Let Us Break Bread Together ELW 471
Devotion
Let us break bread together on our knees;
let us break bread together on our knees.
Refrain
When I fall on my knees,
with my face to the rising sun,
O Lord, have mercy on me.
Let us drink wine together on our knees;
let us drink wine together on our knees. Refrain
Let us praise God together on our knees;
let us praise God together on our knees. Refrain
One of my favorite moments in worship is during communion when the minister physically breaks the bread. If it's a wafer, it makes a nice crisp sound. If it's a loaf of bread it shows very satisfying signs of being ripped apart as crumbs fall back down to the table. Then that bread continues to break down, as each little piece is broken "for you." It's a beautiful image of one bread being broken into many pieces, just as Christ's one body is broken into millions of pieces in all the "for yous" spoken across the globe.
But just as Christ is broken into many pieces, in our sharing this meal in community we are invited to "re-member" Christ—all the members of Christ's body brought back together in him. As we come to the table sharing our joys and burdens, celebrations and mournings, we become the body of Christ now sent out in service to the world.
Prayer
Lord, break into our world of isolation and bring us to the table together. Only together will we truly see your face. Amen.