking and talking and reflecting - and then pausing to have a meal - that is when their epiphany came and they realized who Jesus was.
And… “He had been made know to them in the breaking of the bread.”
Don’t skip over the reality that it was in the breaking of the bread that Jesus became known to them - it is often the same for you and I.
The Book of Acts is written by the same person who wrote the Gospel of Luke, just a few generations after the resurrection of Jesus. Most of Acts 2 is a sermon given by Peter, and we arrive in today’s lectionary selection at the conclusion of it. What comes before Peter’s sermon here is important because it’s the day of Pentecost: violent wind, tongues of fire, suddenly speaking in different languages, all enabled by the Holy Spirit.
The crowd had witnessed these things and was wondering what to do.
Peter tells them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven…”
Peter does not just remind them that they are loved and covered by grace - he calls them to action and sacrament. The people must repent and act through baptism. The resurrection requires a response.
The second reading for today is from 1 Peter, and it serves as sort of a summary for us from the other readings for today - now that we know who Christ is - now that we have had time to reflect and obey through repentance and baptism - now what?
Well, “Now that you have purified your souls by our obedience to the truth so that you have genuine mutual love, love one another deeply from the heart.”
Love one another deeply from the heart. (1 Peter 1: 22)
Your are loved. You have received Christ’s grace, now love one another.
The commands are so simple and yet often are so difficult for us. Love one another. How are we doing that? What in your life reflects that?
Reflection always has the potential for growth. Rarely does spending time to reflect not lead to some sort of growth and increased understanding of ourselves and others.
What things may you need to reflect upon this week?
This week, take time to take a walk. Take time to discuss something that you are pondering with a friend. Come to the table of the Lord and through the breaking of the bread, see Christ. Know what he has done for you. Consider what Christ may be calling you to this Easter season.
Amen.