"Meeting Jesus at the Table" (Cynthia M. Campbell and Christine Coy Fohr)

TITLE: Meeting Jesus at the Table
AUTHOR: Cynthia M. Campbell and Christine Coy Fohr
PUBLISHER: Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2023, (160 pages).
 

Food is a significant part of any community both at home and outside the home. The Bible too has lots of references to meals, food, and feasts. There are food laws in the Torah. Throughout the Old Testament, we read instances of people needing food, like the famine in Egypt; the hungry and thirsty Israelites in the wilderness; the test of Daniel and his friends who opted for vegetarian food as their act of faith; how God fed Elijah; the feasts of kings; and so on. The need to eat continues to be a key thing in the New Testament. The gospels, especially the gospel of John use special feasts as a way to date the interactions of Jesus with the people. For Christians, the highlight of the Christian meal is none other than the Holy Eucharist or the Lord's Table.  The Lord's Table is a symbol of love, hospitality, openness, and welcome. Combing the gospels for instances of meals with Jesus, authors Cynthia Campbell and Christine Coy Fohr lead us through the different aspects of spirituality over the table. The intent of this book is to help us ponder what it means to be disciples of Christ, and what it means to be nourished body-wise and soul-wise. Food not only sustains us. It is an opportunity to cultivate relationships of all sorts. Eating together also provides teachable moments to learn spiritual lessons. In this Lenten Study, readers get to explore eight broad themes using food as a key to unlock these lessons. The authors have also engaged the input of illustrator Kevin Burns to use visual aids to invite further reflection on the past, conversation about the present, and application for the future. Each chapter helps us relate to the Season of Lent, to point us to the direction of meeting our needs in Christ alone.

"Rose Guide to the Feasts, Festivals, and Fasts of the Bible" (Paul H. Wright, ed)

TITLE: Rose Guide to the Feasts, Festivals and Fasts of the Bible 

AUTHOR: Paul H. Wright (Editor)
PUBLISHER: Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2022, (232 pages).

What is the connection between Food and Faith? Why are festivals so much a part of the Hebrews? What is the significance of events surrounding feasting and fasting? How does food foster relationships? This book attempts to answer some of these questions from biblical, historical, relational, theological, and practical perspectives. Covering both the Old Testament and New Testament feasts, the author aims to help us see how the simple act of eating could bring people together and bind them. At the same time, festivals enable us to be in tune with the cycles of a religious year. Like seasons during the year, these timely observances enable us physically and spiritually to appreciate God's intended rhythms of rest, relaxation, and relational dimensions of creation. 

Beginning with Old Testament feasts, readers get a fascinating overview of what the ancient Israelites did through the year. Paul Wright asserts that food provides not just nourishment for the body, it is also for the soul. 

"7 Feasts" (Erin Davis)

TITLE: 7 Feasts: Finding Christ in the Sacred Celebrations of the Old Testament
AUTHOR: Erin Davis
PUBLISHER: Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2020, (192 pages).

Food brings people together. Whether it is breakfast, lunch, dinner, or any other time, it is always a good opportunity to meet people. In times of celebration, we feast and enjoy the lavish food. Across all countries, cultures, and communities, if there is any one timeless tradition, eating and drinking would be it. One of the best ways to understand the roots of this tradition is to learn from ancient cultures. Such historical surveys will inform the modern mind that there is really nothing new under the sun. Author Erin Davis takes the reader through seven Jewish feasts over an eight week period. For each week, there are five daily studies that we can accompany with a Bible, a pen, and some friends to ponder over the message. Instead of jumping straight into the feasts, Davis dedicates the first week to teaching some basics of how to rightly handle the Word of God. By providing some guidelines on how to read the Bible, readers are reminded to learn to handle the Word with care, before jumping into the text. Such reminders are necessary to warn us against spiritual amnesia. Gradually, she encourages us to change our pattern for living, in order to live out biblical principles in all that we do. After the first week of preparing the heart and mind, readers will then be ready to plunge into the study of the sacred celebrations of the Old Testament.

"The Soul of Wine" (Gisela H. Kreglinger)

TITLE: The Soul of Wine: Savoring the Goodness of God
AUTHOR: Gisela H. Kreglinger
PUBLISHER: Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2019, (144 pages).

