The Fullness of Crumbs

We do not presume to come to this Thy Table, O merciful Lord, trusting in our own righteousness, but in Thy manifold and great mercies. We are not worthy so much as to gather up the crumbs under Thy Table. But Thou art the same Lord, Whose property is always to have mercy …

-- Beginning of The Prayer of Humble Access,

from the Book of Common Prayer.

In the traditional Anglican Rite, this prayer precedes the Communion rite. It is a prayer with deep meaning and I reflect on it here as it relates to something I heard recently.

A retired gentleman I know (an electrician by trade), like many others in these hard economic times has found it difficult to make ends meet on just his retirement. So, as a rather accomplished woodworker, he makes hand-crafts to sell. His profit margin is not very high at all but he does it for the love of it; (he keeps a picture of St. Joseph in his workshop and frequently invokes his help and intercession). We sit around in his garage/workshop and talk about things and he said to me once, “Sales used to be pretty steady. Now it seems like God is just throwing us scraps.” As a hand-crafter myself (though not with wood) I understood his meaning and the hint of despondency in his voice resonated with me. It got me thinking about scraps. And crumbs.

In an age when so many churches and pastors preach a Gospel of social prosperity those who fall prey to believing such a false concept naturally cannot understand why, when they seem to be doing what is right and good, they do not prosper financially. Of course, many of the preachers of such a gospel seem to prosper well enough as do many who seem to have no regard for God at all. In the face of all this it is easy to understand why some give into despair and even begin to envy and resent those who have more than they. Some even make it the thrust of their political ideology under the guise of “justice”. But the bringing about of justice – true justice that is -  is the property of God, not of philosophies or ideological political systems. It is not for us Christians to try and affect the outcome of history. We do well to heed the advice of the Psalmist:

Do not fret because of the wicked; do not envy those who do evil: for they wither quickly like grass and fade like the green of the fields. Be still before the Lord and wait in patience; do not fret at the man who prospers; a man who makes evil plots to bring down the needy and the poor. Calm your anger and forget your rage; do not fret, it only leads to evil (Ps. 37).

Back to scraps and crumbs.

When I think of scraps and crumbs I naturally think of something that is a remnant, a leftover, something that is lacking wholeness or fullness. But when I reflect on the gifts and activities of God – His life-giving energies (My grace is sufficient for you), the sacrifice of His Only-Begotten Son ( .. it is finished), the indwelling of the All-Holy Spirit ( .. who will teach you all things) – I can see nothing that is lacking. All is filled and being fulfilled – in Christ. Is this perspective based on my having wealth and possessions? It is not. In times past I have had a lot and I squandered a lot. Now I survive on the crumbs that fall from God’s Table, and that is sufficient for this time and place in my life, according to His Most Excellent Will. I am not concerned with what or how much someone else has for they would not have it if God had not allowed it to be so. Nor do I seek to benefit from the redistribution of others property. I am concerned with being grateful for and a good steward of what He has given and entrusted to me.

Nothing God does or gives is lacking or deficient in any way. God is Good and everything He does and gives is completely and wholly good. He gives us fullness and we offer Him leftovers and complain about our circumstances. We throw Him our scraps and pity ourselves because we have received only crumbs. If we are unable to perceive God’s love and wholesome Goodness in the midst of our circumstances and in some sense learn to be at peace with the circumstances because of the Goodness within, then the transformation that comes through the renewing of our minds is not yet complete and we are still conformed to the world (Rom. 12:2). The deficiency is on our part, not God’s.

If we can let go of our grievances and not fret over disparities; live humbly and honestly before Him, occupying our minds with all that is good, pure, true, noble and beautiful and enduring to the end whatever comes, we will be saved and lack for nothing that is good.

Does this mean we will never struggle with the means to obtain the things we need and sometimes want? No. We will struggle. Some will struggle more than others. But we will not be overcome if our heart’s desire is fixed on God.

It is in the midst of the hardest struggles when God showers us with the crumbs from His Table. We must never be afraid or ashamed to look for and gather up these crumbs, for each one of them is a full meal and contains its own unique abundance.

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