Bread Crumbs

A Way To Pray: Mark 7

Bread Crumbs – Malcolm Gordon and Michelle Lang
Mark 7:24-37

The Syro-Phoenician woman shows great courage in seeking out and speaking up before Jesus. She also shows creative faith. She doesn’t demand that she be the centre of God’s attention. Such is her belief, that she believes it will be enough for God to see her out of the corner of his eye. Just like the woman who touches Jesus believing that will be enough to heal her bleeding, here this woman lets her trust in Jesus sow seeds of hope in her that flourish, enough to even take Jesus off guard!

In this way of prayer, we will invite people to reflect on situations in their lives, or in the wider world that seem to be on the very edges of God’s gaze, that may even feel beyond God’s reach. Place the loaf of bread on the communion table. Then pass the plate of crumbs around and invite people to take a pinch of crumbs, to represent the situation that feels too far gone for God to retrieve. When everyone has had a chance to take some crumbs, you could say this prayer together,

God we are all outsiders.
There are parts of our lives and our world that feel beyond even your reach.
But we want what you have.
With the audacity of Jacob who would not let you go without a blessing
With the courage of Ruth who would not turn away
With the imagination of this Syro-Phoenician woman who believed in you More than you thought possible
We come with pure and aching hearts.
We trust that even the crumbs from your table will be more than enough.
We will take whatever you give us,
Believing it will make us and this world whole.
Amen

Invite people to eat the bread crumbs, or take them and sprinkle them somewhere significant to those they were praying for.