June 7, 2009
I Corinthians 6:19-20; Psalm 104:1-4, 14-31; Philippians 4:10-13; Proverbs 30:7-9
[no video available this week]
Listen to audio
Powered by Podbean.com
...print text to read later or share with someone (click here)
...or read it now
Several weeks ago we had in our church mailboxes the latest issue of Beyond Ourselves, the monthly publication of Mennonite Mission Network (MMN). I was immediately drawn to the colorful cover, as well as the beautiful artwork, layout and great quotes that were in this issue. The theme was Creation is Christ’s. For those of you who don’t know or who forgot, the art editor of this publication is David Fast, the young adult son of John and Barb Fast. He grew up in this congregation.
Inside are many attractive pages but I was captivated by the center one, entitled Wheat, by Jesse Graber. The art piece has an interesting interplay between the Divine and humankind.. There is progression from the seed sown in plowed fields, watered by the rivers, while the sun shines brightly over the land. It moves to the golden field of grain ready for harvest, the wheat stalks hovering over the mortar and pestle, as grain is being ground into flour. With the right ingredients in the hands of someone who knows what this is about, the dough will be kneaded, shaped, baked. Hands take this bread, human hands, hands that hold it, bless it, slice it, break it, and offer it to one who is hungry. In the art work, another sits at the side, waiting patiently to receive, to be served, to be fed. One who might be literally hungry for daily bread, but it might also be one who needs nourishment for the soul, the spirit. One who is searching, seeking community and a place to commune.
In the Genesis 1 account of the creation, we read, “Let the land produce vegetation; seed bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.” And it was so. The land produced vegetation; plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.”
Today we begin a series on Faith and Food. Somehow for me, that art work in Beyond Ourselves, touched on some of the aspects of this series. The weaving together of our faith as Christians with important daily concerns like how we view food and how we care for our body. The topics are broad and could go in many directions, but let me begin by posing these two questions:
- As Christians should our faith impact in any way how we view our bodies and care for our health?
- As Christians should our faith impact in any way our understanding of food and our food practices?
- what we eat, how much we eat?
- where we purchase our food?
- what we feed our children?
- what we serve at our table?
It soon becomes apparent when studying the scriptures, that we can find some clues and even a somewhat clear point occasionally, but there really are very few specifics. We know that physical exercise is good for us, even necessary for optimal health, but I haven’t yet discovered a chapter in the Bible that outlines for this 60 year old female a physical fitness regimen. And even though we keep reading that eating a small amount of dark chocolate each day can be good for you, I haven’t found that verse either.
We do find in I Corinthians 6, words from the apostle Paul about how we should view our bodies. The verses that were read are part of a larger section where Paul is responding to some practices of the Christians at Corinth that he found disturbing. They were misusing their bodies, involving sexual immorality. They wanted to do what they wanted to do. They wanted freedom, autonomy. A favorite slogan was, “I have the right to do anything I want to do.” Paul is arguing that, they may be able to do anything, but not everything is beneficial or appropriate. What the Corinthians were voicing is not much different from what we hear today. It’s my body, I will do with it what I want. or We can do anything we want to. In the section from verses 12-20, Paul weaves together several different arguments against the Corinthians.
The CEV reads:(v. 19): “You surely know that your body is a temple where
the Holy Spirit lives. The Spirit is in you and is a gift from God. You are no longer your own. God paid a great price for you. So use your body to honor God.”
Paul’s arguments:
1.) The body is a temple where the Holy Spirit lives.
Too often we fail to emphasize and teach this in our time and culture. We need to cultivate a deeper awareness of the indwelling presence of God. Maybe if we would teach more about respecting our bodies and developing an authentic reverence for the reality of the Holy Spirit’s presence in our bodies, we would have less promiscuity. Maybe we would have fewer women and men getting involved in extramarital affairs and fewer young people falling into premarital sexual relationships. The powerful forces and temptations to abuse and misuse our bodies are just as strong in our time and culture as they were for Paul and his readers.
2.) The body is the Lord’s.
This is extremely difficult for us to understand and accept because our Western culture shouts different messages on a daily basis....we hear words like ‘freedom of choice’ and ‘one’s rights’ and autonomy and......
But we are not our own.....as people who give allegiance to Jesus as Lord, we are bound to that relationship of obedient faithfulness to Christ. We are people who are shaped by that desire to honor God with our bodies....to glorify God with our bodies.
Even though this passage was speaking primarily to some issues of sexual immorality, it holds true for other parts of our lives? If we are to understand that the Spirit dwells within us, that we are the Lord’s, that we are to honor God with our bodies, then I think it also pertains to how we care for our bodies...that we should become caretakers, good managers, wise stewards of our bodies.
Do we pay attention to what we do in our leisure/spare time? Is it healthy and helpful to our bodies and mind? For some of us we may need to step away more from the computer or turn off the TV and go for a walk, or play with our children or grandchildren? Others may need to leave the wellness center or gym earlier and spend some time with our spouse or aging parent.
Do we pay attention to what we take into our bodies, and to have some understanding about the number of calories we need and the amount of exercise required to maintain a good weight for our age and build?
Do we care about what we eat, how much we eat and where we get our food?
That leads us to the second question I posed....
Should our faith impact in any way how we think about food and our food practices?
It is probably safe to say that most of us, if not all of us, like to eat, and like to eat well. But then what does that mean....
case in point...
