Weekly Theme Descriptions

Bread of Life provides everything you need to set the table and equip all ages in your congregation and community to be nourished, both in body and spirit.

Ash Wednesday: Not By Bread Alone

Lent begins with a fast from bread. Jesus chose to fast and resisted temptation when the tempter offered him bread. After 40 days, Jesus ate bread. This story demonstrates that Jesus needed both physical and spiritual nourishment for his ministry. He needed bread and so much more, just like we do.

Week 1: Bread of Life

Jesus came to feed people. Everywhere he went, people were eating! Jesus ate with wedding guests, with the disciples, with Pharisees, with tax collectors, and with thousands of followers at a time. When he ate with people, they did not just fill their bellies. Jesus fed their souls with good news, stories of redemption, and parables that showed the way of heaven. People left his presence with full stomachs and hearts. Jesus is the living bread!

Week 2: Bread for Growth

Jesus told a parable of a woman who put yeast into her bread dough, and the bread dough rose. Yeast causes bread dough to bubble up and expand. Can salt do it? No. Can oil do it? No. Only yeast. The woman with the yeast is like a person who spreads love. When we share love with one another, the kin(g)dom of God bubbles up and expands. It grows! The bread also reminds us of Jesus himself. When we share love and break bread together, our communities grow. Only love can do it!

Week 3: Bread for Each Day

Every living thing must eat, and people must eat every day. We need nutrients and minerals to keep our bodies healthy. Jesus taught us to pray for our food each day when he gave us the prayer, “Give us this day our daily bread.” Everyone should have what they need in order to eat healthy food every day.

Week 4: Bread for Sharing

Jesus told his followers how to participate in and host the perfect meal. He instructed us to approach gatherings with humility and to invite people who could never possibly invite us in return. Jesus knew that when we only invite our closest, most powerful, or wealthiest guests, we miss out on the blessings that come with sharing what we have with those who appreciate it most.

Week 5: Bread for Community

Zacchaeus was an outsider. His community rejected him because he was a tax collector. Tax collectors in Roman times were considered to be disloyal to their Jewish community, as they collected vast resources and transmitted them to the powerful empire. Some scholars believe Zacchaeus was a changed man even before he met Jesus. He already performed his work with integrity and fairness. These scholars think that when Zacchaeus met Jesus, his way of life was transformed. With either interpretation, dinner with Jesus restored Zacchaeus to his community. This story shows us that when we eat meals together, we can break down barriers between us and transform our lives.

Week 6/Palm Sunday: Bread for the Road

Even though there are only seven days until Easter, Palm Sunday is the beginning of a long journey toward the cross. Jesus will enter the city of Jerusalem amidst shouts of “Hosanna!” as the people cry out for salvation. And Jesus knows that he—not the emperor—is the one sent by God to do the work of redemption. But Jesus cannot endure this long road without both the breaking of bread with his disciples and the deep understanding that he is the bread of life. The final journey begins today. Let the whole world shout, “Hosanna!”

Maundy Thursday: Bread for Remembrance

When Jesus created the ritual of the bread and wine, he told us to remember him. Eating and drinking was Jesus’ way of inspiring us to reflect on his life and message. Even though we often participate in this sacred moment with quiet music and prayer, remembering Jesus (and others) can be a joyful experience. What do you remember about your loved ones that brings you joy?

Good Friday: Bread for Uncertainty

When Jesus died, it was a sad day. His disciples, family, and friends felt helpless as they watched Jesus suffer. Sometimes, suffering and pain do not make sense. Jesus was a good man! He taught us how to love God and each other. How could this happen? Good Friday reminds us to be sad and angry when people are treated poorly. But even though the “bread of life” was broken on Good Friday, that bread would go on to feed the world.

Easter: Bread for Feasting

After Jesus’ resurrection, the meals continued! Jesus picked up right where he left off, eating with people and feeding people. Jesus knew that people still needed him to fill their bellies with food and their hearts with good news. Today, we continue that mission, providing meals and spiritual care to each other and our world. This is the purpose of the Church and the beauty of following Jesus today.