Break Now the Bread of Life (Evangelical Lutheran Worship 515)
1 Break now the bread of life, dear Lord, to me,
as once you broke the loaves beside the sea.
Beyond the sacred page I seek you, Lord;
my spirit waits for you, O living Word.
2 Bless your own word of truth, dear Lord, to me,,
as when you blest the bread by Galilee.
Then shall all bondage cease, all fetters fall;
and I shall find my peace, my All-in-All!
3 You are the bread of life, dear Lord, to me,
your holy word the truth that rescues me.
Give me the eat and live with you above;
teach me to love your truth, for you are love.
Text: John Cawood; Music: J. Day; Public Domain
Devotion
Jesus came that we might have life—from daily bread to the eternal bread of life. This hymn can’t separate the two—it interweaves the loaves beside the sea and the bread of life. God is about filling both our bellies and our spirits for today and eternity.
When I rushed to her room to pray with her, the frail woman of 80 plus years was sitting up and eating. She smiled, “You heard I was dying. Not this time. But pastor, you have got to talk to the chaplain here.” I asked why. She answered, “The chaplain’s a nice woman, but she asked if I was afraid to die. When I told her ‘No,’ she said everyone was afraid to die. You have to talk to her.” I asked what she had said, and she replied “Jesus has been my best friend every day of my life. My best day will be meeting him face to face.”
Her Friend feeds her daily bread and fills her for eternal life.
Prayer
Bread of Life, we thank you for filling us with food for today and hope for forever. Amen.