The Virtue of Lembas
Dear EBC Family,
If you have known me for any length of time, you undoubtedly know of my deep love for J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings fantasy trilogy. Even those who don’t go for this kind of literature are likely aware of the basic story. Frodo and his companions set out on a near hopeless quest to destroy the enemy’s golden ring of power. To do so, they must journey on foot hundreds of miles into the heart of Sauron’s realm and cast the ring into mountain of fire.
I love this epic tale, not only because it is a ripping good story, as the Brits would say, but because compelling biblical imagery is everywhere. One example is lembas, the waybread made by the elves for long journeys. It was shaped in “very thin cakes, made of meal that was baked a light brown on the outside, and inside was the color of cream.”
Frodo and company were gifted a good supply of lembas, and they initially assumed it was no different from cram, the common travel biscuit which was very uninspiring. Then they sampled the lembas, and their eyes brightened. It tasted better than the best honey-cakes they had ever tasted! Moreover, they were told that lembas was so imbued with nutrition that one small wafer would “keep a traveler on his feet for a day of long labor.”
Frodo and Sam found this to be true. Of the nine companions, their path uniquely involved severe deprivation as they made their way through the barren land of Mordor. Over the final weeks of their trek, they had nothing to eat but lembas, as no other food could be found. But they discovered that the nourishing power of lembas increased as they relied on it alone without mixing it with other foods. Furthermore, it nourished not only their bodies, but also strengthened their mind and gave hope to their heart. In the end, they were able to accomplish their mission thanks in part to lembas.
Can you see the connection with Better Bread, our 21-day season of prayer and fasting? We are abstaining from food, or some other thing we typically depend on, in order to increase our dependence Better Bread. Namely, Jesus, the Bread of Life. We know the Scripture that declares man does not live by bread alone, but we also know that donuts are delicious. So it is easy to develop a habit of loving the donuts and giving a quick wave to Jesus. Better Bread is our endeavor to break unhealthy patterns and put the best love first.
Pastor Toby
P.S. It’s not too late to take part in Better Bread! Click here for a digital copy of the booklet. Hard copies and blank journals are available in the foyer.
P.P.S. The theme of our Prayer Gathering this Thursday night at 7pm will be Savoring the Better Bread. The whole evening will be devoted to enjoying Jesus Christ, the Bread of Life.
Categories: Evergreen Connection