Earthiness and Communion (Day 33)

July 03, 2021, By: Jimmy Scruggs

 

Starter Prayer: Spirit of Christ, rising in me like Bread! Knead me into the shape you desire for my life. And allow me to be nourishment for others. Amen

Focus Phrase: Feast

Scripture Reading: Psalm 34:8; John 6:35

Optional Read-along: Water, Wind, Earth and Fire pp. 120b-129a  (Chapter Three: Sister Earth, Sections: Feasting and Communion; Our Own Earthiness.)

Spiritual Direction:

In today’s read-along, CVP quotes theologian David Ford on the meaning and aesthetics of feasting: All the senses are engaged in a good feast. We taste, touch, smell, see, hear. Salvation as health is here vividly physical. Anything that heals and enhances savoring the world through our senses may feed into a salvation that culminates in feasting. From prayer for healing, and all the skills of medicine, through the accumulated wisdom of traditions of cookery, wine-making and brewing, to the experiences and habits which refine our sensual discriminations and enjoyments, the requirements for full feasting draw us deeper into appreciation of our embodiment.

Ford’s words explain why good food and drink are universal sources of Joy. Feasting is imbibing on the goodness of God. In fact, the sacramental feast of Holy Communion is a worship ritual of the same kind. And ritual meals and feasting occur in all traditions, which says to me that God is the source of our feasting; and God’s earth is a source of Joy and vitality.

For reflection: How might our eating habits be transformed into a sense of sacred nourishment, connecting and honoring the land that is the source of this gift from God? What does communion mean for you?

For prayer practice: 1.) Plan a meal to be shared with family and/or friends. Be intentional and grateful as you shop for ingredients and cook. Share in the feast and enjoy the flavors and fragrances and the way good food can nurture relationships. 2.) Offer a blessing at each meal to reconnect yourself to the sacredness of food, the importance of nourishment and the Spirit of the Living Christ.

Be encouraged in your practice,

Katie Martinez

Endnotes

  • For daily texts with the Focus Word, Starter Prayer and link to these daily posts, text the word “journey” to 970-500-0970.
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This daily devotion is part of the Summer Growth Journey: Learning to Pray with Nature with Crossroads Church. Many of us are also reading through Water, Wind, Earth & Fire: The Christian Practice of Praying with the Elements by Christine Valters Paintner. To purchase a copy, or for more information, email us at [email protected].