Abundance

Every year, this gathering of our North Durham congregations is one of my greatest joys. I love sharing space like this—because it points to something bigger than any one church. It reminds us that God’s kingdom is far wider, far more connected, than we often see.

Some of you know I love to bake bread. Lately I’ve been exploring sourdough, but my favorite is still challah. I enjoy eating it, sure—but I’ve come to love giving it away even more. There’s something holy about watching someone be nourished by a gift you shaped with your own hands.

And the more I bake, the more mysterious it all feels. Before I can even measure two cups of warm water, the wind had to sweep over the waters at creation, hydrogen and oxygen had to bind together, clouds had to form and burst. Generations of farmers, engineers, millers, bakers—all partnered with God’s world to make that simple cup of water, that handful of flour, possible. Every ingredient carries a story, a history, a whole community of hands.

Scripture is full of these stories of bread. Manna in the wilderness. Unleavened bread shared in hope. Bread multiplied on a hillside. And Jesus—holding bread in his hands, holding all creation in his hands—saying, “I am the bread of life.”

When we feast on this bread, our eyes open. We begin to see how deeply connected we are: to creation, to one another, to the God who still kneads and shapes us. Christ is transforming us into something new—something to be given away, nourishing a hungry world with God’s love.

So—are you hungry? Would you like a slice of bread?