Take This Bread: A Radical Conversion

Take This Bread: A Radical Conversion

Early one morning, for no earthly reason, Sara Miles, raised an atheist, wandered into a church, received communion, and found herself transformed€“embracing a faith she€d once scorned. A lesbian left-wing journalist who€d covered revolutions around the world, Miles didn€t discover a religion that was about angels or good behavior or piety; her faith centered on real hunger, real food, and real bodies. Before long, she turned the bread she ate at communion into tons of groceries, piled on the church€s altar to be given away. Within a few years, she and the people she served had started nearly a dozen food pantries in the poorest parts of their city. <br><b><br></b><i>Take This Bread</i> is rich with real-life Dickensian characters€“church ladies, millionaires, schizophrenics, bishops, and thieves€“all blown into Miles€s life by the relentless force of her newfound calling. Here, in this achingly beautiful, passionate book, is the living communion of Christ.<br><br>€œThe most amazing book.€<br>€“Anne Lamott<br><br>€œEngaging, funny, and highly entertaining . . . Miles comments, often with great insight, on the ugliness that many people associate with a particular brand of Christianity. Why would any thinking person become a Christian? is one of the questions she addresses, and her answer is also compelling reading.€<br><i>€“Booklist<br></i><br>€œPowerful . . . This book is a gem [and] will remain with you forever.€<br><i>€“The Decatur Daily</i><br><br>€œWhat Miles learns about faith, about herself and about the gift of giving and receiving graciously are wonderful gifts for the reader.€<br>€“National Public Radio<br><br>€œ[A] joyful memoir . . . advocates big-tent Christianity in the truest sense . . . a story of finding sustenance and passing it on.€<br><i>€“National Catholic Reporter</i><br><br>€œRigorously honest, <i>Take This Bread </i>demonstrates how hard€“and how necessary€“it is to welcome everyone to the table, without exception.€<br><i>€“San Francisco Chronicle</i><br><br>€œMoving, delightful and significant.€<br><i>€“The Christian Century</i><br><br>Don€t miss the reading group guide in the back of the book.