Serving Breakfast

The Gospel of John ends with a peculiar tale. After Jesus' resurrection, the disciples returned to Galilee. Once there, as could be expected, they went fishing. And after a long night with nothing to show for it they are headed back to shore when someone on the beach suggests they put their nets into the water on the other side of the boat - and as the nets filled, so did their hearts and they saw that it was Jesus. Peter, ever exuberant, jumps into the water and runs to shore to see his beloved Jesus. The rest return in more normal fashion to find that there is bread, and fish cooking on the grill.

I wonder if the disciples thought about the breakfast or if they were so overcome with joy to see the one who had come back to them that the breakfast was merely an afterthought. I wonder if following the "Last Supper" with the "First Breakfast" was intentional symbolism on Jesus' part. One phase of the relationship ends there, with the breaking of the bread, and then begins again as he breaks bread and cooks fish over a charcoal fire. A new day as it were - a breaking of the undesired fast of time apart. I don't know. 

I don't know -  but I love that Jesus wraps his relationships in meals. And I love that in these crazy, busy, over-stuffed days of the 21st century people still sustain their relationships over meals. After too many hurried encounters between friends, someone usually says "Let's grab lunch. Soon!" and after a few failed attempts, they usually do. And that meal begins another day in their relationship.

At the church I where I currently work, we serve breakfast to elementary and high school students every Wednesday morning. That's because each Wednesday is a "Late Start" day of school here and for many of these kids, parents still have to show up for work even when school starts late. So we open our doors at the usual school time, and a lovely team of cooks serves up breakfast: a warm and sweet and filling breakfast. After the dishes are cleared, we share updates from the week just passed or worries about the day ahead. We might play games or make a craft or just fiddle with some play dough. Those breakfasts are the source of our relationships with many of these kids, and they know us because we break bread together. We are a special kind of family. Like Jesus and the disciples, no blood ties us together, yet we are bound by love and warm food. May they learn to recognize Jesus in the breaking of the bread with us.

Catching a Wave

Recently singer-songwriter Dessa was interviewed on The Splendid Table, a radio show about food and cooking. I don't know Dessa or her music but she said one thing in the interview that was such a perfect turn of phrase that I've been turning it over in my mind ever since I heard it. When asked where her inspiration for her songwriting comes from she said "It's more like catching a wave than going to the well." That is pure poetry!

I think this is an apt description of faith as well. The waves roll by and, depending where you are in the expanse of the surf, this wave or that may be your ride to shore. It's probably not the same wave that the surfer 100 yards south of you will catch, but even if it is, your ride will be different. Faith is an experience, not a task.

This is what makes it crucial for parents to speak the language of faith to our children. We cannot simply take our children to the font to be baptized, and then bring them to the well for a drink once a week. Once we've taken them to the font, it's time to take them down to the shore to get their toes wet. That will look different for each family, and for each individual within your family, but everyone has to get wet or they'll never get a chance to ride that wave to shore.

Some families go to the shore by way of devotional time at home. Others go by spending time in nature, marveling at God's great creation. Still others find their wave in serving people in need, and others in making music together. Whatever it is, it might be your wave, or your child's wave, and you need to speak the language of faith into the experience so that your child understands faith is not a chore performed on Sunday morning, it is the experience of life itself.

Just as you need to drink or bathe daily, you also need to splash around in your baptism everyday. Make it an intrinsic part of your daily routine. Remember your baptism in your shower; give thanks for the food you eat; pray for the passenger in the ambulance; trust God and take a risk.

The surfer goes to the beach expecting to be challenged, expecting to take a risk. The person going to the well expects to find the water waiting, still and compliant, ready to be contained in a bucket or jar. The waves at the beach cannot be contained in a bucket - they are wild, powerful, and magnificent. God will take you to still waters, and will carry you to shore. Catch a faith wave and see where it takes you.

Easter Joy

I will never forget my first Easter in Texas. We had been here about six months and decided to take advantage of the long weekend and check out South Padre Island. We were living on my unimpressive secretarial salary so we couldn’t actually stay on the island, but instead opted for a cheap hotel in Brownsville. We did get to attend a bright and sunny sunrise service on the beach, but once that was over we just kind of wandered around, looking for an open restaurant and staring in wonder at what we saw.  Down in the Rio Grande Valley it’s nearly always possible to gather outdoors, and people do. The Brownsville parks were filled with families cooking barbecue. Piñatas were hanging from trees, cousins were chasing each other, screaming with delight and (it appeared to me from the car windows) smacking each other on the head. It was festive in a way I had never seen.

Growing up in the Midwest I had certainly celebrated Easter with great joy. Trumpets heralded the empty tomb, light drenched the sanctuary that had been solemn and clothed in black and purple on Friday. The very contrast made it significant. What was different about this Texas celebration was the pure fun that accompanied it. And, as always, I was attracted to the fun.

What makes Easter significant to kids is the exuberance that underlies the celebration. Even children old enough to understand death and resurrection really don’t completely understand its significance – but they sense it. They may not have experienced great grief or joy yet, but they recognize that something amazing is happening. They don’t really "get" that eggs are a symbol of new life, but they love searching for them anyway. Down the road the significance of the symbols and ceremonies will dawn and they will feel the joy well within. So give them lots of traditions to reflect on later!

Two quick ideas for adding Easter symbols and fun to your family Easter basket:

Cascarones – pictured to the right, are eggshells that have been washed, dyed, dried, filled with confetti and closed with a circle of tissue paper. They are made for breaking open on someone’s head – that’s what the children of Brownsville were doing when I thought they were smacking each other. What a powerful symbol – new life, empty tomb, alleluia, all wrapped up in one little package!

Resurrection Rolls – You’ll need refrigerated crescent rolls, large marshmallows, cinnamon, sugar, and butter.

• Mix 1/4 tsp. cinnamon with 1/4 C. sugar in a small bowl.
• Melt 1 Tbsp. butter in another small bowl.
• Lay out one triangle of dough. (This is the "tomb".) Roll the marshmallow ("Jesus") in the butter, and then in the cinnamon-sugar mix.
• Next, roll up your marshmallow in the dough. (Jesus is in the tomb.) Make sure to pinch the sides and corners fully closed.
• Roll your filled dough in the cinnamon-sugar mixture and bake according to package directions.

After they have cooled, enjoy your Resurrection Rolls. Surprise! The tomb will be empty!

Blessed Easter!