Break Thou the Bread of Life

The most important matter of the Lord's table meeting is the singing of hymns of praise. We must learn to read hymns, choose hymns, and use the hymns. Many times a good hymn can stir up the spirit of the meeting. In choosing hymns, the first thing to consider is the hymn's relevance. For example, some like to call Hymns, #806, thinking that this hymn speaks of breaking the bread. But actually, the bread in this hymn is not the bread at the Lord's table but the Lord as the bread of life in John 6. Second, we must learn to read the hymns aloud. We can read the verses once or twice but not more than four times. Some hymns are best suited for singing, and other hymns are best suited for reading with singing. It takes skill to use a hymn. If we are skillful, the move of the Spirit will be strong. If our skill is poor, the Spirit will be hindered. Skill is a matter of the mind. If we have merely the spirit without the interpretation of the mind, life still cannot come forth. Additionally, we should memorize some hymns. This will help us to call them at the right moment.

The first stanza of Hymns, #806 reads, "Break Thou the Bread of Life, / Dear Lord, to me, / As Thou didst break the loaves / Beside the sea; / Beyond the sacred page / I seek Thee, Lord; / My spirit pants for Thee, / O Living Word." This hymn may have been written by the Brethren because it contains types and figures. For instance, stanza 1 says, "Break Thou the Bread of Life, / Dear Lord, to me; / As Thou didst break the loaves / Beside the sea." Stanza 4 says, "Bless Thou the truth, dear Lord, / To me, to me, / As Thou didst bless the bread / By Galilee." This kind of imagery is similar to what can be found in Brethren hymns. This hymn contains a crucial point that shows the kind of person we should be and the kind of attitude and desire we should have, if we desire to seek the word of the Lord.

This hymn also shows that the writer was not seeking mere biblical doctrine but the Lord Himself. Hence, the second half of stanza 1 reads, "Beyond the sacred page / I seek Thee, Lord; / My spirit pants for Thee, / O Living Word." Then the second half of stanza 3 says, "Show me the truth concealed / Within Thy Word, / And in Thy Book revealed / I see the Lord." The author of this hymn was not seeking doctrines but the Lord Himself in the Word.

Stanza 4 reads, "Bless Thou the truth, dear Lord, / To me, to me, / As Thou didst bless the bread / By Galilee; / Then shall all bondage cease, / All fetters fall, / And I shall find my peace, / My All in all." Everyone who seeks to prophesy, who seeks the Lord's word, should learn of the spirit and attitude demonstrated in this hymn. We need to see that we are not seeking the truth as doctrine or as letter. Instead, we are seeking the Lord of reality, the Lord Himself.