An old hymn starts like this:
"Break thou the bread of life, Dear Lord, to me,
As thou didst break the loaves beside the sea...."
It goes on to explain what "the bread of life" is:
"Thou art the bread of life, O Lord, to me,
thy holy Word the truth that saveth me..."
We get hungry for that bread of life, and for the Word of truth, and so we regularly sit down together for Bible Study. Winter or Summer, Spring or Fall, any Wednesday or Thursday evening will find us gathered in someone's home with our Bibles open.
We begin with sharing and prayer. Sometimes the deep needs of persons in our congregations or in the community mean that we spend almost all our time together in sharing and prayer. Usually, though, we have plenty of time for a good taste of the bread of life.
Right now the Wednesday study is feasting on Hebrews, and the Thursday study on Romans. We take turns reading a passage out loud, listening to a variety of translations, and then join in a lively discussion.
Those discussions are wide-ranging, and every voice is heard and valued. There is no one "expert" presuming to tell the rest of us exactly what a passage means.
No, it's more exciting than that. We mix all our knowledge and insights and ideas together, and the Spirit takes that mixture--it's his recipe!--and leavens and kneads it, and we find God's truth rising in our midst like a fresh loaf of bread. Sometimes we're surprised; sometimes we're in awe; but we're always fed, and fed well.
You are warmly invited to join the feast. If you would like more information, please email Pastor Jim at jim.ya.al@gmail.com.
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