Bonfire Toffee, Communion Bread

I love the taste of bonfire toffee. Made from treacle or molasses, along with butter, sugar and white vinegar, it is not easy to produce. I spoiled at least one baking tray in the process and am now content to simply enjoy the fruits of others’ labour. The taste is wonderfully evocative and is one of our autumnal highlights. By sucking and crunching on its broken shards and jagged pieces, it’s as though I can taste four decades of bonfire, fireworks and those crisp, cloudless evenings upon which they crackled and glowed. So much memory in so much flavour. Indeed, as a free-born Englishman, I’d defy both king and parliament to enjoy its dark, rich flavour.

It has always puzzled me that the Lord Jesus decreed He be remembered by a piece of bread. Without butter and jam, the morsel is not half so flavoursome as bonfire toffee, yet its meaning far more profound. The wheat is pounded to flour, baked to bread and torn to pieces. This staple of life we ingest and consume, so it becomes a part of us: Christ in us and we in Him. Our senses are not to delight in the symbol- its rich taste or beautiful presentation- but in its wonderful meaning. At our last communion, we sang James Montgomery’s hymn: 

1 According to thy gracious word,

in meek humility,

this will I do, my dying Lord,

I will remember thee.

 

2 Thy body, broken for my sake,

my bread from heav'n shall be;

thy testamental cup I take,

and thus remember thee.

 

3 Gethsemane can I forget?

Or there thy conflict see,

thine agony and bloody sweat,

and not remember thee?

 

4 When to the cross I turn mine eyes,

and rest on Calvary,

O Lamb of God, my sacrifice,

I must remember thee.

 

5 Remember thee, and all thy pains,

and all thy love to me:

when thou shalt in thy kingdom come,

Jesus, remember me.

 

This is far more important a memory than our autumn days when the grass is jewelled. We take communion for we are wont to forget Him who must be remembered; He will one day remember us before the angels and all heaven: 

And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.