Our Daily Bread has been published by the Swedenborgian Church since 1949. Its publication is currently made possible by a fund donated by a church formerly located in Philadelphia, PA.
The magazine’s purposes are threefold:
- Personal Devotion
- Church Worship
- Outreach
We hope you will be inspired by the range of sermons and ideas available on this site and in our print magazine. Visit the new Our Daily Bread webpage, visit us on Facebook, and find past issues of the print version below.
Our Daily Bread Issues from 2009-2014
Kevin Baxter and Leah G. Goodwin, Editors
2014
2013
November-December 2013 October 2013 May/June 2013 March/April 2013 January/February 2013
2012
November/December 2012 September/October 2012 July/August 2012 May/June 2012 March/April 2012 January/February 2012
2011
November/December 2011 September/October 2011 July/August 2011 May/June 2011 March/April 2011 January/February 2011
2010
October/November 2010 August/September 2010 June/July 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010
2009
December 2009 November 2009 October 2009
August 2009 July 2009 April 2009 March 2009
The Birth of Our Daily Bread
By Adolph T. Liebert
Our Daily Bread was a dream of the Rev. Richard H. Tafel, Sr., who was pastor of the Philadelphia Swedenborgian Church for fifty years. His dream was to publish a monthly devotional magazine of sermons and daily prayers as a source of spiritual inspiration and a much needed publication in the church.
As a member and adviser to the American New Church Tract and Publication Society on theological and spiritual matters, he brought to them his dream of a new publication to replace The Helper, which was a small monthly magazine that was failing due to a lack of interest in its contents. His proposal was accepted, and he was appointed editor of the new publication: Our Daily Bread. The first issue was dated December 1949, and it has been published continuously ever since.
The American New Church Tract and Publication Society was an incorporated body run by members of the Philadelphia Swedenborgian Church. Its purpose was “to publish books by Emanuel Swedenborg, and tracts by New Church writers.” On February 1, 1986 it dissolved, assigning its assets to the General Convention (the Swedenborgian Church) to establish a restricted fund whose income was to be used, first for the publication of Our Daily Bread, and second for other publication efforts. A further provision was that the editor be selected by Convention’s Council of Ministers. This has proven to be a wise requirement.
Editors:
1949-1985: Rev. Richard H. Tafel, Sr.
1985-1997: Rev. Richard H. Tafel, Jr.
1997-2008: Rev. Lee Woofenden
2008-2015: Rev. Kevin Baxter and Rev. Leah G. Goodwin
2016-present: Rev. Dr. David Fekete and Rev. Thomas Muller, now online