The bread took 8 days to make. Some initial decisions had to be made, but nothing greater than whether to use white or whole-wheat flour. The most important factor for success was the need for a time commitment of daily attention. It started in a small bowl with flour and water set on the kitchen counter. You see, the bacteria in the pasty mixture produced lactic and acetic acids, which in turn attracted wild yeast for cultivation. With daily feedings of additional flour and water evidence of the yeast-farm’s prosperity is seen as the concoction bubbles and grows. Each day it needed to be stirred down. More flour and water were added and it continued to react, proving yeast from the air found the seed starter and liked it. The mixture had to be stirred daily, forcing the gas escape. More flour and water were added, then you waited some more. It grew. It is stirred down.  Every day involves a step. Nothing takes very long or is difficult. It simply needs a little something every day…a little here, a little there. The regular rhythm of mindful attention turns the flour and water paste into something that will add flavor and leavening to bread dough. There is no rushing the process, no addition of instant yeast or other agents to cause the bread to rise. It is simply flour, water and deliberate time and attention that allows the dough to slowly find its life.

Bread bakers call the results of this process the ‘barm’. I think it must be short for bread-farm. This is the stuff you can keep for decades in the refrigerator and portion out at any time you want to make bread. It must be fed on a regular basis and added to if a portion is used. To make bread, barm is kneaded with salt, more flour and more water. Variety, at this point, can lead to amazing results. Olive oil, butter or eggs can increase the richness of the loaf. Some medleys of herbs and spices can reflect ethnic foods. Olive and rosemary bread becomes a Mediterranean taste sensation while the addition of sugar, cinnamon, cardamom and nutmeg represents a Scandinavian heritage. Shaping the bread into a sandwich loaf, a baguette or a braid can indicate whether the bread is for everyday eating or for a holiday. Whatever it becomes, it is a gift at the table – evidence of time and diligence for the sole purpose of sharing bread at the meal.

It only took 8 days to become a routine in my life – one that will remain forever as long as I continue to nurture it.

The thing is, this daily bread is very much like the spiritual walk.

1. It takes regularity and diligence for optimal results.
2. What you did a day or two ago can become stale, so daily attention remains necessary.
3. Try changes. Some might not work as well as others. Some will be amazing.
4. There is plenty for sharing.
5. It cannot be hurried.

The problem is, we live in a culture focused on ‘faster is better’ and we want our results immediately. It’s difficult to embrace a contemplative lifestyle when so much of what we do is focused on production and immediate reward. Contemplation can look like daydreaming and wasted time. How do we respond when answers aren’t immediate? How do we respond to the beat of God’s heart? How do we slow down long enough to hear God’s gentle whisper beaconing to us to come closer, to simply breathe and listen?

Like the bread, it’s with daily attention – just a little at a time; just enough to focus; just enough to be still and know who God is. Like bread, there will be times when keeping contemplation simple will be enough. One might choose to share conversation with God in that thing we call prayer while sitting in a pleasant spot or while noticing nature on a walk or during a daily run. Maybe it comes with a favorite passage of scripture, a daily devotion or a conversation with friends. It might not be the same every time. There might be moments when you add to the practice for variety, much like oils, herbs and spices add flavor to bread. It might come in the form of a retreat, a conference or joining a discussion group. The thing is, God is always and everywhere. We only need to look to find God’s presence wherever we are. That ‘looking’ takes a little practice. Not a lot…just a bit of diligent attention each day. In time, it will grow into something amazing. Kind of like that warm, freshly baked bread…

I belong to a national organization that focuses on weight loss. In all reality, weight loss can only come with a change in lifestyle and behavior. The program acts as a guide towards developing new, healthier, life giving habits. Weekly meetings offer inspiration and group support. The leader raised the following question at a recent meeting: “What are some of the positives about belonging to […name of program…]” A group member excitedly answered, “You get to start fresh every week.” She was right. Each week begins as if nothing before it mattered. Nothing. Not the extra glass of wine on Saturday night, not the restaurant’s complimentary basket of chips and salsa, not the birthday cake or the ice cream or the missed work out. Nothing before it mattered. The point is to move on, engaging in just one new habit until it becomes part of your routine. As time goes on, you choose another habit, then another, until one day you look back and realize you have been transformed.  Not only do you look different, you feel different. It’s like life has taken on a whole new perspective. Something happened along the way…something that gave you a fresh, new start.

As most of us have, I experienced a particularly difficult situation several years ago. I received a card from a friend that assured me I would be fine when I came out on the other side of my metamorphosis. Yup, the same thing cocoons and butterflies do as they pass through the stages of life and, finally, something beautiful emerges. Mind you, that change doesn’t come without significant struggle! If you have ever watched a butterfly wrestle it’s way out of a cocoon, you know it takes a lot of persistence and groaning. But, the struggle leads to a fresh, new start.

I tried to find a definition for the word “resurrection”. Most online sources try to put “the” before it, making it an event. Which, in all reality, is how we typically view the word. It has to do with Jesus dying and coming back to life – a difficult concept to wrap one’s brain around, but one that is central to the mystery of the Christian faith. After his persecution and death, the disciples found themselves lost and afraid. Think about Mary Magdalene as she wakes the morning after the Sabbath and goes to the tomb to mourn. Maybe she wanted to feel his presence close to her; to meditate at the resting spot of her dear, dear friend; or to simply have a quiet moment of personal anguish. Many of us have visited the grave of a loved one and can relate to Mary’s desires to spend time in the place where she thought she might find a fragment of solace in the midst of an unimaginable situation. Scripture tells us she wept when she saw the tomb was empty. Talk about being kicked when you’re already down! First, she saw him murdered in a heinous, despicable way. And now this! Grave robbers took this last morsel of comfort away from her.

