What Does a Bread Machine Teach Us About Worship?

I enjoy using my bread machine. There’s something quietly satisfying about pouring in the ingredients, closing the lid, and letting it do its work. A little flour, some water, sugar, a packet of yeast—and before long, the whole loaf begins to change. That small amount of yeast works its way through everything. You don’t see it happening, but there is no way you can miss the results.

That experience has helped me think more carefully about a conversation I had with a friend who said it didn’t really matter whether the bread used in Communion was leavened or not. On one level, I understand the sentiment. God cares about the heart, not the recipe. But Scripture also shows us that God teaches through symbols—and when it comes to leaven, the Bible is remarkably consistent. And—if you’ve ever watched yeast do its work in making bread, that consistency starts to make a lot of sense.

A Garden and a Grave

 (A Communion Table Talk)

This morning, I want to take you to two places that hold deep meaning in the story of our salvation:  a garden . . . and a grave.

The two don’t seem like they go together.  A garden is where things grow.  A grave is where things end.  But in the story of Jesus, they’re both central — and they both tell the truth of the gospel.