Everyday in May: {Day 8: Book Review!}

Wishing all the moms, and dads/grandparents/aunts/uncles who serve as "Mom" for their kiddo/fur babies, a great day!

Today I'm sharing a short read that made me super happy - not just because I felt accomplished to finish a book in under an hour (because I did!) but because it really struck a chord, and don't we love books that can do that?

You see, when I read the story of Jesus visiting Mary and Martha, I determined that I am a Martha. #ashamed

I would totally be the one in the kitchen preparing the meal and cleaning up, instead of sitting and talking with Jesus.

In fact, I did just that last Thanksgiving, and last Christmas, and at my parents' 40th-anniversary party. I used to think, I'm being a good hostess, meeting everyone's needs, and creating a great night. But, what I'm really doing is putting perfection over presence (seriously cannot wait for Shauna Niequist's new book Present Over Perfect to come out in August. I need it now!!).

So back to this book. It is made up of essays from Christian and Catholic writers, connecting Scripture, especially all the food metaphors, to living the Christian life.

Here are some ideas that really struck me:

-The new church in Acts "broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people." ~Acts 2:46-47

I can't imagine the glory that brought to God  -- amazing.

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-"What if we viewed our tables as a place to pass on God's provisions? What if we allowed our meals to become conduits of grace? Every time we open our home, sit down together, and pass the green beans we choose to celebrate and share God's gifts. We invite him to be present among us and work through us. And as a result, our hearts are turned toward the ultimate Giver and his ultimate gift." (DeWitt)

This paragraph really hit me. Meals as conduits of grace. 

#letthatsinkin

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-Erik Bonkovsky writes about how a millennial-foodie scene was popping up in Richmond, Virginia, at the same time the homeless shelter/soup kitchen closed its doors. It's quite a "juxtaposition, to hear our food scene feted while things just got harder for the city's hungry. If our cities want to foster a 'community for the common good,' all of its citizens must benefit." 

It's true that while Supper Clubs, Chef's Tables, and tasting menus are fun, we conveniently ignore the need for our brothers and sisters to be nourished. How do we reconcile that?

G: "When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors...when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed." ~Luke 14)

L: This book also made me re-think food choices I used to make. Drive-thru chicken was convenient, but it once was fed its own excrement in a too-small cage before making its way to the pick-up window.

A: Do the research, make wise decisions that not only honor God, but the body He gave you. Reach out to those less fortunate, without judgment, and spread the Good News.

M: Lord, I pray for those who need nourishment, both in their bodies and in their souls. Reach out and give wisdom to the decision-makers, make in us discerned consumers, empty us of gluttony, and fill us with your daily bread.