LISTEN

"An Amazing Grace"

Here's an instant replay of what happened in worship:

We read the story of Jesus feeding thousands in Mark 8:1-8.
We wondered why Jesus would say grace over seven puny loaves of bread when it wasn't nearly enough to feed the huge crowd. And why would Jesus thank God for the food if he himself was the God-man?
We learned that ancient cultures (and much of the world today) have a different view of food than we do. They see food as making the difference between life and death. For many people, finding enough food to eat was a daily struggle.
We saw that food had a very strong spiritual meaning. If people found food to eat for a day, they received it as if from the very hand of God. By taking the food, they were entering into a covenant with God - "You are our Provider, and we are Your people."
We realized that when Jesus blessed the seven loaves, this is what he was teaching his followers (and us). It's not about the bread; it's about the relationship. If every bite we take is a reaffirmation and recommitment to our covenant with God, then saying grace becomes even more important.
We shared communion, also known as the Eucharist or "Thanksgiving" meal, with our brothers and sisters in Christ.
During Act(s) II, we read through quotes about gratitude and shared which ones were most meaningful to us.