Breaking Bread Theology

Breaking Bread Theology is a blog dedicated to honest, safe-space conversations about Christianity, theology, and philosophy. This isn’t an instructional blog or a persuasive blog. I’m not writing to convince you of anything or to correct your thinking; I want you to feel welcome here, regardless of what you believe.

While my hope is that this project will help others in some way, it’s as much for me as for anyone else. I know how hard it can be to find places to, and people with whom we can, share our faith without judgement. I hope that Breaking Bread can be that place for us.

Why "Breaking Bread" Theology?

Breaking Bread was one of the suggestions while I was brainstorming names for this blog. While the cultural reference made me laugh, the Biblical allusion also resonated with me. In the Bible, breaking bread often refers to sharing meals, and in the New Testament, it also has the added meaning of sharing the Lord’s Supper (a.k.a. Communion or Eucharist).

I think this is one of the most important things that Christians do, and the depth and power of breaking bread, whether its a meal or the Lord’s Supper, is often lost on people. Communion is viewed by many as an individual practice where we each remember the death of Jesus, but I believe there are deep implications in coming to the table together.

The Lord’s table is a place of welcome, inclusion, diversity, and grace. It’s a place where our breaking bread together draws us nearer to God and shapes us into the likeness of Christ. At the table of God, we learn to transgress boundaries, labels, and categories and be reconciled with one another. At the table of the Lord, we learn hospitality and mindfulness and acceptance. We learn to forgive and be forgiven. We learn humility and compassion. We learn to serve and to accept service. As we break bread together, we learn to love.

My hope is that as this blog grows, so will our concept of breaking bread together and all of the implications that come out of that.

Breaking Bread in a Broken World

I know this is the internet, and I know I’m endeavoring to write and converse about Christianity. If I throw politics in here, I’ll have a trifecta for all kinds of hatred, defensiveness, pride, elitism, and condescension. As a minister and life-long Christian, I know first-hand a little about how hurtful and selfish people can be when it comes to religion, so I want you to know up front that creating a safe space to share our faith doesn’t mean there won’t be tension. I’ll do my best not to be a cause of that tension, but I can’t guarantee I won’t hurt people’s feelings, too. I can’t guarantee that people won’t stir up trouble on purpose or feel justified in using harsh words. We’re all just human, and we’ll never know everything, and we’ll never be able to fully see ourselves. God willing, we will have the strength to navigate these conversations with grace and humility, even when others refuse.

Let me apologize in advance for my ignorance of who you are, where you’re coming from, or what you’ve been through. Point things out to me, and I’ll do my best to listen carefully. Like I said, Breaking Bread Theology isn’t about telling you what to believe or how things are. It’s about learning to have honest dialogue and expression of faith, whether it's beliefs or doubts or musings or concerns… I curate this space, but if you’re reading this, the space is yours, as well.