Based on Matthew's account of Jesus feeding the crowd of 5,000 men (plus women and children), this theme claims the abundance of God's grace and providence in the face of apparent adversity.

Jesus and the crowd of followers meet up in Matthew 14: 13-21, right after the well-known prophet John the Baptist has been murdered. In this moment of crisis, Jesus sets out for retreat to pray, but encounters the crowd, which seeks him when they hear about John's death. In the end, rather than send them away empty, Jesus not only heals them, but feeds them, with a scant five loaves of bread and two fish. All eat and are satisfied and they take up 12 baskets of leftovers.

This text reminds us that, as cultural shifts leave Disciples congregations and wider ministries in the midst of unsettling change, we are right to seek out Jesus. In the midst of our challenges, Jesus offers a healing touch and an invitation to share in the feast of his abundance.

In joyful, faithful response to such a gracious gift,
we too "Share the Feast" with the world around us.