But, something utterly confounding happened! He was there and he was alive. She didn’t recognize him until he spoke. Then, she saw past his new form…his new life…and knew that this was him. She, too, was changed.

Resurrection comes from the Latin word resurgere which means to rise again. It’s to bring back, to revive, or to renew; a transformation. It’s like the butterfly that let go of the cocoon holding it down so it could fly. It’s new life…a fresh, new start.

The thing is, resurrection is kind of like the weekly experience in the weigh loss program I mentioned – a fresh start without guilt. It can also be described as a renewal or revitalization following a personal metamorphosis.  And, we are given opportunity to experience resurrection every time we trust the one who loves us unconditionally enough to let go of whatever is holding us back and turn toward that love.  In religious circles, we call that grace.  Sometimes we need to practice and form new habits and sometimes we just need to let go of old ‘stuff’. Either way, we are offered resurrection – new life – opportunity through grace every minute of every day.  Resurrection…to rise again…to be revitalized…to be renewed…to be transformed…to be given a fresh, new start.

Think about the possibilities and the amazing hope we can find in resurrection.

There are days when I think my life is one big diet. You see, my name is Linda and I am a foodie. I love to cook, bake, eat, read cookbooks, eat some more, and…eat again. Unfortunately, keeping my love affair with food and my complicated relationship with exercise balanced is difficult. I am almost as familiar with diets as I am with my overfilled spice drawer. It seems there is a diet for every lifestyle and body type. Some take it off quickly, some slowly and methodically. Some focus on eliminating carbohydrates; others emphasize protein; while others say everything is “okay”, but moderation is the key. It seems the only common denominator is that with some diligence and attention, they all work.

I was bemoaning my plight with weight one day while talking to a dear friend. She sat there nibbling on a Snicker’s bar. I do mean nibbling! It was portioned into tiny squares that she insisted would satisfy her for a week – one square at a time when she had a craving for something sweet. A week! That’s right…a week. I am lucky to make one candy bar last seven minutes, let alone seven days. She paused, then told me my problem was I thought of a diet as a noun when indeed it was a verb.

An internet search of “verb” offered a consistent definition: the part of speech that expresses existence, action or occurrence; a state of being. Wikipedia informs us that a noun is the part of speech that denotes a person, place or thing. 

With all due respect to English and grammar majors, I would like to dig into these definitions. A noun tells us about something. When we see a name, we know something about the object the name is assigned to. For example, if I mention Scarsdale or Adkins, most diet junkies will immediately know we are talking a high protein plan. Yum! Yet, it doesn’t indicate any action, just thinking and recognition based on a word. It’s simply a noun…something that describes a person, place or thing.

Some words have a duality where they can be descriptive or show action, depending on how they are used. Diet in a general sense indicates something I know about…the noun. Then, there is the diet I immerse myself into…the verb. This is the action I take to not only know about the diet, it becomes living the diet. It is to plunge oneself into the expression of existence, to take action, to enter a state of being. Diet…the verb.

It’s kind of like God. When we say “God”, we get a sense of something we know about – depending on our tradition. Yet, knowing about something indicates a certain detachment. It’s like that something is out there without any significant connection between us. It’s the understanding of God as a noun.

But, something happens when we think of God as a verb. All of a sudden, we enter into a relationship with God – a relationship that isn’t based on dogma, doctrine, or knowing whether there are 66 or 73 books in the Bible and naming them in exact order. It’s a relationship where we see the perfect work of the Divine in and through all that is beaconing us to join in the dance of love and life. It’s when we plunge ourselves into the expression of the Holy’s existence; when we enter the state of being that we were created for; and we take action to live in harmony with all of God’s creation recognizing the creator in the created, it’s then that God becomes a verb.

Admittedly, I have days when I want God to be a noun so I can merrily go about my business unaffected by the world or world events. I don’t want to think about poverty, famine or war. They are just too big! Please, just let me get my groceries and go home so I can hide from the pain and suffering out there. Oh, I know enough about God to keep from shop lifting or being totally nasty to others. But, I’m not really concerned about what’s affecting them today. Please, please, just let me get on with my business and get home. God as a noun…

Then I see the mom with 3 kids trying to manage a grocery cart while keeping everyone safe in the parking lot. I can push her cart. God as a verb… I see the elderly woman who dropped her bag and oranges are rolling everywhere. I can pick up oranges. God as a verb… I see a handout asking for volunteers to mentor high school students. I can mentor. God as a verb… I see the check out person looking frazzled from long lines, crying children and demanding customers. I can smile, look her in the eye and tell her I appreciate how difficult some days can be. God as a verb…

Each of the Gospels tells a story of Jesus healing the blind. In other words, those who were without sight (hmmm, insight?) were brought to a place where they could see the world around them. (I guess that includes other people and all of the ‘stuff’ they are dealing with.) Those who are familiar with the stories are also familiar with Christ stating, “Your faith has made you well.” Faith – believing in something enough to live as if that something matters. It’s seeing God in and through all of creation and plunging into that crazy dance of faith with God. It’s recognizing where and when and who needs something we can offer. God as a verb… 

To know about a particular diet is a start, but it isn’t enough. You have to live it for it to be effective. And so it is with God…