B-Bread

02.01.
04 BREAKING BREAD
OUTLINE
PEACEMEAL FOCUS
Centrepeace
Kaleidoscope: 1
Table of Jesus Table of Encounter Table of Service
Table of Invitation Table of Nourishment Table of Discovery
Table of Devotion
PERSONAL REFLECTION
PEACEMEAL PERSPECTIVES
Kaleidoscope: 2
Table of Sacrament Table of Forgiveness Table of Proclamation
Table of Sacrifice Table of Disquiet Table of Miracles
Table of Enigma
Many names
Central texts
Clear continuum
GROUP DISCUSSION
PEACEMEAL UNFOLDING
Kaleidoscope: 3
Table of Family Table of Memory Table of Expectation
Table of Covenant Table of Community Table of Destiny
Table of Celebration
Hebrew roots
Jesus table fellowship
Last supper
Early church
SHARED EXPERIENCE
PEACEMEAL TODAY
Kaleidoscope: 4
Table of Decision Table of Liberation Table of Sanctuary
Table of Revolution Table of Compassion Table of Diversity
Table of Creation
Centrifugal and centripetal

Creative questions
APPENDIX: PASSOVER MEAL
Questions
Open Reflection
Reading & Resources
Workshop notes are copyright to Anvil Trust and may not be reproduced without permission 02.01.04.1
SESSION TIMINGS
Peacemeal Focus: (35 minutes) 13.10 - 13.45
Introduction (10 minutes) 13.10 13.20
Kaleidoscope 1 (15 minutes) 13.20 13.35
Personal Reflection (10 minutes) 13.25 13.45
Peacemeal Perspectives: (60 minutes) 13.45 14.45
Teaching (25 minutes) 14.00 14.25
Group Discussion (20 minutes) 14.25 14.45
Break (15 minutes) 14.45 -15.00
Peacemeal Unfolding: (110 minutes) 15.00 16.50
Teaching (40 minutes) 15.15 15.55
Shared Experience (55 minutes) 15.55 16.50
Peacemeal Today: (40 minutes) 16.50 15.30
Conclusion / discussion (25 minutes) 17.05 17.30
THE CHURCH
A series of graphic biblical images presents Christians as a worshiping community
that blends lifestyle with liturgy, culture with tradition and form with freedom.
Studying topics which Christians often approach differently; we try to learn from
difference, develop respect and find enrichment in greater understanding.
LEARNING GOALS:
Unit Objective: To enable learners to recognise and understand the biblical
presentation and historical development of the Christian church as the community
and people of God in the world, with its teachings and sacraments
Module Objective: To enable learners to explore, understand and carry out the
practice, ordinances and responsibilities of Christianity, incorporating different forms
of worship, relationship, community and organisation
Learners will:
identify key scriptures relating to the concept of the church
recognise why different Christian traditions have emerged
evaluate different scriptural passages relating to practice
reflect on the significance of their own church ordinances
Learners will acquire a knowledge and understanding of:
biblical images of the church
the implications of the images for contemporary Christians
the emergence and development of different traditions and practices
the areas of agreement and divergence within the Christian community
the relationship of the church to society
Session Learning Goal:
To enable learners to examine the historical and contemporary developments in
the celebration of the eucharist across all Christian traditions
Session Description:
Discovering fresh perspectives on the 'peacemeal'
02.01.04 BREAKING BREAD
PEACEMEAL FOCUS
Centrepeace
The most inclusive image of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus is not a cross
but a table! It was at a table he so often sat and engaged with people during his life,
and it was here, following his ascension and the events of Pentecost, that his
followers regularly remembered and re-encountered his crucifixion and victory over
death. One of the primary gifts Jesus gave the church1 was the Peacemeal - the gift
of Breaking Bread. It is both the pivotal focus for understanding the gospel and the
primary place for spiritual encounter: -
This table is the hub of worship for Christian disciples;

The Peacemeal is the centrepeace of the shalom community;
Like baptism, the Peacemeal links the transient (bread / water) with the eternal;
Here is the opportunity to explore and experiment creatively with breaking bread;
All Gods truth is here, waiting to be discovered.
The simplicity of this meal belies the awesome possibilities it presents:
Victuals
However humble, ordinary, and even routine, there is something sacred about every
meal. Along with fresh air, food and drink are the primary necessities for nurturing
physical life, hence the archaic English word victuals2 for food and drink, literally
meaning the stuff of life. So it should not surprise us that in Jesus it takes on whole
new dimensions of understanding, expectation and experience.
In everyday experience even a solitary meal should be more than just refueling; it
should also be a chance, however brief, to pause, rest and reflect to take stock, to
gather yourself, before moving on.
In every human society the meal has been central to family and community with a
significance that is both complex and profound. A place where resources and
relationship are shared equally: there is celebration, story telling, tears and laughter
and so much more. But it also has deep emotional and psychological importance;
strengthening the sense of identity, security, belonging and well-being. Little wonder
1
Along with the Holy Spirit (cf Jn 20:22) and baptism (cf Mt 28:19).
2
From the Latin victualis - meaning, related to (life) living, see Chambers English Dictionary
that infused by the creative energizing presence and power of the Spirit the meal
takes on whole new dimensions of vitality in terms of Christian discipleship and
destiny.
Inuksuit
Enormous natural forces shape the seemingly trackless tundra, mountains and
islands of the Arctic, but for the Inuit, this is Nunatsiaq (the beautiful land). Carefully
and strategically placed cross this seemingly forbidding landscape are the inuksuit3;
stone structures of varied shape and size, carefully erected by the Inuit from
unshaped rocks and boulders. They are similar to cairns, but are built with much
greater thought, care and sophistication, and often filled with deep and subtle
meanings. These inuksuit were designed to be messages fixed in time and space.
Built from whatever unworked stone is at hand, by people of varying talents, each
inuksuk is as unique as a fingerprint. It is thought that some may have been in place
for over 3000 years.
They may be sacred, marking a threshold of the spiritual landscape, a thin

place, where the spiritual and physical flow together. Sometimes inuksuit are
understood as material forms of power; not symbols of power, but points where
power is actually encountered.
They may be indicators, which may say, You can live here (all the resources
needed to live are found here), or placed by a river, This is a safe place to
cross. On other occasions they are warnings, Beware; dangerous water, rocks,
ice or snow.
They may be way-markers, with a stone pointing in a clear direction to aid
navigation, This is the best way home. It may point to the North Star
(Nigirtsuitug) a key guide in Inuit travel.
They may be personal, even intimate communication, messages from one
traveler to another, perhaps from a husband to a wife asking her to follow on as
soon as she can.
They may be memorials, perhaps remembering a particular event, or an
expression of grief marking the place where a loved one perished.
and very much more.
Some inuksuit are revered, though their meaning has been forgotten. Some older
Inuit lament the fact that many young people in their communities no longer know
how to read an inuksuk.
When thinking about the Peacemeal, with reference to the inuksuit, there seem to be
some tantalizing points of reference 4. As we shall see, the Peacemeal is:
3
The term inuksuk (the singular of inuksuit) means, "to act in the capacity of a human." It is an
extension of inuk, human being. It implies the presence of an inuksuk is like human standing there
and speaking with you.
4
I do not want to press any analogy between the inuksuit and the Peacemeal too far, they are not
similar in type and there are of course many differences, but neither should this detract from the value
of reflecting on some fascinating points of connection.
Something very ordinary (a family meal) with extraordinary meaning;
A place of powerful spiritual contact and encounter;
Something that speaks to us with both encouragement and warning;
A way-marker on our spiritual journey;
Something that is deeply intimate and personal;
A reminder and a memorial of a person and events that have huge significance;
and again, so very much more.
All this begins to set the scene for beginning to explore the significance and
possibilities of Breaking Bread.
Kaleidoscope 1
The Peacemeal is like a mirror ball, suspended above a dance-floor, lights