What has wine got to do with God and spirituality? How does wine appreciation and faith matters relate to each other? What is the soul of wine? Author and wine-lover Gisela Kreglinger leads us through the vineyard of spirituality to connect the beauty of God's creation of wine to the profound meaning behind God's intent, purpose, and goodness. Instead of letting spirituality speak into the world of fine wine, Kreglinger goes the other direction to let wine speak to us about spirituality. Jews believe wines gladden their hearts. Many cultures throughout the world hold wines in a special albeit with a mysterious awe. Going back to the Bible, we learn about Jesus's encounters with wine. From the wedding at Cana where He turned water into wine; to the Last Supper where He served his disciples with bread and wine. Even the apostle Paul mentions wine for medicinal purposes. There is also a lot that we can learn about wine itself. It not only reveals God to us, it leads us to God's gifts for us. This is what the author aims to do: "help us rediscover wine as a spiritual and cultural gift." We need to sip it bit by bit in order to savour the goodness of the colour, the smell, the taste, and the overall experience. This cannot be rushed. When we are thirsty, we often gulp down a glass of water. Sometimes we do the same with wine. This reduces wine to simply a liquid to be swallowed instead of a gift to be savoured. This is the author's second book on wine and faith matters. Her first was "The Spirituality of Wine" which links the whole process of wine-making, wine-tasting, and wine-drinking, with the ordinary things in life. This book continues that orientation but with a more personalized focus on God and His desire to reach out and touch us. Her thesis is this: "Wine is an affair of the heart. Savoring wine can and should be an affair of the heart where we are moved and touched and elevated." This affair is essentially about God reaching out to us. Thus, this book goes beyond mere spirituality toward an encounter with God. How does wine teach us this? Kreglinger describes this in 14 chapters. I like to mention a few highlights.

"Full" (Asheritah Ciuciu)

TITLE: Full: Food, Jesus, and the Battle for Satisfaction
AUTHOR: Asheritah Ciuciu
PUBLISHER: Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2017, (240 pages).

We eat a lot. For some of us living in affluent countries, we eat several meals per day. Food can be plenty of satisfaction but it can also give us a false sense of security. We can feel full to the stomach but empty in the soul. We can pile up the calories and still feel hungry. We can spend all the money we have on food and still fail to get any sense of accomplishment. Food is an important aspect of life but it needs to be put in proper perspective. For fullness comes not from a bloated stomach but a devoted heart. For author, Asheritah Ciuciu, "Our problem is not really what we eat. It's why we seek fullness in something that will never satisfy." In other words, it is not the what we fill ourselves with but the why we do that. We are warned against "food addiction" that can turn into "food fixation." Our food problem is not the lack of food but the lack of satisfaction. This book is about deciphering our inner search for satisfaction, to arrest the ways of dissatisfaction that we can pay attention fully to the things that truly satisfy.

Ciuciu meticulously exposes the various ways in which we can possess an unhealthy fixation on food. We try to lose weight and spend a disproportionate amount of time trying to design the best diet for our bodies. We research on the best foods available to fit our menus. We comb supermarket brochures for the best deals. We even cut coupons in order to lower our food costs. From low-fat recipes to cholesterol worries, organic to natural foods, food networks and Youtube ways of cooking, we spend a lot of time thinking about food. We use food as a way to relieve our stress. Food therapy tends to be preferred than prayer and fasting. Perhaps, we need to put on the armour of God to deal with the food of idolatry! Ciuciu lists top ten lies we can tell ourselves about food, that we either deserve it or need it.

"The Daniel Plan" (Rick Warren)

TITLE: The Daniel Plan: 40 Days to a Healthier Life
AUTHOR: Rick Warren
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2013, (352 pages).

It all started when the famous pastor of Saddleback Church found himself huffing and puffing as he baptized 827 adult Church members. It then dawned upon him that he is more fat than fit. Despite his relatively healthy diet and upbringing, Rick Warren's lifestyle has led to a growing health problem. As he probes deeper into his own situation, he found out that he was not alone. America is struggling too. Thus, when he repented before his Church members, expecting only a few hundred to adopt his plan, he was surprised that more than 12000 signed up. That is nearly half of his entire Church congregation. Encouraged by the response, supported by three health professionals, he structured a "Daniel Plan" which is a 40 days journey toward a healthier life and lifestyle. Five components are adopted: Faith, Food, Fitness, Focus, and Friends.

"The Daniel Cure" (Susan Gregory and Richard J. Bloomer)

TITLE: The Daniel Cure: The Daniel Fast Way to Vibrant Health
AUTHOR: Susan Gregory and Richard J. Bloomer
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2013, (224 pages).

