The Centrality of Bread

The Centrality of Bread

Signs & Wonders: Part 2
January 18, 2026

Luke 9:10-17

** This week is a little different. While I used the story of the Feeding of the 5,000 originally planned for this series, I focus more on the crowds and the way Jesus responded to them with compassion as he and his disciples traveled from town to town. Alongside this story, I also offer my personal reflections on my experience with the Buddhist monks this weekend on their walk for peace. I invite you to set aside any preconceptions about Buddhism and Christianity and simply hear these stories side by side. Then honestly ask yourself, are you willing to walk in this mutual way of peace?

I have still included below the brief written reflections on the original sermon I had planned on this text, “The Centrality of Bread”. You can read the full manuscript of what I actually preached on the Way of Peace over at my Substack Page by clicking here or listen at the link below.

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When the day was almost over, the Twelve came to him and said, “Send the crowd away so that they can go to the nearby villages and countryside and find lodging and food, because we are in a deserted place.”

He replied, “You give them something to eat.”

But they said, “We have no more than five loaves of bread and two fish—unless we go and buy food for all these people.”  (They said this because about five thousand men were present.)

Jesus said to his disciples, “Seat them in groups of about fifty.” They did so, and everyone was seated.  He took the five loaves and the two fish, looked up to heaven, blessed them, and broke them and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd.  Everyone ate until they were full, and the disciples filled twelve baskets with the leftovers.

~ Luke 9:12-17

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Everyone was filled. And there were twelve baskets of leftover food to spare.

Yes, Jesus performed a miracle. But Jesus did not do it alone. God’s abundance flowed through the faithful hands of the disciples and through the people gathered together, passing not only bread and fish, but also grace and love from one to another. As theologian Tripp Fuller says, “God refuses to be God without us.” Miracles happen when we willingly participate in what the Spirit is already doing.

Imagine walking for miles, hungry and tired, not knowing when or if your next meal will come. In the distance, you see storehouses overflowing with grain. You can almost smell the bread, but you know it is not for you. It is reserved for the powerful and the wealthy.

This was a common reality in the first century. Jesus’ prayer for daily bread was not only spiritual. People were hungry.

By the end of the day, the disciples were hungry too. They barely had enough to feed themselves, let alone a crowd of thousands. Sending the people away made sense. But instead, Jesus said, “You give them something to eat.”

What bread do we have to give?

For a long time, I kept my writing to myself, thinking it didn’t matter. When I finally shared it, even in small ways, I began to hear from people who felt seen and encouraged by the words I offered. And I was blessed in return by the stories and experiences they shared with me. It taught me that what we resist offering often has more meaning than we imagine.

Miracles don’t happen because we have “enough” to do something big. They happen because God can do big things with the small gifts we place in God’s hands.

What miracle might God be inviting you to share in this week, and who is God inviting you to share it with?

The Role of Caregivers

The Role of Caregivers

Signs & Wonders: Part 1
January 11, 2026

Mark 2:1-12

Some people arrived, and four of them were bringing to him a man who was paralyzed. They couldn’t carry him through the crowd, so they tore off part of the roof above where Jesus was. When they had made an opening, they lowered the mat on which the paralyzed man was lying.  When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Child, your sins are forgiven!”                                                               

~ Mark 2:3-5

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Sometimes it’s hard to know what to do with the miracle stories in scripture.  We don’t see such supernatural outcomes as readily today, which can lead to two extremes.  On one hand, we can be dismissive of those who have experienced miracles in their lives.  On the other, the absence of a miracle can lead to guilt or shame about the strength of our faith.  Neither response is helpful.  Whether we believe in literal miracles or not, these stories invite us into active participation in bringing about the Kingdom of God on earth as it is in heaven. 

This week’s miracle story involves a paralyzed man being lowered through the roof of the home where Jesus was staying.  We can imagine the outrage if such a scene occurred today: property damaged, rules broken, people cutting in line.

