I am reading a book called take this breadby Sara Miles. I read a chapter of the book on Maundy Thursday in which the author described her profound experience taking communion for the first time. She had grown up in an atheist family hostile to religion. She was skeptical at best toward church but had lots of experience with food, working in restaurants, eventually working as a war reporter in Nicaragua in the 1980's where people, rich or poor, hostile or friendly, would reach out to her with basic hospitality and give her food. She moved to San Francisco, and one day, out of curiosity, went into St. Gregory's Episcopal Church. This is what happened when it came time for communion.

"And then we gathered around that table and there was more singing and standing, and someone was putting a piece of fresh, crumbly bread in my hands, saying 'the body of Christ,' and handing me the goblet of wine, saying, 'the blood of Christ,' and then something outrageous and terrifying happened. Jesus happened to me."

From that experience, Sara Miles became a Christian and eventually realized a vision of how that meal offered freely to everyone extends beyond the church walls to the whole community. She understood that the term "people of God" means more than what people think of when they say "church." It will be no surprise to you that I share her vision of the church. God is present and active among the people beyond the walls of Calvary, and we need to go out there and meet Jesus in the eyes of strangers. They will challenge us and change us and bless us.

We are involved in the community, already, in many ways, but this book makes me want to do more. No. It doesn't make me want to do more. I know that all of us at Calvary do plenty already and struggle enough to find volunteers for all our projects. It makes me want to do things different. I think of the people I've met outside of church walls or even inside when the "outsiders" come in, who have inspired me and challenged me and sometimes driven me crazy. I miss them.

Check out this passage from Sara Miles' book. "The more I read of Scripture the more it began to occur to me that Jesus, if the stories had it right, was singularly uninterested in church. Everything I'd yearned for when I first tasted that bread was never going to be found neatly wrapped up inside the comfortable rituals of religion, the pretty space I'd come so quickly to associate with holiness.... I was going to have to hunt in what the Bible called 'the rough place', 'the lonely places', 'the desert'; among people who'd been cast out, in one way or another, from the church."

I don't know how this will happen or what this will lead to. I'd like you to read this book and dream a while. Invite the Holy Spirit and see what happens. The Worship and Music committee has done some wonderful creative things with worship. What else might we do? The Social Ministry Committee is involved with homelessness and hunger and also studying the book Social Ministry in the Lutheran Tradition. How might we take what we are doing one more step out the door to the people we are called to serve? Fellowship does good receptions and potlucks. Who's coming to the table? Coming up on Pentecost five Confirmation students will be affirming their Baptism and moving more fully into the life of the church. How might they also meet the church out in the world?

Well, you know me, though. You might just say, "Ah, Matthew's all excited about the latest thing he's read. He'll get over it and move on to the next idea." Yeah, maybe, maybe not, I don't know. But it's not about me anyway. I want to share this with you, and let's see where God will lead us. So, as my senior year High School English teacher used to say, holding a book in her hand, looking at the class with her pursed lips, succinct diction and librarian stare, "If you haven't read take this bread by Sara Miles, do."

Gods' Peace,

Pastor Matthew