sparkling off its multitude of shining surfaces. The Peacemeal is like a rainbow with
its millions of colour tones scattered from a single source of white light. As we
explore Breaking Bread, here are 28 different dimensions5 to the meal each of which
are completely interconnected with all the others, a simple meal exploding with
infinite possibilities:
Table of Jesus
Totally and entirely Christocentric:
I am the bread of life... (Jn 6:35,51);
If anyone thirsts let them come to me and drink (Jn 7:37-38);
This is my body ... this is my blood.
Table of Invitation
Welcome from Jesus:
He has prepared everything and invited us;
I have desired to eat this meal with you (Lk 22:15);
Come and have breakfast (Jn 21:12);
I will come in and eat with them (Rev 3:20);
Moving towards the centre - different stages, different places.
Table of Encounter
Impact of Resurrection:
Known to them in the breaking of bread (Lk 24:35);
They knew it was the Lord (Jn 21:12);
Encountering the resurrection / empowered by the Spirit;
Something happens!
5
These 28 points of focus and emphasis on Breaking Bread are simply aids to help us to begin to
think about just few of the, probably innumerable, themes and possibilities that this meal presents us
with they are not anything close to being complete! Ideally, it would be good to present them all, up-
front, at the beginning of the session to provoke thinking about the big picture, but experience has
shown that this is simply too overwhelming for most people; that is why we have placed them
strategically in groups of seven at key points in the session.
Table of Nourishment
Feast of faith:
Give us to day our daily bread (bread that we need);
A meal for hungry people; eating with appetite;
Feeding on the Tree of Life (cf Gen 3:22, Rev 2:7);
Eating and drinking your way into the kingdom of God;
Spiritual / physical food;
He restores my soul (Ps 23:3);
A pilgrims hospice;
Geritdoonya Get it down you! (Newcastle Brown Ale);
Elijah - fed by ravens / angels; 40 days / nights (1Kg 17:6; 19:5-8).
Table of Devotion
A lovers tryst:
Desire, communion and union;
Expressing our love towards God, Gods towards us and our love towards
one another;
In your presence there is fullness of joy (Ps 16:11);
Woman with the alabaster jar of ointment (Mk 14:3);
I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you (Lk 22:15);
Abide in the vine (Jn 15).
Table of Service
Opportunity for ministry
Priesthood is servanthood
Priesthood of all believers
Washing one anothers feet (Jn 13:14)
Sharing with one another and serving each other
Being the Body of Christ
Table of Discovery
Stimulus of understanding
Memory is key to learning and discovery
Discipleship is learning
Peacemeal is a school table
Wisdoms meal (Prov 9:1-6)
We take truth and make a meal out of it
A place of learning, teaching, debate and challenge
PERSONAL REFLECTION
With one other person, reflect together on your own personal experience(s) of
Breaking Bread. It might be helpful to consider:
What would you say the experience means to you personally?
Are your feelings about it mainly positive or negative?
Very simply, how would you explain the meaning of Breaking Bread?
Time: 10 minutes
PEACEMEAL PERSPECTIVES
Kaleidoscope 2
Table of Sacrament
Under the open heaven:
Taste of heaven / means of grace;
Sacramentum - making the spiritual real;
Mysterium - mystery / mystic;
Physical / spiritual interaction;
The bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives
life to the world ...I am the bread of life (Jn 6:3-35);
Outward sign of inward grace;
Kingdom of God ... justice, peace and joy (Rm 14:17).
Table of Sacrifice
Place of life and death:
Sacrifice;
Point of death and resurrection;
... at the price of my blood (Lk 22:20);
Violence (blood);
Brokenness (bread);
Non-violence.
Table of Forgiveness
Place of reconciliation:
Atonement (at-one-ment);
This is my blood ... for the forgiveness of sins (Mt 26:28);
Hospitality embraces your enemy;
If your enemy is hungry, feed them (Rm 12:20);
Making enemies friends ... you only eat with friends;
Zacchaeus: guest of a sinner ... today salvation has come to this house (Lk
19:1-10);
Jesus and Peter at dawn in Galilee (Jn 21:15-19);
The kiss of peace (1Cor 16:20; 2Cor 13:12 et al);
Pure and innocent - we become virgins all over again (cf 2Cor 11:2).
Table of Disquiet
Simply disturbing:
Just bread and wine / inoffensive yet shocking;
Unless you chew the flesh of the son of man and drink his blood you have
no life in you (Jn 6:53);
Vegetarian meal with cannibalistic overtones;
This teaching is difficult, who can accept it? ... many of his disciples turned
back and no longer went about with him (Jn 6:60,66).
Table of Enigma
More than meets the eye:
Simplicity is truth and truth is beauty;
Just bread and wine / could have been bread and water;
Serendipity unexpected / surprising discovery by accident;
Raw materials to experiment with truth;
Often bread stale, wine flat constantly needs rediscovering;
A prism radiating the full rainbow spectrum of promise.
Table of Proclamation
Missionary meal:
The Mass - Lat missio - to send out into the world;
Go in peace to love and serve the Lord;
Invitation to evangelism, Come, for all is now ready (Lk 14:17);
Proclaiming the Lords death until he comes (1Cor 11:26);
Highways and hedges and bring them in (Lk 14:23);
Jesus table-fellowship ;
Eats with taxcollectors and sinners (Lk 15:2);
Gatecrashers - woman at Simon the Pharisees house (Lk 7:30-50);
Celtic tradition - share bread with a stranger on the way home.
Table of Miracles
Place of wholeness:
Feeding the multitude (greatest miracle?);
Encounter with the power of God;
Wholeness out of brokenness;
Place of healing (by his wounds we are healed - Isa 53:4-5);
Physical / emotional needs met;
Woman with hemorrhage (Mk 5:25-34).
- o0o -
Many names
One of the first things to strike the observer of Breaking Bread is the variety of
names that are used to describe this Christian experience. While these names can
be used to stress the differences in belief and practice within the different church
groups and denominations, they also provide another reminder of some of the rich
dimensions that the Peacemeal6 presents us with. Here are some of the most
frequently used terms of reference: -
Breaking Bread: this is the natural Hebrew way of speaking about a

meal, usually supper. It is the most frequently used term in the New
Testament (eg Acts 2:46; 20:7) and it stresses that it is a full meal to
satisfy hunger as well as celebrating the life, death and resurrection of
Jesus;
6
The very phrase Peacemeal is yet another example of a name that gives further important focus to
this meal.
Eucharist: this comes from the Greek to give thanks and stresses the
celebration and thanksgiving that is central to the meal. It originates with
the eastern Orthodox church but is widely used among all Christian
groups today;
The Lords Supper: this is a term used in 1Cor 11:20 and emphasizes
a meal focusing on the person of Jesus, and for many people this makes
a connection with the events of the last supper; there is also a very similar
reference in 1Cor 10:21 to the Lords table. Both refer to an ordinary
meal with extraordinary focus and significance;
Communion: this is the word used in 1Cor 10:16 in the King James
Version to translate the Gk: koinonia (sharing); it emphasises the deep
fellowship and relationship with Jesus and with others at the centre of
this meal;
Agape: this is developed from the Greek word for love and refers to the
unique phrase love feast in Jude 12; it emphasizes the fact that this is a
meal (feast) in which the celebration of Gods love, Jesus love and
shared love within the church is paramount;
The Mass: this is most widely used in the Roman Catholic tradition, and
comes from the Latin missio, to dismiss or to send; some believe that it
refers to the dismissal of catechumen (as yet unbaptised Christians)
before the Eucharist was celebrated, others suggest the missa became
synonymous with the blessing and was linked with the consecration of
the elements. A strong view links missio with the dismissal, the sending
out, at the end of the celebration, Go forth to love and serve the Lord!
This is a missionary meal.
Central texts
The whole understanding and development of Breaking Bread in different Christian

traditions is based upon interpreting key biblical texts, especially those that focus on
the words of Jesus during the last supper in the upper room: -
Paul provides us with the earliest recorded account of what Jesus said and did: -
For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord
Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread, and when
he had given thanks, he broke it and said, This is my body that is
(broken) for you. Do this in remembrance of me. In the same way he
took the cup also, after supper, saying, This cup is the new covenant in
my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me. For
as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lords
death until he comes. (1Cor 11:23-26)
Synoptic gospels (Mk 14:22-25; Mt 26:26-29; Lk 22:14-20), with slight

