Lyn M. (lyn-antiphon) -
"Bread lies at the very heart of our experience as believers; it is the elemental foodstuff and it is symbol taken, blessed, broken and distributed as the sign of the One who taught us, "I am the bread of life. It is hard to think of these things as one rips the colored plastic wrapper off a store-bought loaf only to find the calcium-propionate fortified plastic slices within. It is hard to think of these things as one goes to the altar to be handed the blotter-paper poker chips that passes for the staff of life in too many of our churches. But the man or woman who mixes, kneads, proofs and bakes real bread is in touch with mystery of existence. This is not to say that bread-making is entirely an action of solemnity. Rather it has its moments of slap-stick comedy and even outright irritation, especially when the flour showers--as it is so wont to do--on the floor rather than into the bowl. Homemade bread has all the perversity of real life--unexpected veins of coarseness, uncooked corners, burned places on the crust show up all too often. But, again like real life, it is the rare loaf that is a total failure. Most often homemade bread proves to have some redeeming quality about it, and from time to time, frequently when least expected, the baker opens the oven to find pure glory waiting within."
