Today's readings: Ps 63, 98; Job 25:1-6, 27:1-6; Rev 14:1-7, 13; Matt 5:13-20
Food is a common metaphor throughout the Bible. In Matt 5:13 Jesus (the bread of life!) compares his followers to the salt of the earth. The Eucharist is a physical manifestation of God as essential to life. Psalm 63 compares the satisfaction of a healthy prayer life with that of a rich feast (v 5). What else might prayer and food have in common? For starters, neither is consistently healthy without preparation.
It’s a rare shopper who can go to the grocery store without some kind of list and return home with the ingredients for a week of nutritious eating. Are we as intentional about building our prayer lives as we should be about our meals? Or do we cram our spiritual practices into an already tight schedule, settling for a fast food faith and a weekly dinner with the family? As much as we might like it to be otherwise, eating one healthy meal a week doesn’t make up for six days of burgers and fries, and a prayerful hour each Sunday doesn’t prepare us for the hundred and sixty-seven in between. Snacks are gratifying, but we can’t really live on them.
Just as common wisdom tells us shopping while hungry leads to rash choices, neither should we wait until we are spiritually famished – by crisis, doubt, or despair – to turn to prayer. A steady diet of daily prayer will help keep us spiritually fit, and more capable of handling difficult situations. When our pantry is properly stocked, we can even provide a meal for others when the need arises.
Sometimes prayer (or other spiritual disciplines) may seem like eating broccoli: we do it, but in the back of our minds we’re longing for the sugary rush of praise songs and other uplifting experiences. Any mother will tell you filling up on the sweet stuff ruins your appetite for good food, and makes you crave more empty calories. We need to engage in activities that build spiritual muscle, rather than fill us with temporary good feelings. Wise people cultivate a taste for what sustains them for the long haul, and realize some tastes have to be acquired through self-discipline. A properly prepared spiritual life is both tasty and well-balanced.
Comfort: The cup of grace goes with any meal.
Challenge: Plan for spiritual practices by adding them to your daily calendar, just like any other appointment, meeting or to-do item.
Prayer: God of life, thank you for providing all that sustains me.
Evening reading: Ps 103
Tomorrow's readings: Ps 41, 52; Job 32:1-10, 19, 33:1, 19-28; Acts 13:44-52; John 10:19-30