variations, build very much on Pauls account. Luke mentions two cups, before
and after the bread (v16, 18), and they all include a form of the added phrase: -
Truly I tell you, I will never again drink of the fruit of the vine until that day
when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.
Johns gospel (6:22-59) gives a sustained eucharistic meditation in the context
of the feeding of the multitude with some very disturbing words: -
Jesus said to them, Very truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the
Son of Man and drink his blood you have no life in you. Those who eat
my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life and I will raise them up on
the last day; for my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink. (v53-
55)
Centuries of global Christian meditation and practice around these words have
produced many different responses and insights. We shall now look at some of the
main ways Christian communities have interpreted and implemented these texts.
Clear continuum
The only way we can begin our attempt to be fair to the variety of Christian
understandings and responses to the texts we have referred to above is to imagine a
eucharistic continuum along which different denominations, groups and individuals
place themselves. Their primary emphasis might be expressed something like this: -
Sacrament Symbol Spirit
Mystery Memory Meditation
In reality this continuum must be seen as multi-dimensional; most groups will affirm
the significance of those principles to which other groups will apply primary
importance. This chart simply identifies the area of main emphasis for the
community of faith mentioned.
Sacrament / Mystery
Eastern Orthodox 7
A sacrament is a physical element that becomes a vehicle for the Spirit,
such as the bread and wine of the Eucharist, which are understood as the
mysteries8. The Eastern Church understands itself to be a eucharistic
community; members of Christs body (church) receive his body
(sacraments). The outward organization of the church is always secondary to
its sacramental life. During the Liturgy (Eucharist) the priest and the people
are bound together as one, the worship and words of both priest and people
together lead to the consecration of the bread and wine. This only finally takes
place at the completing of the words of the Epiclesis: -
Send down thy Holy Spirit upon us and upon these gifts here set forth:
And make this bread the precious body of thy Christ,
And that which is in this cup, the precious blood of thy Christ,
Changing them by thy Holy Spirit. Amen, Amen, Amen.
7
This section is adapted from Fr Kallistos Ware The Orthodox Church pub Penguin 1964 pages 21,
246, 273, 278, 281, 286-95.
8
John Chrysostom said the mysteries are so called because, what we believe is not the same as
what we see.
After these words the bread and wine are understood to be no longer mere
symbols but in reality the body and blood of Christ; no attempt can be made
to explain the change (Gk: metousiosis), this is the mystery9. The idea in the
Eucharist is that of sacrifice; the sacrifice offered is Christs self-sacrifice, it is
the true sacrifice, but not a new sacrifice, for Christ died once only for all time.
Jesus death and resurrection are a single act with Christ as victor rather
than victim, emphasizing Gods kingdom and the resurrection.
Roman Catholic
The Catholic Church liturgy of the Mass has much in common with the
Orthodox Eucharist. The main difference is the role of the priest in relation to
the congregation; in the Orthodoxy they are seen as one, but in Catholicism
the priest is distinct and their words of consecration are key to the
sacramental change taking place in the bread and wine. Both Catholic and
Orthodox Christians use much of the same language interchangeably; liturgy,
Eucharist, mass etc. They both speak of transubstantiation10 for the change
to the body and blood of Christ in the elements. This is based on a mediaeval
theory of matter derived from Aristotle. All matter has an accidentia (outward
appearance) and substantia (inner essence); at the consecration the
substantia of the bread and wine change to the substantia of the body and
blood of Christ, while the accidentia remain the same. The Catholic church
stresses the suffering and the death of Jesus as sacrifice in its celebration of
the Mass.
High Anglicans also have a sacramental approach to Breaking Bread, very
similar to the Catholics.
Both the Orthodox and Catholic churches take Jesus teaching in Johns
Gospel, about eating and drinking Christs body and blood, very seriously,
hence their strong sacramental emphasis. The strength of Jesus words in
John is largely ignored by other Christian traditions.
Symbol / Memory
Reformers
- John Wycliffe attacked the doctrine of transubstantiation in 1380 and was
thrown out of Oxford University as a result; he is symbolic of other medieval
dissenters who protested against popular corruption and superstition in the
church at the time;
- Martin Luther believed the simple statement of Jesus, This is my body,
could not mean anything other than what it actually said; he held the view
that because the risen Christ was omnipresent everywhere, he must be in
the bread and wine and so they were in fact the body and blood of Christ;
- Ulrich Zwingli made the most extreme break with the Roman tradition
saying that the bread and wine were only bread and wine; he interpreted the
9
This is often referred to as the doctrine of the real presence.
10
In the Orthodox church this is just one of a number of ways of speaking about what happens after
the consecration and it in no way tries to explain the process, in the Catholic church it is the main way
of referring to the change but it is still understood as a spiritual mystery.
words, This is my body as this signifies my body - only a sign, therefore
he cannot be in the bread and wine11;
- Anabaptists spoke of Christs presence through the Spirit in the community
gathered around the communion table, being conformed into the shape of
the cross by the Spirit in the life of the community;
- John Calvin said we do not only remember, but we also receive Christ, by
faith from God in the sacrament through the Spirit, as a result the Spirit
pours out his power to the worshipper by his Spirit where there is faith.
Protestants
- Baptists like other Puritan and Separatist groups held disciplined and
dignified communion services that had a simple memorial aspect to them;
- Methodists developed from Anglicanism; John Wesley was very influenced
by both Pietism, with its disciplined spiritual life, and the Moravian pattern for
having love feasts and the annual renewal of covenant;
- Brethren focused on a very simple weekly Sunday service at which the
Lords Table was the centerpiece, they focused on the death of Jesus and
stressed their unity in the Body of Christ;
- Pentecostals appear at the beginning of the 20th Century and are a child of
the Methodist and Holiness movements and emphasize being open to the
moving of the Spirit, they break bread because Jesus commanded it but it is
only one of many ways of worship.
Spirit / Meditation
Quakers 12
For the Society of Friends the whole of life is sacramental; they do not say
observing the sacraments is wrong, but they do not believe it is essential to
wholehearted Christian discipleship and the full Christian experience;
particularly in the age of the Spirit. JW Rowntree said, To the soul that feeds
upon the bread of life the outward conventions of religion are no longer
needful. Bread and wine are unnecessary as Christs real presence is known
when two or three are gathered, in quiet expectancy, in his name. An outward
rite is not necessary but an inner transformation by the indwelling Spirit of
God is.
Salvationists
General Booth saw his work as mission and did not intend to set up a
separate independent church so instituted no sacraments. Subsequently the
Salvationists have come to hold a very similar position to that of the Quakers.
11
This is described by some of his critics as the doctrine of the real absence!
12
Freely adapted from the Christian life and practice in the experience of the Society of Friends pub
London Yearly Meeting 1960 items 208-215.
In conclusion, here is something to reflect upon. In the Gospel record of Jesus
words at the Last Supper, it is clear that he actually says, This is my body. He does
not say, This becomes my body, nor does he say, This represents my body:
Sacrament / Mystery Actual Symbol /Memory

This becomes my body This is my body This represents my body
The words, This is my body, are tantalizing:

They affirm the reality and immediacy that the Sacrament / Mystery view seeks,
but without implying that something has to be done or happen first: it is!
They demand much more than just the representation that the Symbol / Memory
view suggests: it is!
They imply the reality of the Sacrament view, the physicality of the Symbol view
and the dynamic of the Spirit view, each intertwined.
GROUP DISCUSSION
In a small group of 4 or 5 discuss some of the different ways that Christians

Break Bread:
Share from your personal experiences as think appropriate;

What do you think are some of the reasons for the differences?
What are some of the gains and losses in Breaking Bread in different ways?
Time: 30 minutes
PEACEMEAL UNFOLDING
Kaleidoscope 3
Table of Family
A place to belong:
Breaking bread refers to a family meal;
Embraced by the parenthood of God;
Open circle of friendship, closed circle of commitment;
Let the children come... (Mk 10:14);
Unless you turn and become like little children, you will never enter the
kingdom of heaven (Mt 18:3).
Table of Covenant
Promise of allegiance:
Act of binding covenant (Heb berith);
An oath of allegiance and an unbreakable promise;
Between God and each other - both horizontal and vertical;
If I break bread with you, I tell you that I am prepared to die for you;
Jesus says, This is the new covenant in my blood (Lk 22:20);
New covenant of the Spirit - written on the heart, bursting old wineskins.
Table of Memory
Token of remembrance:
An item of value and memory;
Do this in remembrance of me (Lk 22:19);
We remember / focus on Jesus - the example of his life as well as his death;
Memory is the consciousness of the past;
Hope is the memory of the future;
We remember so as not to forget / and to be changed;
Biblical memory / remembrance always results in action;
Place of re-imagining and storytelling.
Table of Community
Society of friends:
Best friends forever!
Fellowship and communion;
Koinonia - shared life with all things in common;
We are one body - the Body of Christ;
One another... (many references);
When you come together each one brings...(1Cor 14:26);
The place where the new wine of the kingdom is flowing;
Both exclusive and inclusive.
Table of Celebration
Jesus victory triumph:
Joy and rejoicing;
He is not here but is risen (Lk 24:5);
Its party time!
Notice how many feasts and celebrations there are in the Bible;
Jesus called a glutton and wine bibber (Mt 11:19);
Eucharist (Gk eucharisteo - I give thanks);
To eat, to drink, to send portions, to celebrate (Neh 8:10-12).
Table of Expectation
Appetite of anticipation:
... until he comes (1Cor 11:26);
a living hope (1Pt 1:3);
Hope is like candlelight at the peacemeal;
Watch, for you do not know the hour... (Mt 24:42);
First Passover was eaten dressed and ready to travel (Ex 11:11);
Gideons army drank with watchfulness (Jg 7:5 cf Mk 13:33);
Hope is ... longing, confidence and patience.
Table of Destiny
Hors doeuvres of messianic banquet:
Bring on the main course!
The best is yet to come;
Hebrew idea of the eschatological banquet (Isa 25:6; Rev 19:9);
Oh the joy of eating bread in the kingdom of heaven (Lk 14:15);
Until I eat / drink it new in the kingdom of my Father (Lk 22:16,18);
Give us today the bread of tomorrow (Mt 6:11; Lk 11:3);
cf Gk epiousion - belonging to tomorrow.
- o0o -
Hebrew roots
What happened in the upper room on the evening before Jesus crucifixion; and the
practice of breaking bread from house to house, characteristic of the Jerusalem
church was something quite new. However, it was built out of features that were
part of the very fabric of Jewish culture. While some influences may have had
greater significance than others we will only begin to understand breaking bread if
we recognize some of the essential strands that lie behind it. There are in fact four
primary Hebrew roots that lie behind a Christian understanding of breaking bread;
each is built into a particular cycle of life (day, week, year, destiny) and each has a
distinctive emphasis and theme: -
Family meal - celebrated daily - Fellowship

