There're these two young fish swimming along and they happen to meet an older fish swimming the other way, who nods at them and says "Morning, boys. How's the water?" And the two young fish swim on for a bit, and then eventually one of them looks over at the other and goes "Water? What the heck is water?"

That's exactly how culture works. It's water to a fish.

So, in a day when worship is marketing, stewardship is fund-raising, growth is excitement, and ministry is programs and services, we must ask ourselves, "Is this the kind of community Paul describes in this week's Epistle, or is it more like the water we as Americans swim in obliviously every day?"

In the stories we tell, the captive leaves the cell or prison camp and rides off into the sunset. Do we really think we know what freedom is? What if we needed to be shown what freedom means.

The very familiar story Matthew tells in chapter 14 verses 22-33 is literally packed with straightforward and practical lessons. And if you read it, even casually, you can likely pick out most of them.

But it’s also rich with deep and weighty theological and Christological significance. But in order to see these you have to read just a little deeper.

There's just one of Jesus' miracles recorded in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. One. There was something about it that all four Evangelists - initially writing to very different audiences - were compelled to tell.

It involves feeding a crowd.

And the recipe, while generally familiar, has an ingredient or two that just might inspire you.

Matthew 14:13–21