Food is a big part of life in every culture. It is also a big contributor to our health as well as any illnesses. As one looks at the title, one may tend to ask, a "Daniel Cure?" What is the Daniel cure? What makes this book so different from other dieting books? Do we need a cure in the first place? If we look at the book closely, it is less about eating or dieting in particular. It is about learning the biblical way of eating, fasting, exercising, and general well-being. It was Susan Gregory whose blog on her journey through the Daniel Fast that created viral headlines back in 2007. Having received more than 9 million hits, her fans grew by leaps and bounds, one of whom is her co-author, Richard Bloomer who saw surprising results in her wife and child when they also went through the Daniel Fast. In 2009, Dr Richard Bloomer then did a clinical study and several experiments on the Daniel Fast and found rather astonishing positive outcomes in this simple dieting program based on the biblical book of Daniel.  It emphasizes four things:

1. Fasting and Prayer;
2. Self-assessment of overall health;
3. Learning and Planning the Daniel Fast Program;
4. Practical Implementation.

The premise of the book is simple: Take the Daniel Fast, and for a mere 21 days, you will get a life-changing experience.  After this, simple steps can sustain the ongoing health benefits. Learning from the prophet Daniel, one can begin a body cleansing regimen through the eating of plant-based diets. The fast here refers more to eating appropriate foods rather than abandoning from eating altogether (partial fast). Appropriate foods such as natural foods rather than processed foods; fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds, natural oils, herbs, spices, etc. It also means avoiding fast food, deep-fried stuff, sweeteners, stimulants, and drinking only water.

"Cravings" (Mary DeTurris Poust)

TITLE: Cravings: A Catholic Wrestles with Food, Self-Image, and God
AUTHOR: Mary DeTurris Poust
PUBLISHER: Nortre Dame, IN: Ava Maria Press, 2012, (160 pages).

What do our cravings for food tell about us? A lot. This book basically argues that our physical hunger is essentially a symptom of a deeper condition: A desire to be filled, and a longing to be whole. The trouble with many is that they are filling themselves with things that do not last, and longing for a world that is far too inadequate to meet our deepest needs. The way we stuff ourselves with food can sometimes be due to self-loathing or deceptive loving. What about times in which we gobble food down and fail to pay attention to the people on the table? Perhaps, our inability to control any binging or inattentive eating is a symptom of a deeper problem. A big question constantly asked is this: Every time we reach out for something, say a cookie or a snack, are we satisfying a legitimate hunger or are we eating based on another kind of impulse?

Each chapter begins with a Scripture statement or a quote that spells out the main idea of the chapter. An illustration is then made to highlight the challenges many people face with regards to some form of eating. After making a case for a link between physical and spiritual needs, readers are invited back to the spiritual fathers, and practitioners of old, that we in the modern age can be trained to think about food, eating, and our self-identity in a more reflective way.  Whether it is a "goal-directed" vs "habit-directed" behaviour; a dieting based on self-delusion vs doing something based on who we are; to accept our self-image instead of trying to build up a false sense of identity; this book builds a case for us to be mindful about the motivations behind every eating. Each chapter ends with some positive applications, followed by a helpful "Food for Thought" and a "Practice" section for readers to exercise either self-control or purposefulness in their cravings. The meditations is a nice summary of each chapter, giving readers a good opportunity to turn back to the true spiritual source of fulfillment and delight. There are helpful ideas on fast food eating, vegetarian meals, instant cooking or easy meals, obsessive eating or dieting, fasting, simplicity in eating, and others. Eating is also a sacramental act too, as we exercise self-control and balance in our physical as well as spiritual feeding. The highlight is learning to turn mere meals into meaningful meditations, for all kinds of occasions.

My Thoughts

This book begins with an exploration of the connections between physical and spiritual nourishment. It then progresses to the key point about these connections reflecting our relationship with God and our journey toward becoming the persons we are made to be. Obesity and prayer can be closely linked. Eating and community building is also critical to relationships. Even eating desserts can be an utterly spiritual experience. Filled with lots of practical advice, readers will be ushered into a whole new way of thinking about their food.

There is a popular saying that we are what we eat. Mary DeTurris Poust has helped us to appreciate the deeper meanings and the underlying motivations behind our eating. She has made a strong case that links our physical nourishment with our desire for spiritual refreshment. I appreciate the author's ten-step plan for compulsive or impulsive eating. The key idea is about planning our eating, before, during, and after.


Ratin: 4.5 stars of 5.

conrade

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This book is provided to me free by Ave Maria Press and NetGalley without any obligation for a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.