Sabbath meal - celebrated weekly - Covenant
Passover meal - celebrated annually - Remembrance
Messianic meal - celebrated ultimately - Hope
Family meal
In Middle Eastern society the main meal of the day was supper; a simple family
meal consisting of bread, wine and probably a vegetable stew. It would begin by the
head of the house taking bread and breaking it, giving thanks to God for the food, (cf
Lk 9:16; 24:30). Thus breaking bread was the common way of referring to having a
meal with others. So it was the ordinary daily family meal that gave the context in
which the Christian practice of breaking bread was usually to take place. It brought
the new covenant significance of the Passover meal into the common daily family
meal. This is clearly seen by the practice of the Jerusalem Christians who, day by
day ... broke bread in their homes and partook of food with glad and generous
hearts (Acts 2:46). This has profound implications for both the practice of breaking
bread and the significance of Christian hospitality.
Sabbath meal
Another strand in the tapestry of breaking bread is the Sabbath meal, held once a
week, in every Jewish home on Friday evening. This is a Qiddush (meaning
consecrating, sanctifying, hallowing), fulfilling the commandment to remember
the Sabbath day and keep it holy (Ex 20:8). The family gathers around the table.
The woman of the house lights the Sabbath candles with a prayer of thanksgiving.
On the table is a white tablecloth. In front of the person at the head of the table are
two specially baked loaves of bread representing the double portion of manna that
had to be gathered before the Sabbath in the wilderness began (Ex 16:25-30).
Beside them is a jug of wine and an empty glass. They read from Genesis the
account of the sixth and seventh days of creation. He then fills the wine glass and
holds it up with a prayer of thanksgiving to God for creation and the gift of the
Sabbath. Each member of the family then drinks from the cup as it passes around
the table. Hands are then washed; the bread is blessed, broken and shared out. The
Sabbath meal is then eaten. It closes with Psalm 126 being read.
Though the mention of the first cup of wine in Lukes account of the last supper (Lk
22:17-18) must certainly be understood within the Passover context, it also has the
touch of the opening moments of the Sabbath meal. This is emphasized by the way
in which the Didache also places the cup before the bread in its instructions about
breaking bread. The weekly Sabbath meal stands midway between the daily family
meal and the annual Passover meal. There can be little doubt that elements from it
influenced early Christian practice in some way, especially in the corporate
celebration, probably on the first day of the week and its celebration of the
resurrection, the only source of the true Shabbat Shalom.
Passover meal
Once a year in the spring the Jewish community celebrate the Passover meal in
joyful remembrance of their freedom from slavery in Egypt and the beginning of their
journey towards the promised land. As we shall see below it is clearly the setting for
the Last Supper and was to be a primary influence upon the development of a
Christian understanding of Breaking bread. Nevertheless ... there has been much
debate about the dating of the events surrounding the Easter story, leading many to
question whether the Last Supper was in fact a Passover meal. While these
difficulties are not easy to resolve they do not need to detain us here. Whatever
problems they present, the answer is clear, the events of the Last Supper fit
perfectly into the context of the Passover meal, as we shall discover. Suffice it to say
that the whole theme of release from slavery, redemption by sacrifice, covenant
making in blood etc. are major themes of both the Exodus and the upper room to
which the Passover is also central.
Messianic meal
A recurring theme in the Hebrew hope is the anticipation of a banquet that will be the
expression of joy at the coming of Gods messianic Kingdom (Isa 25:6). It was an
expectation Jesus happily affirmed and the early Christians embraced (cf Mat 8:11;
Lk 14:15-24; 22:30; Rev 3:20; 19:9). It also seems certain that the common meals
shared by the members of the Qumran community were celebrated as an
anticipation of the coming Messianic feast. Jesus himself made it clear that the Last
Supper was a foretaste of the full messianic glory and banquet that lay in the future,
participation in which would only be possible through his death and resurrection (Mat
26:27-29). This eschatological element is an important aspect of the Christian
experience of breaking bread.
Jesus table fellowship
Notice how often we see Jesus at the meal table; sometimes in the intimacy of
eating with the disciples (eg Mt 26:17-25), feeding others (eg Jn 6:1-15) or feeding at
the homes of others as an invited guest (Lk 7:36-50) or even inviting himself as a
guest, as in the case of Zacchaeus (Lk 19:1-10) : -
Jesus teaching often took place during a shared meal (cf Mk 14:3-9; Lk 7:36-50;
10:38-42; 11:37-52; 14:1-24; 22:14-38);
Jesus frequently used the imagery of meal in his teaching (cf Mk 7:1-23; 12:39;
14:22-25; Mt 8:11; 22:1-14; 23:23-26; 25:1-13;Lk 12:35-38; 14:7-24; 17:7-
1022:27,30);
Jesus used the idea of the communal meal as a picture of the future (eg Mt 8:11;
Mk 14:25; Lk 22:30).
Added to this, it is now recognized that Jesus table fellowship - eating with tax
collectors and sinners was one of the most important central features of his public
activity13. Why was this the case?14 Along with free healing it shattered the social
boundaries and affirmed access to God without intermediaries with a sharing of
material and spiritual resources. This was revolutionary in a world of boundaries and
intermediaries. For Jesus table fellowship embodied a social vision for Israel.
Early Christian meals are best explained as a continuation of the regular practice of
Jesus15. It has been noted that it is the practice that marked Jesus out from his
contempories and earlier Hebrew prophets Jesus took his stand among the pariahs
of his world, those despised by the respectable. Sinners were his table companions
and the ostracized tax collectors and prostitutes his friends.16 It was the basis for
serious attack against Jesus (Mt 11:19; Mk 2:15; Lk 7:34;15:1-2;19:7).
To sit at table with someone was an expression of intimacy and fellowship, to invite
someone to a meal was to honour them and express trust and acceptance. To
refuse to share a meal stated disapproval and rejection. In Jesus day table
fellowship for the Pharisees was a symbol of holiness and purity, both how you
yourself ate and whom you ate with. It was about separation.
So for Jesus the meal was a revolutionary act; shattering the exclusive ideas of
holiness and using it to express the extravagance of Gods grace and mercy, both to
all and especially the least expected. The meal was at the heart of his proclamation
of the good news of the kingdom and at the leading edge of his evangelism. This
was to have a major impact on the early Christian understanding of breaking bread.
Last supper
The meal that Jesus had with his closest disciples on the eve of his betrayal, arrest
and crucifixion was obviously very important to him, we hear him saying, I have
13
Joachim Jeremias New Testament Theology pub SCM 1971 p114-116;
14
See Marcus Borg Conflict, Holiness and Politics in the teaching of Jesus pub Trinity Press 1984
p5-6, 39, 93-134 much of the material in this section is based on Borgs observations
15
Norman Perrin Rediscovering the Teaching of Jesus pub Harper and Row 1967 p104-107
16
Geza Vermes Jesus the Jew pub Collins 1973 p224
eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer (Lk 22:15). It was a
brief moment of intimacy and focused sharing and communication before the storm
broke.
While there are many influences that will shape the early Christian understanding
and experience of breaking bread, this meal (Mt 26:17-30; Mk 14:12-26; Lk 22:7-30;
Jn 13:1-17:25) is to have a central impact.
The synoptic gospels make it clear that the last supper was a Passover meal17. This
ancient meal has elements that even pre-date the events of the Exodus that is the
focus of its celebration. The Passover liturgy has become more developed over the
millennia, it had a much simpler structure in Jesus day than the more elaborate
pattern celebrated in the global Jewish community today (see Appendix: Passover
Meal for a detailed explanation of the contemporary meal).
We are far from certain exactly how the Passover in Jesus day was celebrated,
each family would also have their own particular interpretation; added to this Jesus
was bringing a radical new understanding related to himself and the kingdom of
God. The simplest pattern of the Passover in Jesus day was almost certainly a
central meal prefaced and concluded by two separate glasses of wine (four in total)
each with a theme; then bread (matzah), green herbs (karpas), bitter herbs (maror)
and sweet paste (haroset). It is structured in four sections: -
Beginnings
Blessing over first cup of wine
Drink first cup - To Life Qiddush
Eating karpas
Passover story
Exodus story told
Blessing over second cup of wine
Drink second cup - To Freedom Haggadah
Sharing the maror and haroset
Passover meal
Bread is blessed and broken
Meal is served and eaten
Blessing over third cup of wine
Drink third cup - To Peace Blessing
Conclusions
Singing Psalms (114-118)
Blessing over fourth cup of wine
Drink fourth cup - To Jerusalem
17
Some people have questioned whether the Last supper was in fact a Passover meal due to both
the dating of the event and what took place during it, but this certainly is a minority view.
We shall reflect on the last super as a Passover meal of Jesus day in the light of
phrases used about it in the Gospels and 1 Corinthians, thinking about the actions,
as they correspond to the Palestinian Passover meal rather than words Jesus says:
The he took a cup, and after giving thanks he said, Take this and divide it among
yourselves; for I tell you that from now on I will not drink the fruit of the vine until
the kingdom of God comes (Lk 22:17-18)
- This refers to the first cup, the Qidush (Sanctification), that is blessed and
drunk by everyone at the start of the meal. It has the theme (toast) To life!
Then he took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks he broke it and gave
it to them saying, This is my body, (Lk 22:19)
- This is the blessing, braking and sharing of the matza before everyone eats
the main meal together.
And he did the same with the cup after supper, saying, This cup that is poured
out for you (Lk 22:20 cf 1Cor 11:25)
- This refers to the third cup, the cup of blessing; it is called blessing because it
comes after a long and beautiful blessing that is said to conclude the meal, the
theme of both the blessing is peace;
- Paul is making it clear that it is the third cup that is being referred to when he
says, Is not the cup that we drink the cup of blessing.
Other elements: -
It is one of the twelve who is dipping bread into the bowl with me.
- This may be during the main meal, but it could equally refer to the eating of the
maror earlier in the celebration. Johns reference to Jesus handing it to Judas
as a sign of favour would suggest maror given by the host to honour a guest.
And during supper (Jesus) got up from the table poured water into a basin
and began to wash the disciples feet (Jn 13:2-5)
- In the Passover today there are two points at which hand washing takes place;
first after the Quidush cup, the second just prior to eating the main meal this
may have happened at the second point, or it may simply be an innovation of
Jesus.
And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives (Mt
26:30)
- The last words of liturgy that Jesus would have sung that night would have
been those of Psalm 118 the conclusion of the Great Hallel
My father, if it is possible let this cup pass from me (Mt 26:39)

