Down to Earth
Author: Colin D. Harbach (Cumbria, England)
In the quiet of the sanctuary, I heard two voices. The first said, ‘I’m going to the market to get a slice of cooked meat and a few new potatoes and peas for my dinner.’ The second said, ‘Take, eat: This is my body, which is given for you.’
The elderly woman behind me had talked right through the Communion service, and I was irritated. This was a holy moment, not the time to be talking about our next meal.
On later reflection, I thought of hungry people, whose next meal was always at the forefront of their minds. I thought about the disciples at the Last Supper. Perhaps when Jesus broke the bread, one of them turned to his neighbour and whispered, ‘I wonder if we bought enough bread?’
I thought of Jesus—God in our everyday world, uniting heaven and earth, sacred and secular—and I wondered if we sometimes make worship an escape from daily life. Meeting the Lord at his table is a special time, but he, the living bread, will also meet us when my elderly friend and I sit down to eat our new potatoes and peas.
Prayer: Dear Lord, while our earnest desire is to honour you in the house of prayer, let us not forget that life itself is an act of worship that gives glory to your name. Amen
