Trinity Church in the City of Boston
Proper 25 Year B
August 18, 2024

1 Kings 2:10-12; 3:3-14
Psalm 111
John 6:51-58

 

Almighty God, you have given your only Son to be for us a sacrifice for sin, and also an example of godly life: Give us grace to receive thankfully the fruits of his redeeming work, and to follow daily in the blessed steps of his most holy life; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

 

Bacon Eggs and Buttered toast, Praise Father Son and holy ghost. Amen

 

That is one of the blessings that I learned when I was a camp counselor at Camp, the rule was always be ready to pray…. This prayer distilled the core elements down to a T, bless God and the food, let’s eat!

 

Having just spent 5 days with our Choir Camp in Connecticut, I could not help but be reminded of this blessing. Simple and blessed, all around our breakfast table. 

Standing, Joy-filled with sleep a bit in our eyes, Praise Father Son and Holy Ghost for a new day.

 

This past week, our Choir did not use this blessing (though I was ready with it just in case), instead, they sang one of the most beautiful songs by William Byrd [i]  each day. 

No Nobis

Non nobis Domine Domine,
non nobis Domine,
sed nomine sed nomine,
tuo da gloriam!

 

At each meal to remind us “to god be the glory.”

 Before we headed into our breakfast, lunch or dinner. 

 

Far more elevated and a bit more reverent than the super man blessing and the aforementioned Bacon Eggs and Buttered toast blessing…. 

This simple harmony encouraged living into a different beat, 

a pause to give thanks for those made breakfast for us to devour, for the fact that we did not have to make breakfast, nor do anything more than eat and clear our dishes.

A beautiful beginning to a day.

To God be the glory.

 

Now, I am a visual learner and each morning this lovely song was sung from memory and in repetition which means I sang which ever part I chose and also whatever words I chose or grabbed onto…. No Nobis in my little brain often made me think of Dona No Bis Pachem [ii] - the only other latin choral piece that I know….

 

In return to city life, my daily singing this beautiful tune does not create an amazing breakfast to appear at my table. 

Instead, we all know that here in Boston, Boston runs on…….DUNKIN

With three Dunkin’s within .25miles of us here, coffee and donuts are in abundance (and mildly confusing by app if you are not careful!)

We love our regulah coffee- with 2 milks and 2 sugars ….

waking up with a bit of a different cadence…on the go.

 

Sipping my dunkin regular since my return from camp, I am still basking in the afterglow of the Olympics that just concluded in Paris. Wondering just how many croissants were on those breakfast tables, appearing each morning … 

Do Olympians even eat croissants? Surely at least the fans and their families do!

 

While Paris perfected the Croissant, it’s origin was not French.

The Croissant was first created in Vienna Austria and was called the Kipferl- or Crescent due to it’s shape- the viennese roll was more similar to a bagel- yeasted wheat dough and is often served with sugar and almonds. Legend dates this first form of the croissant began back to the 17^th  century and others back to the 13^th century- regardless it is Vienna where the Kipferl began. [iii] 

 

And it is not until the 19^th Century that the French took the Kipferl and made it their own and into what we now call the Croissant. (using the French word for crescent due to its shape) [iv] 

 

Now a croissant is a curious thing.

It’s Flaky (in a good way)

It’s light and airy

It is delicious.

 

AND it is quite a process.

Croissants are not a quick and easy and done.

Rather the notes of flavor, complexity of texture takes time, energy and precious.

 

You see with croissants, first you create a dough and THEN you literally fold the dough over cold butter and then press the dough flat and then fold, fold, fold, and the put it away in the refrigerator to rest.

Then repeat and rest, 

and repeat and rest.

All of those layers are because someone took the time to fold, fold, fold, and refold the dough and then took the time to rest.

Patience, embracing the task, practicing.

 

This folding process is called “Lamination” and once it is completed, the dough is cut and shaped. (Adding Chocolate in the roll shaping process gives a little more fun and a new name) shapes and sizes can be made and the final product is cooked in the oven.

 

When baked the butter creates steam which in turn creates the air pockets and layers… and the croissant is created.

 

The key to a beautiful croissant is temperature, folding, resting and repeating or practicing.

 

As we head into the finale of our “bread week” gospel series, I could not help thinking about the both the history and the discipline of the croissant, the energy that is needed and the patience that for the finished project.

 

Jesus is repeating himself over and over again, turning a corner, seeing a new group, talking about the same concept: his ultimate sacrifice for all of humanity in his ultimate rising from the dead. (Sorry, the puns were rampant at camp!)

 

Think about it though,

We are told the same stories all of our life, every three years we hear the same gospel read to us and yet each time we hear this gospel, the story we hear is enfolded into our lives in a new way, embraced and resonates with a new layer into our being. The context where we are met is different than three years ago and yet our need for grace, mercy, and love still remain.

We rest in this knowledge of love and promise.

 

When Jesus speaks, he knows that he will have to repeat himself.

He knows that the disciples will not fully understand.

He invites them to be embraced by what he is saying.

Jesus invites the disciples to rest in that embrace.

Jesus, himself, takes moments to step away and rest himself.

Jesus knows that it takes time to understand what he was saying, to sink in and become one or abide.

He knows that we are all projects being transformed by new teachings, ones we have heard for the millionth time to the very first time.

 

Jesus invites all of the disciples, and in turn us, to listen one more time, to turn towards him and to abide in the knowledge of the love of a God who comes so close to you that you are embraced, wrapped up and in becoming one, become more than you can alone.

 

In times of loneliness, in times of sorrow, God in your midst, creating in that empty space a place for love to be developed, to know you are surrounded by others who know the same.

 

We hear of breaking bread constantly through scripture. 

God is in the business of providing bread for his people. From the bread needed for Elijah as he was tired, to the manna – just enough for the Israelites each day, to Jesus’ explaining that while bread of today is going to fill your tummies for now, the nourishment our souls really need can be found through the imperishable love that Jesus has lived and died for. 

 

And while sometimes the project might feel tedious and taking too much time and we just want to run on donuts or the quick and easy Bacon Egg and Buttered Toast blessings, let’s let this year’s reading in bread week remind you that each layer builds upon the previous layer and each moment matters.

 

For God loves you.

Has spent time with you in the valleys and the mountain tops

And will continue to be with you in this walk of Faith.

 

God wants us to understand and feed our faith in ways that allow us to taste and see that life is good and death is not the end. [v] 

God wishes us to make sense of our communion and allow us to taste and see the grace and mercy and love that is our midst.

 

Amen.

 

[i]   A Simple Recording can be heard here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QbOogwu6NOA 

[ii]   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fhJ6XrZ4jg 

[iii] ] https://www.google.com/search?q=kipferl+word+meaning&rlz=1C5CHFA_enUS977US977&oq=kipferl+meaning&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUqCAgBEAAYFhgeMgkIABBFGDkYgAQyCAgBEAAYFhgeMgoIAhAAGA8YFhgeMgoIAxAAGIAEGKIEMgoIBBAAGIAEGKIEMgoIBRAAGKIEGIkFMgoIBhAAGIAEGKIE0gEINDUzOGowajeoAgCwAgA&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8 

[iv]   https://www.ice.edu/blog/brief-history-croissant 

[v]   Spiritualityofconflict.com