- According to the gospel accounts Jesus did not drink the fourth cup in the
upper room that Passover night, but he was to drink the cup of obedience to
Gods will in the hours that lay ahead.
So Jesus seems to follow a very simple form of the first century CE Palestinian
Passover meal, but radically adapting and changing it to suit his purpose. It is hard
to imagine the shock the disciples must have felt as the time-honoured liturgy they
had known from childhood was given a whole new form and direction which they
would not begin to really comprehend until after the day of Pentecost.
Early church
Resurrection meals
As our focus passes from the events of the Last Supper our attention is drawn to
two beautiful incidents woven into the story of the resurrection appearances of Jesus
which must have eucharistic significance: -
Luke 24:13-35 The experience of the two disciples on the road to Emmaus who
in offering hospitality to Jesus, recognized him as he took the bread and blessed,
and broke it and gave it to them (v 30). Their testimony was, he was known to
us in the breaking of bread (v 35).
John 21:1-4 At dawn on the shore of Galilee attention is on a stranger by a
charcoal fire, with his invitation, 'Come and have breakfast' (v 12). It continues,
They knew it was the Lord Jesus came and took bread and gave it to them (v
13).
There is little doubt that the way these stories are told they are highlighting the
profound truth that breaking bread is a dynamic experience which cannot be
separated from an encounter with the resurrection in a way that flows out of the
natural experience of living life.
Pentecost community
Of course it is the events of the earliest Christian community in Jerusalem

immediately after Pentecost that begin to suggest the form in which breaking bread
should develop: -
And they devoted themselves to the apostles teaching and fellowship, to the
breaking of bread and the prayers ... And day by day attending the Temple
together and breaking bread in their homes, they partook of food with glad and
generous hearts, praising God and finding favour with all the people (Acts
2:42-47).
Here the spontaneity, excitement, and naturalness of their whole life are evident on
every hand. The daily family meal was an act of worship; it had breaking bread at
its heart, and was open to all who had the life of God through the resurrection of
Jesus in common.
Agape: the love-feast
The very name breaking bread implies a full meal; in fact it has no complete and
natural meaning outside of that context. This is what happened in the Jerusalem
church, as we noted above and was clearly the practice of all the other churches in
the New Testament era: -
The Christians in Corinth clearly broke bread within the context of a
communal meal (1 Cor 11:17-22); however they needed some correction
about their behaviour;
In Troas, on the first day of the week, the Christians gathered to break
bread and have a meal together (Acts 20:7,11); the phrase had broken
bread and ate here emphasizes the act of worship, within the context of the
meal;
Jude (v 12) has to bring a word of correction about how the love feast
(agape) was practiced;
Peter (2 Pet 2:13) has to warn against reveling in the love feasts.
All this makes it clear that the Agape with breaking bread at its centre was the
normal practice of the early church.
Feeding the hungry
The Agape meal as an act of worship included making sure that all the members of
the community, many of whom were very poor, had enough to eat.
It is a failure to do this that lies behind Pauls condemnation of the Corinthian church
(1Cor 11:17-22, 27-34). In a meal where everyone would each bring food to share
together, whether rich or poor, to eat together in fellowship and friendship; the rich
were over eating their own food and the poor were left hungry, this is a corruption of
the Lords supper (v20-21). This is why many of you are weak and ill and some
have died (v30). This is why Paul has told them that they must examine
themselves (v28), discerning the body (v29).
This is a meal to celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus and to meet the
needs of others; it is not a meal for the gratification of personal desires. It is a meal
to do with justice.
Eating as worship and witness
Moving beyond the pages of the New Testament we discover important evidence
that the Agape continued to be the normal pattern for the practice of breaking
bread, with some beautiful insights into early Christian worship: -
Pliny was a Roman governor between the years 98-117 CE, sent by the
emperor Trajan to reorganize state affairs in Bithynia, a province in Asia Minor.
In his lengthy correspondence with the emperor he makes unique reference to
Christian worship: -
They were in the habit of meeting on a certain fixed day before it was
light when they sang.. a hymn to Christ, as to a god, and bound
themselves by a solemn oath (not to sin) .. after which it was their
custom to separate, and then reassemble to partake of food, but food
of an ordinary and innocent kind.
Tertullian, speaking in the year 210 CE, refers to the agape of his day as, Our
dinner shows its idea in its name; it is called by the Greek name for love... He
then goes on to describe its beauty and to demonstrate that everything was
done in the context of worship.
Clement of Alexandria (150-213 CE) shows how in Egypt the practice of the
Agape was far from formalized. There were in fact two types of agape side-by-
side, one a public meal in the church, the other a household meal. The ordinary
meal in the Christian home was in the real sense an agape; there was worship
to begin with, the father was the priest, he would bless the bread and wine. Here
was deep devotion in the most simple and natural of circumstance. The
husband, wife, child, household slave, and invited guest gathered around the
domestic table to enjoy with thanksgiving the good gifts of God. Lifting up their
hearts in devotion to God, and extending them in love to one another in brotherly
love. Here eucharist was no ritual term but a living experience of common life,
thanksgiving and gratitude for the good gifts received.
Agape distorted
As time unfolded changes took place to the simple form of the agape. The fact that
it was an experience open to abuse (so is everything), reflected even in the pages of
the New Testament, led to increasing restrictions. The central act of sharing bread
and wine (increasingly referred to as the eucharist), became highlighted at the
expense of it being part of a whole meal, where it had originally been placed and in
which it found its complete meaning.
The first step was to deliberately separate the act of breaking bread (eucharist)
from the meal (agape). Thus for some time they continued separately and they
became less and less associated with each other. By the end of the third century the
agape was little more than a charity meal.
In the 'Didascalia' it is referred to as a meal for old women;
John Chrysostom [354-407] refers to a meal the rich provided for the poor;
Augustine [354-430] refers to it as a charity supper.
So the agape was debated, fasting rather than feasting was encouraged. By 692
CE, at the Council of Trullan, the holding of an agape was forbidden altogether.
We see that abuse, fear and bureaucracy destroyed the original God-given form and
context for the Peacemeal. The original pattern of the full family and community
meal remain to be fully discovered, explored and experimented with.
SHARED EXPERIENCE
Take a tray with: Bread - Wine - Matches - Candle Incense - Yeast.

