Let's "Keep Kosher"
All Religions have spiritual practices. Buddhists burn sage and meditate. Muslims avail themselves of their prayer rugs. The Christian tradition has developed a wealth of practices, too: fasting, almsgiving, vigil-keeping, confessing, meditation... In churches and homes everywhere, people are increasingly interested in doing Christianity, not just speaking or believing it." + Lauren F. Winner, Mudhouse Sabbath
SALT Peeps!
Let’s start “doing” Christianity together, shall we? During the month of September, let's start “keeping kosher,” by which we mean, let's start thinking about the food we put into our bodies – where it's been, in whose hands, in what countries. In short, let's start paying attention “to the basic principles that underlie kashrut: God cares about our dietary choices.” + Lauren Winner
Here are a few cool things we're going to try this month! Wanna do it with us? Feel free to start with just one:
+ Try slowing down and eating every meal at home this month. When you can, try using all local, organic produce.
+ Make a point of talking over, reflecting upon, and researching the journey that brought each food item to your plate. Pick one, and play detective!
+ Pray before every meal, even breakfast. Say something simple like, “Dear God, thank you for feeding us…”
+ Visit your local farmer's market and protect family farms! Farmer's markets provide the freshest in season produce and allow the farmers to keep 80 to 90 cents of every dollar spent by the consumer. Click here to find one near you!
+ For one month, refrain from eating in the car or feeding your children while driving! God wants us to "be present" and enjoy the fruits of the earth.
+ Have a neighborhood potluck – there is bounty (and less work!) when everyone participates.
+ Try keeping a seasonal kitchen this month. Food, like the church year, has a rhythm, and that's one of its pleasures… For further reading, pick up Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life, by Barbara Kingsolver. You will not regret it!
+ Try fasting one day a week, or one meal a day. Does it imbue other meals with a spirit of gratitude and joy? Does it make you more aware of what you have, and how much you depend on it?
+ Watch a food documentary and add some vegetarian meals into your rotation. Forks Over Knives and Vegucated are two of our favorites!
+ Get a veggie positive SALT T-Shirt to help Isaiah's peaceable kingdom - where the lion eats hay like the ox - become a reality!
As always, tell us how it's going! Add your comments, ideas, suggestions, insights, prayers, and thoughts below because this faith stuff takes time, practice, and is certainly not meant to be done alone.
Peace,
Rev. Elizabeth Myer Boulton