Birth of a Sacrament

Britt and I had the honor to do the eucharistic bread for the Maundy Thursday Service and the Easter Vigil. A sacrament is simply defined as a synthesis of matter and spirit. In my opinion this definition can be problematic in that it hints at a division of spirit and matter: dualism. But the sacrament shows how reality really really is. John's Revelation most boldly shows this as the new heaven and the new earth joining, with heaven descending to earth, not the other way around. The eucharistic bread is just that: bread. It is not wheat, or olives, or any other naturally occuring thing. Bread is made, through the skill, knowledge, and technique of people. Same with wine. We, our best and worsst, are tied intimately in the sacrament. It would not be a sacrament without us.