As a group plan how you can best use these items to Break Bread while using
all your senses:
Be creative in how you do it Be inclusive in the way you share it
Be sensitive to the spiritual traditions of others
Afterwards reflect with your group, on the value of the experience, and the
strength and weakness of being creative in Breaking Bread. What is the most
valuable thing you will be taking away with you?
Time: 55 minutes
PEACEMEAL TODAY
Kaleidoscope 4
Table of Decision
Repentance and reorientation:
Metanoia - change of mind bringing change of direction and lifestyle;
Learning to say Daddy all over again (J. Jeremias);
Embracing discipleship, responding to Jesus call, Follow me;
Radical choices being made.
Table of Revolution
Supper of subversion:
An act of insurrection;
Place of conspiracy - breathing together with God;
Declaration of the overthrow of the existing order;
Overturned the tables of the moneychangers (Jn 2:15);
Consequence of proclaiming the kingdom / resurrection;
Drinking anew in the kingdom of the father (Mt 26:29).
Table of Liberation
Feast of freedom:
Passover meal / Exodus experience;
Seder declaration, We are not slaves any more!
Proclaim release the captives (Is 61:1; Lk 4:18);
Proclaiming Jubilee;
For freedom Christ has set us free (Gal 5:1);
Not just freedom from, but freedom to... ;
Declaration of freedom and liberty.
Table of Compassion
Feed the hungry:
Food is for sharing: a re-equalizing the community;
I was hungry and you gave me food (Mt 25:35);
Hunger and thirst after righteousness / justice (Mt 5:6);
Meeting the needs of the poor and strangers;
Hospitality without grumbling (1Pt 4:9);
Entertaining angels unawares (Heb 13:2);
The fast that I choose (Isa 58:6);
Many are weak, ill and some have died (1Cor 11:26).
Table of Creation
Environmental eucharist:
Table in the wilderness (cf Ps 78:19);
He gives the animals their food (Ps 147:9);
Birds of the air do not sow ...your heavenly father feeds them (Mt 6:26);
Who provides the raven its food? (Job 38:41);
Ravens fed Elijah (1Kg 17:6);
Proclaim the gospel to the whole creation (Mk 16:15);
The wolf and the lamb feed together (Isa 65:25);
The lion will eat straw like the ox (Isa 11:7);
A creation mass of the cosmic Christ (cf Col !:15-20; Rm 8:19-23);
Where the Spirit hovers over the new creation (cf Gen 1:2; Mt 3:16).
Table of Sanctuary
Place of protection:
A safe place ... a space for asylum seekers;
Bedouin lore - all strangers at table are protected by the life of the host;
prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies (Ps 23:5);
Horns of the altar for safety (cf 1Kg 1:50);
Jesus throws the evil one out (Gk ekballo).
Table of Diversity
Every tongue, tribe and nation:
Place of diverse unity, the harmony of difference;
Come from east and west to eat at the table of the kingdom (Mt 8:11);
Neither male nor female... (Gal 3:8);
House of prayer for all nations (Isa 36:7);
Paul and the Antioch meal (Gal 2:11-14).
- o0o -
Centrifugal and centripetal
Breaking bread is centripetal: (Lit: to seek the centre, or drawn towards the
centre). Jesus said that when he was lifted up he would draw all things to himself
(Jn 12:32). The hungry came to him in droves and he fed them. This is the meal in
which a deep personal encounter with the risen Jesus takes place. This meal draws
us to him, both personally and collectively; it is the hub around which the church
forms.
Breaking bread is centrifugal: (Lit: to flee the centre, or dispersed from the
centre). Jesus broke bread and blessed it, and shared it out to the hungry world. In
the same way the Christian practice of the Peacemeal must feed all those who are
both physically and spiritually hungry. This is a missionary meal; from it we are sent
out into the world with the good news of shalom, drawing people towards the table
as a place of encounter.
Peacemeal
- Jesus centred -
Family
Congregation
Local Community
Wider World
Creative questions
Following this session what questions has it raised and remain for you?
Breaking bread, as a full sit-down meal should be the absolute centre of the life and
worship of the Christian community of faith: -
What new horizons and possibilities do you think this approach to breaking bread
has for the church?
How should this influence the architecture and use of space in buildings where
Christians worship takes place?
What do you think might be some of the possibilities for creative liturgy around the
Peacemeal?
In what ways can breaking bread serve the churchs work in evangelism, what
opportunities does it present?
How might the Peacemeal help to draw in and serve children and young people
as part of the community of faith?
Could breaking bread serve the peace and justice agenda of the gospel?
APPENDIX: PASSOVER MEAL

Jesus and the Passover
Jesus said, I am the bread of life;

he who comes to me shall not hunger,
and he who believes in me shall never thirst.
I am the living bread which came down from heaven;
if anyone eats of this bread
he will live for ever;
and the bread which I give for the life
of the world is my flesh.
(Jn 6:35,51)
Jesus stood up and proclaimed
If anyone thirst,
let him come to me and drink.
He who believes in me,
as the scripture has said,
Out of his heart
shall flow rivers of living water.
(Jn 7:37-38)
And when the hour came,

he sat at table, and the apostles with him.
And he said to them,
I have earnestly desired to eat
this passover with you before I suffer;
for I tell you I shall never eat it again
until it is fulfilled
in the kingdom of God.
(Lk 22:14-16)
The Jewish Passover meal is the starting point for discovering the significance of breaking bread. It
has its roots deeply embedded in history, and is the occasion for the Hebrew household to remember
Gods supreme act in releasing their ancestors from slavery in Egypt at the Exodus, into freedom and
nationhood, as his people.
As Christians, the Passover meal is also full of significance for us. For we believe that the Exodus,
which it celebrates, was but a promise of an even greater act of salvation which would make it
possible for all people to know the perfect freedom of the life of God, if they are willing to make it their
own.
It is the person of Jesus that, for us, fills the wonderful Passover meal with even greater glory. He is
the Messiah, already come. He is our Passover lamb. The bread and wine of the Passover table
speak to us of his body and blood, poured out to release us into freedom. The truth is that which
frees us, the door through which life is to be found.
As Jesus faced the terrible events that were to make possible humankind's exodus from bondage; he
chose to spend that final evening seated around the Passover table with his closest friends, his
disciples. As the time hallowed ceremony unfolded he was to mould it in a new direction. He took the
heart of the Passover meal and formed it into: -
A reminder of all that he was bringing into being;

A sign to the world that his people were among them;
A promise that the freedom he was unleashing would one day embrace all things.
We want to consider the way in which a typical Hebrew family celebrates the feast. We want to
consider its message in remembering the powerful saving act of God in the Exodus, and to see it as
the threshold to the greatest of all Gods saving acts in Jesus.
Preparations for the Passover
A feast with many facets
While freedom is the central message of the Passover, it is an eight day [outside of Israel]
celebration that has a number of different strands woven into its fabric:
It joyfully remembers God's rescue of his people from slavery in Egypt;

It celebrates the mysteriously ancient feast of unleavened bread;
It is the celebration of Spring and the beginning of a new year; with the promise of
renewal, fertility and life itself;
It is a harvest festival, a time of thanksgiving at the beginning of the barley harvest;
It is a solemn and grateful remembrance of the redemption of the first-born in each
Hebrew household by the blood of the lamb; his is symbolic of Israel being redeemed
as Gods first born. (Many Hebrew first-born children fast all day before the
Passover meal to remind them of Gods kindness).
Searching for the leaven (Heb: bedigath chemetz)
The Bible commands that not only must unleavened bread alone be eaten during Passover, but also
that all leaven (chemetz) must be removed from the home. This leads to elaborate preparations prior
to the feast: -
There is a thorough spring cleaning of the house;

The usual household crockery is washed and put away, and for Passover a specially
reserved set of crockery is brought out;
The night before Passover the head of the house does a formal search for leaven by
candle light to find any stray crumbs; some of which will be deliberately left to be
found; these will be swept into a little box with a feather to be burnt the next morning;
The ceremony is sealed with a prayer: -
May all leaven in my possession, whether I have seen it or not, whether I

