Fresh Bread: 5th Sunday after the Epiphany

5th Sunday after the Epiphany

Lectionary Texts: Isaiah 6:1-8 (9-13); Psalm 138;

1 Corinthians 15:1-11; Luke 5:1-11

Bread Words

"Once while Jesus was standing beside the lake of Gennesaret, and the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he saw two boats there at the shore of the lake; the fisherman had gone out of them and were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little way from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat. When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, 'Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.' Simon answered, 'Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing. Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets.' When they had done this, they caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to break. So they signaled their partners in the other boat to dome and help them. And they came and filled both boats, so that they began to sink. But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, 'Go away from me Lord, for I am a sinful man!' For he and all that were with him were amazed at the catch of fish that they had taken; and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. Then Jesus said to Simon, 'Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people.' When they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed him." (Luke 5:1-11)

It is this passage from Luke which has inspired the fish-shape for the bread. Reflecting upon this image and the Gospel passage also raises the question of how it is that the shape of a fish on a bumper sticker or a car magnet has come to identify the car's occupants as "Christians." The stylized fish shapes seen on bumper stickers frequently have Greek letters filling the outline. This should not be mistaken for an ecumenical gesture of the Greek Orthodox Church. The symbol with the Greek letters actually dates from the second century when Saint Clement of Alexandria suggested that Christians be identified by a seal, such as the form of the fish. In fact, those letters (Iota-Chi-Theta-Upsilon-Sigma) are the Greek word for "fish," pronounced ichthys. One of the reasons why the fish symbol with the Greek letters had been popularized in the twentieth century is because of the acrostic made with the letters:

Iesous = Jesus

Christos=Christ

Theou = of God

Yiou = Son

Soter = Saviour

As with most symbols appropriated by Christians, there is fish imagery in pre-Christian pagan rituals as well as in other cultures. I won't go there. But it is impossible for me to ignore the humor of the contemporary co-optation of the fish symbol by the anti-Creationists: large fish with wide-open mouth and Greek-style letters spelling "Darwin" chasing a smaller fish, chasing a smaller fish, chasing a smaller fish, chasing a smaller fish......But the Communion bread is close-mouthed.

The bread dough for the fish-shaped bread is the same, simple whole wheat bread that has been used frequently for Fresh Bread. The only variation is the addition of dill seed. Dill goes well with fish.

1 cup milk

1/2 cup boiling water

2 teaspoons dry yeast

3-3 1/2 cups unbleached flour

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup olive oil

1 teaspoon sea salt

2 cups whole wheat flour

Add the boiling water to the milk in a large mixing bowl. Test to make sure that the liquid is not too hot and then sprinkle the yeast over the liquid to allow it to dissolve. Add 2 cups of unbleached flour and mix for 2 minutes. Allow the mixture to stand for a few minutes.

Add the honey, olive oil, sea salt, and whole wheat flour and mix well. Add sufficient unbleached flour to make a stiff dough. Turn dough out onto a well-floured surface, thoroughly scraping the bowl, and knead for about 8 minutes. (Be amazed that Christians must continue to be fishers-of-humans. As powerful as Jesus' message was more than 2000 years ago, humans continue to hunger for his assurance of forgiveness and enduring LOVE. This fish bread is a sign and symbol of that LOVE, of a new way of being.) Place the dough back into the bowl which has been well-greased with olive oil. Turn the dough so that all surfaces are oiled. Let the dough rise for at least one hour.

Deflate the dough and then form into a rope about 3 1/2 feel long. On a well-buttered baking sheet, shape into a fish, twisting the ends once to create a tail.