Cheese and Crackers

There is a story toId concerning a lone religious pilgrim with a staff, a cowl, a long beard and a haggard look. Stopped at a fork in the road, the religious seeker faces a sign. One arrow points toward "The meaning of life." Another arrow points in the opposite direction toward "Cheese and crackers."

Thomas H. Troeger, from the "Body" issue of The Living Pulpit, April-June 2006 says the following:

If that pilgrim believes in the Incarnation, he will not hesitate for a second. He will head straight for the cheese and crackers, where others will be gathered to eat and to talk, and perhaps to sing and to dance.

The Incarnation affirms that the meaning of life is not an abstract concept, not a vague ideal, not a collection of words and thoughts. Rather we find the meaning of life in the love and grace of God as embodied in a particular human being and in the community that gathers around him. Jesus, like us, had a heart that pumped blood and lungs that pumped air. He was not a spirit that floated above the earth but a body whose feet pounded the ground and whose stomach growled when he was hungry.

Those who are his followers are called the body of Christ. When they gather together, they feast on wine and bread, human bodies consuming a meal.

This Sunday as we gather for worship around tables in the Fireside Room, we will be searching Hebrews 13:1-8 that might lead us to understanding of what this passage means to each individual and our community of faith; we will eat and talk; we will sing (dancing is optional), and we will come together as the Body of Christ joining together in the "feast of life" known as the Lord's Supper.

Note: You will notice that when you arrive at the Fireside Room you are encouraged to gather refreshments and go to a table so we can begin worship at 10:45 AM.

Pastor Steve