There are always barriers for people trying to get the care they need.  Some face more than others.  But instead of working to create more accessible systems, we often criticize those who try to work around the system just to meet their basic needs.  Sometimes caregivers must take creative or unconventional steps, especially when fighting for those who cannot advocate for themselves. 

Jesus does not turn them away.  He sees their faith and resolve.  He also sees their love and care for their friend and extends compassion by healing the paralyzed man. 

Interestingly, the legal experts in the story are not concerned with the caregiver’s methods either.  They are concerned that Jesus essentially “upgrades” the paralyzed man’s status, seemingly without authority.  In the ancient worldview, long-term illness was often tied to sin.  But by declaring the man forgiven, Jesus removes blame for his condition and affirms that no one is ever excluded from God’s mercy.  The healing becomes a sign that forgiveness and dignity are already granted.

In systems that are constantly overwhelmed and unable to meet every need, we still struggle with questions of who is deserving of care, who should be prioritized, who can afford it, and who is put on hold or cut off entirely.  Such questions should not be necessary, and they never come with easy answers.  But Jesus reminds us that when it comes to caring for basic human needs, there is no stigma, no shame, and no sin that can separate a person from the mercy and love of God.  He shows us that healthcare is not a political issue, but a human one, and one that God cares deeply about.

 Whose mat is God asking you to carry right now? 

 And in what ways do you need others to carry you?

Miracles in Our Midst

Miracles in Our Midst

Back to School Sunday

Sunday, August 6, 2023
John 6:1-15

One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said,  “A youth here has five barley loaves and two fish. But what good is that for a crowd like this?”

John 6:8-9 

Listen to this Week’s Sermon here:

We often think of Jesus performing miracles and we often wonder why we don’t see miracles more often in our lives today.  Some claim that miracles ceased after the days of the apostles.  Others deny that miracles ever really happened at all and attempt to come up with other explanations for such supernatural stories.  Still others say that miracles happen all the time, if you only have enough faith.  This last thought has led to significant pain and spiritual harm to those who, like Job, appear to do everything right and still do not experience healing or wholeness in this life. 

There is one thing about Jesus’ miracles, however, that we tend to overlook.  Many of Jesus’ miracles depended on the involvement of others.  So many of the people Jesus healed were brought to Jesus by their friends, some with great difficulty and sacrifice like the paralytic lowered through the roof of a house.  Many were required to do something to complete the miracle, such as the lepers who were told to go and present themselves before the priests or the blind man who had to wash in the pool of Siloam.  Before Jesus turned the water into wine, Mary told those around him to do whatever he said.  Then he instructed them to fill six stone jars with water.  How many of these miracles, I wonder, would not have taken place without the cooperation of others?

That brings us to today’s miracle, the feeding of the 5,000.  When the disciples come to Jesus saying there is not enough food, they suggest sending everyone home.  Jesus likely knew that many of those gathered already suffered under poverty and may not have had a meal to go home to.  Even if they did, he was not about to send people away when they came to him hungry for something more.  So Jesus responds, “You give them something to eat.”

At this point the disciples begin to sound like a typical church council.  “We don’t have enough,” they say.  “It would be far too expensive.  It would take more than half a year’s salary to buy this much food and even if we had that kind of money, there is no place around here to buy it.  It’s impossible.”

Jesus simply tells them to give what little they have and see what happens.  And of course we know the rest of the story.  Their 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish turned into 12 full baskets of leftovers after everyone had their fill.  We focus so much on the miracle that we again miss that it required the disciples to give what they had and to step out in faith.

But John adds one beautiful little detail the other gospel writers appear to overlook.  In his telling, it was not the disciples who had the loaves and fish, it was a young boy, a child.  This boy is the one who is willing to give his measly little lunch if it can help someone else.  He doesn’t apologize for not having enough.  He doesn’t think his gift is too small.  He simply gives what he has with no clue what good, if any, it will accomplish.  Is this what Jesus means when he says we must have the faith of a child? 

Perhaps miracles are indeed still happening all around us, but if we want to see them, maybe we better stop worrying and complaining and simply start doing what Jesus says.