It was only one piece of bread – not even a whole loaf. It wasn’t even a Communion “Sunday” – at least in the formal liturgical sense, not this past Sunday as we gathered for Morning Prayer. But I held a piece of bread to somehow offer a message for the day. One piece of bread, to be broken into small pieces, one by one. To be dropped into outstretched hands. And those gathered there were fed, with bread left over. The story of the day? The one about the miracle of feeding the multitudes.

Those gathered last Sunday had been asked to hold out their hand, asked to “savor” what they were receiving, hold the morsel for a moment before taking it in. To smell the richness in even just a morsel, see the little seeds folded into the bread, imagine how those little seeds would nourish them.  Asked to take a moment to taste the honey as they fed on their little morsel of bread, sweetness within, unseen but waiting to be tasted, just by each of them. Honey that had helped moisten and bind the ingredients of the bread together to create the whole loaf.

I had picked up a loaf of this homemade bread at a farmers’ market the day before. Wandering among the rows of stands where creation’s summer treasures were spread out on table after table, calling to those walking by, “Pick me, pick me!” Then I smelled freshly baked bread and for some reason (perhaps because I had not taken the time to have breakfast that morning) I was drawn, body, mind, and soul, towards the table where loaves of fresh bread waited. So fragrant and compelling that their aroma could not be contained within the plastic in which they had been wrapped. All my senses came alive as I sensed my hunger for what was offered by those loaves of bread.

Summer is like a Farmer’s Market – abundance spread out before us. A richness waiting so colorful, so varied, so savory, and sweet. Possibilities so enticing, opportunities just waiting for us, beckoning us to “Choose me! Chose me!” There is an informality about summertime, a call to slow down, vary our usual routine, relax, refresh, renew. In summer creation offers the broadest, richest array of that which can nourish and sustain us. The Creator’s bountiful nature is displayed and offered so abundantly, the call to “come to the table” to be fed and nourished and savor every morsel so compelling.

What moments, what morsels, are beckoning you this summer! What has fed you, nourished you, satisfied your hunger, fed you, body, mind, and soul. And I don’t mean just fruits, vegetables, meats, seafood: foodstuffs, baked, pickled, smoked, sliced, sandwiched, simmered, etc., etc., or just washed and waiting to be used, as is. Let’s play with the images of what feeds, nourishes, sustains us, day by day.

 How about moments like some of these: Conversation with a special friend, watching soft rain fall on thirsty ground, coaxing a smile from a loved one who is sad, catching fireflies with a child, letting an ocean swell rock you gently, remembering the kiss of a loved one when a summer’s evening breeze brushes your check, counting how many colors of green that calm you on a morning walk, wondering what the earth feels when a rainbow melts into it or the river when lightening touches it, holding a silvery fish you just caught then releasing it back into the currents from which it came, following the moon’s path mirrored on a river’s surface, waking into a summer sunrise and wondering what this new summer day will offer.

What are some of your memories of “morsel moments” so far this summer? What more might be waiting for you? Reach out your hand, open your heart, let your senses respond and guide you towards what is waiting to nourish you. Receive, savor, allow yourself to be fed, nourished, and be filled, morsel by morsel to sustain this journey, your journey, called life.

Torrence

Photo of bread interior by Spring Fed Images on Unsplash. No permissions required.

IMPORTANT -MASKED AGAIN

Due to new CDC warnings and recommendations our Diocese is once again encouraging and supporting the wearing of masks for all church gatherings and any gatherings in our church facilities. Linked here is the memo to Clergy of the Diocese I received yesterday and after reviewing CDC information and specific case information for our region (Northern Neck), we at St. John's and Farnham will now return to our former "mask" policy, requiring all attending any of the gatherings in our facilities (including very definitely our Sunday services) for everyone (whether vaccinated or not and of all ages) to wear masks. We will also use appropriate social distancing for gatherings. All our cooperation in this is important and essential to everyone's quality of life at this time to combat the spread of what we had so hoped was diminishing.

Please remember to add shelf stable food items to your grocery list for the local Food Pantries that we support and bring them to church this Sunday! Items brought this week will go to the Warsaw United Methodist Church for distribution on August 6^th. Should you forget to bring them Sunday, you can drop items at either of the following locations to support this or the pantry at Farnham Baptist Church:

Social distancing is "for the birds." Seriously! We all love our feathered friends and there is something we can do to help them right now.

They are experiencing what is being classified as an "EPIDEMIC" which appears to be emerging in and centered on the East Coast, specifically in mid-Atlantic and Southern states. How can we help? Take down your birdfeeders and any garden elements that can serve as bird baths or water "fountains" for our feathered friends. This is where they congregate and may be one way the "pathogen" (yet to be identified) works its way among "flocks." According to Jude Dickerson, a wildlife biologist (and one of my grandsons) the disease (of currently unknown origin) mostly affects young Blue Jays, Common Grackles, European Starlings, and American Robins. For more detailed information about this epidemic, please read the very informative article (linked here) that is being circulated through the Audubon Society website. Thanks, specially, to Courtenay Altaffer who alerted us to this issue and to Jude for passing forward information and the link to more in depth information from Audubon.

Courtenay Altaffer

Ford Becker

Junius Berger

Martha Berger

Randall Bone

Sue Bowie

Sallie Cox

Constance Edwards

Bob File

David Gallagher

Carlton George

Regina Griggs

Barbara Grander

Dorothy Grove

Sandy Wade Hagan

The Rev. Howard Hanchey

Kelsey Heidenreich

Billy Hooper

Rebecca Hubert

Marcia Jenkins

Mary Douglas Lawton

The Rt. Rev. Peter Lee

Susan Lewis

Frank Lynch

Susannah Marais

Tommy Neuman

Judi Newman

James Rynd

Debbie Belfield Stacks

Scott Strickler

Waldy Sulik

Billy Tennyson

Roclyn Tennyson

Elizabeth Valentine

John Welch, II

Turner Williamson

Matthew Yates

Rose Mary Zellner and

the people of Haiti

Background photo by Mae Mu on Unsplash. No permissions required.