Gracious Father, Your blessed Son came down from heaven to be the true bread that gives life to the world. Grant that Christ, the bread of life, may live in us and we in Him, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
My father’s cousin used to work at a television station in a small Midwest city. This was early TV when advertising was local and locally produced. One day he gave my parents a tour of the station. He showed them the many props which were used for the commercials they watched every night. As the announcer read the advertisement for Wells Blue Bunny ice cream the camera focused on a bowl heaped with, not ice cream, but mashed potatoes. They looked like ice cream, however, and the power of suggestion along with the somewhat grainy quality of early televisions was enough. Everyone thought they were looking at a bowl of ice cream. One of the station’s primary sponsors was a local bread company. Each night the announcer read statements lauding the quality, freshness, and wholesomeness of the local baker’s product. But when my father held the loaf of bread which was shown every night in its packaging, it was hard and crusted in mold.
We note in this prayer that God’s blessed Son came from heaven to be the true bread that gives life to the world. Technology, our culture, and media have often made us very suspicious of truth claims. My father said he really could never hear those announcements about that bread quite the same way ever again. He found himself looking at the loaves in the ad and the ones in the store suspiciously. Were they as moldy as the sample he saw on TV last night?
But this prayer is not selling bread or ice cream. This prayer is observing something about God who transcends our doubt. We pray that this living bread, Jesus Christ, lives in us and we in Him. He is the true bread. He brings life to the world. In a font he brought life to you. In Word and Supper, he continues to pour life into you that you may live in Him. Set your doubt aside and trust him. He is the Truth.