Baptism of Jesus / Ordination

Baptism of Jesus / Ordination     7 January 2007

Bread Words

Lectionary Texts:  Isaiah 43:1-7; Psalm 29; Acts 8:14-17; Luke 3:15-17,21-22

"Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus in bodily form like a dove.  And a voice came from heaven, "You are my Child, the Beloved;  with you I am well pleased."              (Luke 3:21-22.)

It is this ritual of baptism performed by his cousin, John, that marks the beginning of Jesus' ministry.  "Jesus was about thirty years old when he began his work."  (Luke 3:23)  In early Christian artworks depicting this baptism, John is frequently portrayed streaming water from a shell over Jesus' head.  This is a likely explanation for the association of the shell image with the baptism ritual.

Another kind of spiritual practice associated with the shell image is the pilgrimage on the Camino de Santiago de Compostela (The Way of Saint James, Field of Stars) in northern Spain.  The remains of the Apostle James are said to be buried at the Santiago de Compostela.  There are a number of pre-Christian legends about the pilgrimage which embrace the symbolism of the shell--a pagan fertility ritual and a Celtic death journey are examples.  For modern-day sojourners who may walk El Camino for weeks as a spiritual quest, the scallop shell has become a token signifying the successful completion of their trek to the Atlantic coast of Spain.  Whether or not sojourners on a faith journey ever visit the Continent or ever set foot on El Camino, the scallop shell has come to be symbolic of spiritual seeking.

Because of the associations with baptism and spiritual seeking, the scallop shell seems like a fitting shape for the Communion bread for the Baptism of Jesus Sunday when a member of the congregation will be Ordained as an Elder.  On the occasion of Ordination, the faith community embraces the unique gifts and graces of the new elder and pledges to support her special ministry.  As the Communion table is approached on this day (which also celebrates Jesus' Epiphany), there will be a Great Thankgiving for ALL the gifts we bring for God's glory.

The bread dough is slightly sweet, and it is flavored with Chai tea.  The formation of the bread will be made easier with the use of kitchen shears to create a shell-shape.

(Not-quite) Whole Wheat Bread

3 to 3 1/2 cups unbleached flour

2 teaspoons active dry yeast

1 3/4 cups warmed milk

3 Chai tea bags

1/2 cup organic sugar

3 Tablespoons softened butter

1 1/4 teaspoons salt

2 cups whole wheat flour

Warm the milk to almost scalding.  Let the tea bags steep in the warmed milk for about five minutes.  Pour the tea-flavored milk into a large mixing bowl.  After the milk has cooled sufficiently, sprinkle the dry yeast over the surface to dissolve.  Add 3 cups of the unbleached flour and stir for about two minutes.  Let the sponge sit for about five minutes.

Add the sugar, butter, salt, and some of the whole wheat flour.  Mix well and then add more whole wheat flour to make a very stiff dough.  Turn the dough out on a floured surface, thoroughly scraping the bowl.  Knead the dough, utilizing the remaining flours, for about 8 minutes.  (Singing "We Three Kings" provides a perfect meter for kneading the bread....and it helps me to get my annual quota of the one carol which seems to get short shrift at church.)  Place the dough back in the bowl which has been well-greased; turn the dough to grease the entire surface.  Let the dough rise in a warm place for about 75 minutes.

Punch the dough down and pat it out on a floured surface into a circular shape about 12-inches in diameter and 1 1/2-inches thick.  Place the dough on a well-greased baking sheet.  Using kitchen shears, cut the base of the scallop-shell shape and the fan-shape radiating from the base.

To create the ridge-effect on the body of the shell, either use a knife or the kitchen shears to cut seven "rays" in the bread.  Let the bread rise for about one hour and then bake at 375-degrees for about 45 minutes, or until golden brown.  After removing the pan from the oven, let the bread sit on the baking sheet for five minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.  M-m-m-m...the flavor is indescribable.

 

Comments

[Todd]

Hi, I enjoyed reading your post. Could you tell me where you read about the pagan rituals associated with the Way? Specifically, I'm looking for the citation behind it being a Celtic death journey. Thanks.

[valarie king]

Could you please tell me the date or month that John the Baptist baptismed Jesus Christ