Mary Louise Bringle, a professor of philosophy and religion at Brevard College in N.C. wrote an article several years ago, titled, “Eating Well: Seven Paradoxes of Plenty.” She begins by sharing a story of Roger and Sally, a married couple who just returned from a holiday cruise. It was an anniversary present from their adult children. When they arrive home, the children are eager for a report. “Well, how did it go?” they ask their parents.
“I’ll tell you one thing,” their father replies. “We sure ate well! (as he rubs his stomach contentedly, remembering the delights.)” “ Everywhere we turned on that ship, there was food and more food......(describe many possibilities)....all you can eat buffet, ice cream sundaes.”
The next morning, one of Sally’s friends, ask her the same question. Sally, too, pats her stomach as she ponders her response, but her emotion is closer to dismay than satisfaction. She replies to her friend, “Oh, the cruise was lots of fun, but just between you and me, I don’t feel as if I’ve eaten well in weeks! All that high calorie food constantly available, and so little opportunity for exercising it off....”
This report illustrates clearly the tension we often have in our attitudes toward food....how do we interpret the phrase “to eat well”.
For Roger, “eating well”, means good food, lots of it, immediate pleasure.
For Sally, “eating well” means not abundance, but moderation, keeping a balance between calorie intake and adequate exercise, thinking more of the longer term health and well being, not the immediate pleasure.
It’s not necessary to take sides in this little story for both understandings can teach us something. In Bringle’s article she describes Roger’s approach and perspective as celebration-centered. He enjoys good food, the lavish spread readily available and knows this is a special time, not an everyday ocurrance. It is a special occasion, a gift and time to celebrate.
For Sally, in contrast to her husband’s, hers might be called stewardship-centered.
She knows how easily the pleasures of food and drink can tempt us to overindulge, to eat and drink in excess. Her agenda is focused more on taking care of the health of her body. Feasting on too much ‘fat things’ leaves her feeling guilty and physically out of sync.
Bringle, in her article, refers to this pleasure and restraint duality as one of the paradoxes of plenty. And it is only in a culture of some affluence, like ours, that this occurs, otherwise one would eat whatever is available when it was available.
Can we practice both celebration and restraint? Can we enjoy and participate with enthusiasm in times of feasting, knowing that there may also be days and periods of time when we are called to fast?
Maybe as we think about how our faith impacts our view of our bodies and our understanding of food, we need to think about and use words like, moderation, healthy balance, wholistic, being content, satisfied, and to consider what is ‘enough’.
In Proverbs 30: 7-9 (CEV): saying of Agur: There are two things, Lord, I want you to do for me before I die: Make me absolutely honest and don’t let me be too poor or too rich. Give me just what I need. (TNIV- give me only my daily bread). If I have too much to eat, I might forget about you: if I don’t have enough, I might steal and disgrace your name.
Several years ago, Phil and I preached on a series of the Seven Deadly Sins. One of those sins is gluttony. Recently I came across a book called, The Virtue in the Vice by Dr. Robin Meyers. (Finding seven lively virtues in the seven deadly sins). He writes that “gluttony is not only about eating too much, it is about eating for the wrong reasons. It is about a deeper hunger in the soul.” p.120
In the early church the opposing virtue of gluttony would have been abstinence or temperance, but that is really impossible because we need food to live. We also believe that a well prepared meal, lovingly served and consumed with good friends and loved ones is one of life’s great joys and blessings. Too often in our society we think, if a little bit is good, then a lot must be better. The simple phrase, too much of a good thing, contains much wisdom.
Some folks here, I am sure, enjoy a good “all you can eat” buffet, especially if the price is right. Dr. Meyers writes, “All you can eat really means more than you need, and people who gorge themselves on any good thing eventually destroy the goodness in it.”
Meyers rejects the idea that abstinence needs to be the virtue for gluttony. He offers the idea that it is communion. He writes, “Food is what brings us together, and food is what opens us to one another through conversation. Communion is what happens when pain and joy are served along with bread.” p. 128
Communion becomes a sacred time, a special and holy experience of eating together, moderately and joyfully. Whether it is the sharing the bread/cup of the Lord’s Table or sharing soup and bread in the home of friends, communion and communing with one another becomes holy ground.
In this book, Meyers explains the ancient act of offering a toast as one tangible way of seeing this communing experience as a virtue. “At the table of mutuality and respect, one does not belly up to the trough and begin to gulp and slobber. One recognizes the moment, raises the glass, looks present company in the eye and with words of hope and encouragement converts nourishment of the body into nourishment for the soul. It is not just what we eat, but why we eat and with whom we eat." p. 130
We are among the privileged in the world. We have something to eat almost anytime we want it. We give thanks before our meals, whether alone or with friends. It sometimes becomes a habit. It is not just a social custom. It is a reminder that we are privileged and it acknowledges the meaning of food.
In closing I offer you a challenge, a modest proposal, actually two of them. During this month of June, as we continue with this series on Faith and Food, I offer you this challenge:
- eat less, more often, with more friends. (from Meyer’s book, p.136)
- make a toast occasionally, in addition to offering a prayer of blessing on your food.
“In the final analysis, eating well is not just about what we do or do not put into our mouths. Far more, it is about the comple4x ways we negotiate a path through the paradoxes of plenty, attending to the health of our bodies, our spirits, our communities, and our planet. Eating well first requires that we hunger and thirst after righteousness, for then, and only then, will we be fully satisfied.” p.33
[To leave a comment, click on "comments" link below and write your comment in the box. When finished, click on "Other" as your identity, and type in your real name. Then click "Publish your comment."]
0 comments:
Post a Comment