have removed it or not, be annulled and considered as the dust of the earth
Hospitality and Festivity
Hospitality and festivity are the watchwords of Passover. Hospitality is seen in that:
It is a family meal and every member of the family will endeavour to be at the table
that evening, even if it means traveling a long distance;
Unexpected guests are always welcome and room is made for them;
One chair is left empty and places set in the hope that this year the prophet Elijah
might be a guest and so herald the coming of the Messiah.
Festivity is apparent everywhere, but particularly in the way everyone dresses and relaxes:-
At the first Passover the Hebrews stood to eat the meal, and dressed ready to travel;
Now they sit and recline, in the manner of free people, we are not slaves any more
[only slaves stand at the table]; everyone dresses in festival garments or new
clothes; the host will often wear a long white gown called a kittel;
The meal, which is eaten mid-way through the celebrations, has all the characteristics
of a banquet that helps to heighten the atmosphere; remember, at the first Passover
a whole lamb was eaten per household, quite a meal!
Lighting the candles
The Passover meal begins at sunset and its beginning is marked by the lighting of the candles on the
table by the lady of the house, much as she would at the start of every Sabbath meal. She does so
with a traditional prayer: -
Blessed be God who has led us to holiness through his commandments and
commanded us to kindle the lights of Sabbath and festival.
The Seder Table
The prepared table
The Passover meal is called the Seder, which in Hebrew means order. Its name indicates that it is a
meal with a set pattern or programme to it. The pattern of the meal has the teaching of children as a
primary aim, a story being told with object lessons and activities.
The Seder table is spread with a white cloth, lit by candles, and set for a banquet. In the centre are
two plates, the contents of which play a key part in the evening celebration.
The Seder Plate (Heb: Karah)
This large plate contains a number of important objects in smaller containers: -
Maror (bitter herbs): These are grated horse radish and pieces of onion, they are
symbolic of the bitterness and sorrow of the Hebrew slavery in Egypt; maror is
eaten at two points prior to the main meal;
Haroset (sweet paste): Made from an apple, nuts and cinnamon [grated together
finely] and mixed with a little wine, it represents the mortar used by the Hebrews to
make bricks in Egypt; eating the haroset also softens the bitterness of the maror;
A Bone: This is traditionally the shank bone of a lamb, it is in memory of the
Passover lamb that was sacrificed in Egypt; this practice ceased after the
destruction of the Temple in the year 70 CE, only the Samaritans now sacrifice a
lamb at Passover. The shank [arm] bone is chosen on the basis of Exodus 6:6 which
refers to salvation being by Gods mighty outstretched arm;
A Baked Egg: This seems to have a number of meanings; it is symbolic of other
Temple sacrifices that used to be made at Passover time; it is symbolic of mourning
(for the last temple), the egg being the traditional food for mourners as it was an easy
gift to carry and eat; symbolic of fertility and the regeneration of springtime, Passover
is a new beginning;
Karpas (Lettuce or celery): This is used early in the ceremony; originally an hor
doeuvres leading into the main meal; some see it as a reminder of the hyssop the
Israelites used to smear the blood on the lintel and door posts at the first Passover.
Salt water
This represents the water of the Red Sea through which the Hebrews escaped. The Karpas is
dipped into this bowl of salt water before it is eaten.
Matzah (Unleavened Bread)
Scrupulous care is taken to see that there is no yeast or fermentation during the making of this bread.
There are three matzah on the Passover table. At a normal Sabbath meal there are two loaves of
bread to represent the double portion of manna that God sent to the Hebrews in the wilderness over
the Sabbath. The third, and central matzah at Passover represents the additional bread of affliction.
The matzah are placed in a dish or basket covered by a pretty cloth, often with three pockets to take
one 'matzah' apiece.
Wine
It is a command of the Talmud that at the Seder meal each Jew must drink at least four glasses of
wine; though it be as little as a thimble full [due to age or ill health], or if poverty demands they have
to accept money from the poor box. The command includes all children present as well. The wine,
which is usually red, does not have to be fermented. The four glasses of wine can be seen to form
four key points of the Seder ceremony, spelling out the major themes, and around which everything
else fits into place. The number of glasses of wine at the Seder table are traditionally fixed at four on
the basis of the four words used for Gods act of deliverance in Exodus 6:6-7 (bring, rid, redeem,
take).
The Haggadah
Each participant at the Seder table has a service book in front of them called the Haggadah. Its
name comes from the Hebrew to tell, to recite, and to proclaim. The Haggadah unfolds the time-
hallowed ritual of the Passover meal; with its prayers, stories, question, answers, its psalms and
songs.
Christians are told that in the breaking of bread they are to proclaim the Lords death until he comes
(1 Cor 11:26); the phrase has its roots in the idea of haggadah.
The First Cup - To Life (Qiddush)
The glasses are filled for the first cup of wine.
The Qiddush (Sanctification)
This prayer is said over the first cup of wine. It is the prayer that is said over the wine every Sabbath
evening. It is a prayer of thanksgiving to God for the gift of life itself.
Blessed in our Lord, God, King of the Universe, who creates the fruit of the vine.
They begin to drink the first cup of wine.
Blessed is God who chose us from among all people to seek holiness ... With love,
you have given us, O Lord, festivals for joy, the Passover feast, this feast of freedom,
a holy gathering to remember the Exodus from Egypt.. Thanks be to God who has
kept us alive and sustained us and brought us to this moment.
This must be the point at which the first cup of wine, mentioned only in Lukes gospel [22:17-18] is
drunk, with the words, Take this, divide it among yourselves, for I tell you that from now on I shall not
drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.
Hand washing
The host alone now washes their hands, without a blessing, prior to the eating of karpas; either the
lady of the house, or the youngest child takes the basin to them.
The Karpas
Everyone is given a piece of the green vegetable, which is dipped in the salt water and munched as
an hors d'oeuvres.
The Blessing
Blessed is our Lord, God, King of the Universe, who creates the fruit of the soil.
Dividing the Matzah
The middle matzah of the three is taken and broken in two. Half is left in view on the table; the host
replaces the other half. It is a tradition that the children steal the second half of the matzah and it
has to be redeemed by sweetmeat when it is required after the main meal.
This hidden half of matzah is called the afikomen. The name has come to mean dessert in Jewish
tradition, though it is in fact a Greek word meaning singing and dancing! It has a rather strange
history!
As the Afikomen matzah is broken this beautiful invitation and declaration is made: -
This is the bread of affliction

which our ancestors ate in the land of Egypt.
Let all who are hungry, come and eat.
Let all who are in need, cone and celebrate the Passover.
This year we are here, next year in the land of Israel!
This year we are slaves, next year, freedom!
The Second Cup - To Freedom (Haggadah)
The Four Questions
The youngest child present at the table stands and asks the four traditional questions which provoke
the telling of the Exodus story in reply:
Why is this night different from all other nights?

On other nights we can eat bread or matzah. Why tonight only matzah?
On other nights we can eat any kind of herbs. Why tonight only bitter herbs?
On other nights we don't dip the herbs we eat into anything. Why tonight do we dip twice?
On other nights we can eat either sitting upright or reclining. Why tonight do we all recline?
The answer begins
Our ancestors were slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt, but God brought us out from there with a strong
hand and an outstretched arm... The story of the Exodus is then told.
The Blessing
The cup is raised for the blessing: -
Blessed be God, King of the Universe, who has redeemed us, as he redeemed our
ancestors from Egypt, and has brought us to this night ... Let us pray to God, the God
of our Fathers, that he will come to us in peace - joyful in building Gods city, and
happy in his service. Let us sing anew songs of thanks to God for our salvation and
freedom. Blessings to God who has saved Israel, Blessed is our Lord God, King of
the Universe, who creates the fruit of the vine.
They drink the second cup of wine.
Hand washing
Everyone at the table washes their hands prior to eating the main meal. It has been suggested that it
was at this point in the evening that Jesus washed his disciples feet, but we cannot be certain.
The Blessing
Blessed be God, who made each commandment to bring us to holiness and laid
upon us the washing of hands before food!
Sharing the matzah
A piece of matzah is taken from the top and broken. Central portions are given to, and eaten by each
person present.
Blessed be God who brings food out of the earth ... and laid upon us the eating of matzah.
Eating maror and haroset
A little maror is mixed with haroset [usually in a scallop of onion] and eaten by everyone present.
This was certainly the sop that Jesus gave to Judas. It was a token of his deep personal love for the
person who was to betray him: -
Blessed be God, who made each commandment to bring us to holiness and laid
upon us the eating of maror.
The second maror ceremony
The bottom piece of matzah is broken and every person at the table eats maror between two
pieces. A contemporary of Jesus, Rabbi Hillel started this custom, in memory of the Temple
destroyed in the year 70 CE.
DINNER IS NOW SERVED!

