Take This Bread

1. Unexpected conversion: A journalist's journey to faith through communion

I still can't explain my first communion. It made no sense. I was in tears and physically unbalanced: I felt as if I had just stepped off a curb or been knocked over, painlessly, from behind.

A surprising encounter. Sara Miles, a secular journalist with no religious background, stumbles into a church and experiences an unexpected, powerful connection during communion. This moment catalyzes a profound transformation in her life, challenging her preconceptions about faith and spirituality.

Journey of discovery. As Miles explores her newfound faith, she grapples with questions of belief, community, and purpose. Her journey illustrates how faith can emerge in unexpected places and ways, often defying rational explanation. This conversion experience becomes the foundation for a radical reimagining of what it means to be a Christian in the modern world.

2. The power of food: Connecting people and embodying spiritual truths

Food was a lot of what had grounded me before, shaping my family, my work, my relationships. It had meant a five-gallon plastic bucket full of broken eggs. It had meant a generously offered bowl of rice porridge in the jungle. It had meant the thin blue milk leaking from my own breasts.

Nourishment beyond sustenance. Miles recognizes food as a powerful medium for connection, memory, and spiritual experience. Her background in cooking and her experiences with sharing meals in various contexts inform her understanding of communion and community.

Food as metaphor and reality. Through her work with the food pantry, Miles explores how the act of feeding others can be a tangible expression of love, faith, and inclusion. She draws parallels between the Christian sacrament of communion and the everyday act of sharing food, finding deep spiritual meaning in both.

3. Establishing a food pantry: Challenges and growth in serving the community

I couldn't reconcile the experience with anything I knew or had been told. But neither could I go away: For some inexplicable reason, I wanted that bread again.

A calling takes shape. Inspired by her transformative experience with communion, Miles feels compelled to start a food pantry at her church. This initiative becomes a practical expression of her newfound faith and a way to connect her spiritual life with tangible service to others.

Overcoming obstacles. The process of establishing and running the food pantry presents numerous challenges, from logistical issues to resistance from within the church community. These difficulties force Miles to confront her own assumptions and biases while deepening her commitment to serving others.

4. Embracing diversity: The church as a place for all, including the marginalized

I was going to have to work with the people I liked at St. Gregory's, and the ones who irritated the hell out of me, and Veronica, and a bunch of strangers I hadn't even met yet.

Radical inclusivity. Miles's vision of church emphasizes welcoming all people, especially those often marginalized or excluded from traditional religious spaces. This approach challenges both her own comfort and the established norms of the church community.

Learning from the margins. Through her interactions with diverse individuals at the food pantry, Miles gains new insights into faith, community, and human dignity. She discovers that those often considered "outsiders" have much to teach about the true nature of Christianity and service.

5. Redefining Christianity: Moving beyond dogma to active love and service

The message of Jesus is the only sure cure for religion.

Faith in action. Miles develops a understanding of Christianity that prioritizes practical acts of love and service over rigid doctrines or rituals. This perspective challenges traditional notions of what it means to be a Christian and calls for a more engaged, compassionate faith.

Challenging the status quo. By emphasizing active service and radical inclusivity, Miles confronts both her own preconceptions and the established norms of organized religion. Her approach invites a reimagining of Christianity that is more aligned with Jesus's teachings and example.

6. Confronting personal biases: Learning from those we serve

I was learning about more than politics or religion. I was learning something about God: You can't hope to see God without opening yourself to all God's creation.

Growth through discomfort. Miles's work with the food pantry forces her to confront her own prejudices and assumptions about people different from herself. This process of self-reflection and growth becomes an integral part of her spiritual journey.

Unexpected teachers. Through interactions with diverse individuals at the food pantry, Miles gains new insights into faith, humanity, and her own limitations. She discovers that those she initially sought to serve often become her greatest teachers, challenging her to expand her understanding of God and community.

7. The struggle for unity: Balancing tradition and radical inclusion in the church

Unity is a gospel imperative to just the extent that we find it hard.

Navigating conflict. Miles's efforts to expand the food pantry's reach and integrate it more fully into church life meet resistance from some members of the congregation. This conflict highlights the tension between maintaining traditional church practices and embracing a more radical, inclusive vision of faith.

Finding common ground. The struggle to balance different perspectives within the church community forces Miles to confront the challenges of unity in diversity. She learns that true Christian community often requires difficult conversations, compromise, and a willingness to embrace discomfort for the sake of a larger vision.

8. Sacraments reimagined: Finding holy moments in everyday acts of kindness

I began to notice our people spontaneously engaging in sacramental acts, finding their own ways to express the desires and purposes that had been codified so long ago by the church.

Expanding sacred space. Miles recognizes that sacramental moments can occur outside of traditional church settings, particularly in the context of serving others at the food pantry. This perspective broadens the understanding of what constitutes a sacred act or space.

Everyday holiness. Through her work at the food pantry, Miles discovers that seemingly ordinary actions—sharing a meal, offering a kind word, or providing groceries—can become profound expressions of God's love and presence. This realization invites a more expansive view of spiritual practice and divine encounter.

9. The tension between personal faith and organized religion

I didn't think God needed humans to practice religion at all: God didn't need to be appeased by sacrifices or offerings or perfectly memorized quotations from the Bible spoken in the right order. God was not manageable.

Beyond institutionalization. Miles grapples with the disconnect between her personal spiritual experiences and the structures of organized religion. She questions the necessity of many traditional religious practices while seeking to maintain a meaningful connection to faith community.

Navigating contradictions. As she deepens her involvement with the church, Miles must reconcile her critique of religious institutions with her desire for community and shared spiritual practice. This tension leads her to explore new ways of expressing faith that honor both personal experience and collective tradition.

10. Expanding the vision: From feeding bodies to nourishing souls

I had to believe that the hurt places in her, and my inadequacies, were not defining who she could become. That our lives were not about avoiding pain at all costs but about going through it, together, and finding gratitude for the experience.

Holistic ministry. Miles's work with the food pantry evolves from simply providing physical nourishment to addressing deeper spiritual and emotional needs. She recognizes the interconnectedness of physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being in the lives of those she serves.

Transformative community. Through the food pantry, Miles creates a space where people can experience healing, belonging, and personal growth. This expanded vision of ministry challenges traditional boundaries between sacred and secular, inviting a more integrated approach to faith and service.

Last updated: January 23, 2025