(The Seder Plate is removed)
The Third Cup - To Peace (Blessing)
The Afikomen
The hidden piece of matzah that had been stolen by a young member of the household is
ransomed back by the payment of a sweetmeat. This Afikomen, traditionally meaning dessert or
savoury marks the concluding act of the dinner. The Afikomen is a specific reminder of the
Passover sacrifice and has both a solemn and yet joyful significance. It is a command that every Jew
must eat a little of it, at least the size of an olive.
This is my body.
It is at this point in the Seder meal that Jesus made the first dramatic change to the accepted pattern.
He took the Afikomen, which he and his disciples knew represented the Passover lamb, and applied
its significance to himself:
And while they were eating, he took bread, and blessed it, and broke it and gave it to
them, and they all ate of it. And he said to them, This is my body which is given for
you!
So Jesus makes it clear that he is the Passover lamb whose death makes perfect freedom available
to everyone who will receive it from Gods hand on the basis of his sacrifice.
The glasses are now filled for the third cup of wine.
The Grace
Before the third cup of wine is drunk the words of the beautiful Passover Grace are said over it; this
is why it is called the cup of blessing:
Blessed be God who in his goodness, feeds the whole world with his grace, loving
kindness and compassion ... Let us thank God that he caused our fathers to inherit a
broad and good land; that he brought us out of slavery in Egypt and gave us his
instruction and commandments ... Be merciful, O God, to your people of Israel; to your
city Jerusalem; to Zion the seat of your glory; to the kingdom of the house of David
your anointed; and to the great and holy Temple that is called by your name ... O God,
our Father and King, our Creator and Shepherd. He has been, and is, and ever will
be good to us. Blessing, salvation and comfort are from him; life, peace and all good
things ... May he who makes peace in his high places make peace for us! ...Give
thanks to the Lord for he is good and his kindness endures for ever [Ps. 118:1] ...The
Lord will give strength to his people and the Lord will bless his people with peace [Ps.
29:11].
This cup is the new covenant.
As Jesus took the third cup of wine he again made a dramatic change; not only in saying that the
wine represented his blood (ie his life poured out in sacrifice), but that God was bringing into being a
new covenant (relationship of friendship) between himself and humanity.
And after supper he took the cup, and blessed it, and gave it to them. This is the
new covenant in my blood which is being shed on behalf of many. Truly I say to you
that I will not drink of the fruit of this vine, until that day when I drink it new in the
Kingdom of God.
So Jesus again affirms that he is about to die; but that his death is no accident, rather it is a
sacrifice, a deliberate laying down of his life that something far greater could come into being. God
was making a new covenant, making a new relationship between people and God possible. Not one
based on simply keeping rules and regulations, but allowing them to experience the full freedom of
Gods own life. Here at last is the peace of which the third cup speaks.
Note how Paul refers to the cup of wine at breaking of bread as the cup of blessing, clearly
identifying it with the third cup of the Passover meal (1Cor 10:16).
The Fourth Cup - To Jerusalem
This final cup of wine is full of hope in Gods promise to his people that he will send his Messiah
[(Anointed One) to judge Gods enemies, establish the city of Jerusalem, and draw the whole earth
together under his peace. It looks to the future.
As Christians, all the Hebrew aspirations centered in this fourth cup have particular significance for
us. The Messiah has come! God is building and establishing Jerusalem, not a geographical location
but his people worldwide. Gods promise is being fulfilled in our own days we wait only for its final
conclusion.
Waiting for Elijah
The Hebrew prophet, Malachi (4:5) said that before the Messiah came there would be a
reappearance of the great prophet Elijah.
Elijah is a great hero of the Hebrew people. He is the fearless champion of the true God, the one
who defeated the prophets of Baal. Having been taken up to heaven in a whirlwind it is imagined that
he wanders unceasingly across the earth on Gods behalf.
Judgment on the heathen
It is as if the opening of the door for Elijah breaks the spell of the happy family gathering, for a
moment. The participants at the Seder table are reminded of the fearful world outside.
Through the open door, verses from the Hebrew scriptures that call for Gods wrath on the heathen,
are proclaimed. It is almost as though standing in Elijahs shadow they find renewed courage to face
their enemies:
Pour out your wrath upon the heathen that have not known you, and upon the
kingdoms that have not called upon your name (Ps. 79:6).
Pursue them with wrath and destroy them from under the heavens of the Lord
(Lam. 3:66).
These words need to be understood in the light of the terrible suffering that the Jews have faced
throughout their history; whether the pogroms of the Middle Ages or the holocaust of our own times.
These words are probably the latest addition to the Haggadah and were probably included by some
ancient Rabbi, so angered by the suffering of his people that his frustration became included in the
Seder ritual.
The Blessing
Let us adore your name; praise and song, strength and dominion are yours. Blessing
and thanks from now until eternity. Blessed are you, great in praise, god of
thanksgiving, Lord of wonders, King, God, Eternal.
They begin to drink the fourth cup of wine:
Let us bless God; for the vine and its fruits; for all the produce of the field, and for the
delights of the land which is the inheritance of our Fathers to enjoy and love. Have
compassion, O God, on your people Israel and build Jerusalem, the Holy City,
speedily in our days.
The Seder meal is now moving to its conclusion and the Hebrew family will spend the rest of the time
singing psalms and traditional songs. Jesus and the disciples concluded the Last Supper by singing
a hymn [Mk 14:26]; and then left the table.
... and they went to a place called Gethsemane
Jesus didnt drink a fourth cup of wine at that last Seder meal in the upper room. Instead he left to
prepare himself for the terrible events that lay ahead of him. But Jesus did drink a final cup before
that Passover was over, for he prayed, ... if it is possible remove this cup from me. The bitter cup
he drank makes the promises of the fourth Seder cup a reality for us.
A meditation
All authority in heaven and earth has been given to Jesus (Mt 28:18). Go into all the world and
proclaim the good news to all creation [Mk 16:15]; ..that believing they might have life in his name
(Jn 20:31).
The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a marriage feast for his son (Mt 22:2).
And people shall come from east and west, and from north and south and sit at table in the kingdom
of God (Lk 13:29).
Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city and bring in the poor, the maimed, the blind and the
lame ... Go into the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled
(Lk 14:22-23).
Oh the joy of those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb (Rv 19:9). Oh the joy of
those who shall eat bread in the kingdom of God (Lk 14:15).
Why do you spend your money on that which is not bread, and work for that which does not satisfy?
... Listen, come to me; hear and you shall live! (Isa 55:2-3).
Come, for all is now ready! ... (Lk 14:17). The Spirit and the Bride say, Come!. Let him
who hears say, Come!. Let everyone who wishes to drink of the water of life without price
(Rv 22:17).
Questions
1. What place ought 'breaking bread' to take in the life of the local Christian
community?
2. What are the implications of breaking bread for a Christian attitude to hospitality?
Open Reflection
Breaking bread is a meal with so many meanings and people encounter it in so

many different ways. Why do you think this is? Do you think this is a weakness or
strength about the experience? What do you think it is about a meal that is so
significant and can create such a strong spiritual impact?
Reading & Resources
JJ von Allmen The Lords Supper pub Lutterworth 1969

D Baillie The Theology of the Sacraments 1957
T Balasuriya The Eucharist and Human Liberation pub Orbis 1979
M Barth Rediscovering The Lords Supper pub John Knox Press 1988
W Barclay The Lords Supper pub SCM 1967
SF Bayne Mindful of Love: Holy Communion in Daily Life pub Oxford 1962
D Bridge & D Phypers Communion: The Meal that Unites? 1982
H Cox The Feast of Fools pub Harvard Univ Press 1970
H Davies Bread of Life & Cup of Joy pub Eerdmans 1993
L Deiss Its the Lords Supper: The Eucharist of Christians
pub Paulist Press 1976
G Dix The Shape of the Liturgy pub Dacre Press 1945
J Grassi Broken Bread & Broken Bodies: The Lords Supper & World Hunger
pub Orbis 1985
BA Greet Broken Bread in a Broken World pub Judson Press 1971
M Hellwig The Eucharist and the Hunger of the World pub Paulist Press 1976
AIC Heron Table and Tradition pub Westminster 1983
AJB Higgins The Lords Supper in the New Testament 1952
N Hook The Eucharist in the New Testament pub Epworth 1964
J Jeremias The Eucharistic Words of Jesus pub SCM 1966
E Kevan The Lords Supper pub Evangelical Press 1982
E Kreider Communion Shapes Character pub Herald 1997
IH Marshall Last Supper and Lords Supper pub Eerdmans 1980
C Raphael A Feast of History pub Wiedenfeld & Nicolson 1982
A Schmemann Eucharist: Sacrament of the Kingdom
pub St Vladimirs Seminary Press 1988
AM Stibbs Sacrament, Sacrifice and Eucharist pub Tyndale 1961
G Wainwright Eucharist and Eschatology pub Epworth 1971
R Williams Eucharistic Sacrifice: The Roots of a Metaphor pub Grove 1982
GD Yarnold The Bread Which We Break pub Oxford 1960

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02.01.

Centrifugal and centripetal

APPENDIX: PASSOVER MEAL

Peacemeal Focus: (35 minutes) 13.10 - 13.45

Introduction (10 minutes) 13.10 13.20

Kaleidoscope 1 (15 minutes) 13.20 13.35

Personal Reflection (10 minutes) 13.25 13.45

Peacemeal Perspectives: (60 minutes) 13.45 14.45

Kaleidoscope 2 (15 minutes) 13.45 14.00

Teaching (25 minutes) 14.00 14.25

Group Discussion (20 minutes) 14.25 14.45

Break (15 minutes) 14.45 -15.00

Peacemeal Unfolding: (110 minutes) 15.00 16.50

Kaleidoscope 3 (15 minutes) 15.00 15.15

Teaching (40 minutes) 15.15 15.55

Shared Experience (55 minutes) 15.55 16.50

Peacemeal Today: (40 minutes) 16.50 15.30

Kaleidoscope 4 (15 minutes) 16.50 17.05

Conclusion / discussion (25 minutes) 17.05 17.30

This table is the hub of worship for Christian disciples;

The simplicity of this meal belies the awesome possibilities it presents:

They may be sacred, marking a threshold of the spiritual landscape, a thin

and very much more.

and again, so very much more.

The Peacemeal is like a mirror ball, suspended above a dance-floor, lights

Breaking Bread: this is the natural Hebrew way of speaking about a

The whole understanding and development of Breaking Bread in different Christian

Synoptic gospels (Mk 14:22-25; Mt 26:26-29; Lk 22:14-20), with slight

Sacrament Symbol Spirit

Mystery Memory Meditation

Sacrament / Mystery Actual Symbol /Memory

The words, This is my body, are tantalizing:

In a small group of 4 or 5 discuss some of the different ways that Christians

Share from your personal experiences as think appropriate;

Family meal - celebrated daily - Fellowship

My father, if it is possible let this cup pass from me (Mt 26:39)

Of course it is the events of the earliest Christian community in Jerusalem

Agape: the love-feast

Take a tray with: Bread - Wine - Matches - Candle Incense - Yeast.

Centrifugal and centripetal

APPENDIX: PASSOVER MEAL

Jesus said, I am the bread of life;

And when the hour came,

A reminder of all that he was bringing into being;

Preparations for the Passover

A feast with many facets

It joyfully remembers God's rescue of his people from slavery in Egypt;

Searching for the leaven (Heb: bedigath chemetz)

There is a thorough spring cleaning of the house;

May all leaven in my possession, whether I have seen it or not, whether I

Hospitality and Festivity

Lighting the candles

The Seder Table

The prepared table

The Seder Plate (Heb: Karah)

This large plate contains a number of important objects in smaller containers: -

Matzah (Unleavened Bread)

The First Cup - To Life (Qiddush)

The glasses are filled for the first cup of wine.

The Qiddush (Sanctification)

They begin to drink the first cup of wine.

Dividing the Matzah

This is the bread of affliction