Eating as Prayer – Reading Class Begins Sept. 15 – 10:30am

Surely this is a joke; a class at church on eating? A recent sermon series at Christ Community on “the mundane” included the daily practices of eating, sleeping and working. In this class, we return to the routine to find deeper meaning in the mundane.

In the richness of the Christian story, not only has God created all things, but also he has inaugurated the restoration of all things in Christ. This “all things” includes our rhythmic, daily activities. In light of this, we do well to reflect upon the mundane in light of God’s redemptive work in the world. Eating, like other things we do multiple times a day, can become almost mindless. Our bodies are designed for nutritional and caloric input, so we insert and process foods to satisfy this need. But as we will discover, what seems like a very simple act is a very personal one (and interpersonal) – and one that carries with it lots of implications and consequences.  More importantly, Scripture is full of references to eating, both literal and metaphorical. And let’s not forget, eating can be extremely pleasurable. How do we make sense of such an activity? How can theological reflection help us understand eating as an act unto God and for the benefit of ourselves and others?

In this seven week class, Todd Best will facilitate a discussion of the book Food and Faith: A Theology of Eating by Norman Wirzba, Professor of Theology and Ecology at Duke Divinity School. Wirzba has offered us at least one framework for considering the theological significance of eating in his book (more details here). Please join this Opus Project reading class on Wirzba’s book at the 10:30 adult education class at Christ Community. The class starts on Sept. 15 and runs through Oct. 27.

Please order your book now through the book-seller of your choice. And for of Wirzba’s perspective, see this excerpt from an interview about the book.

Finally, please note that Norman Wirzba will be a guest at the Christian Study Center on Sept. 19. See the Study Center website for details and to hear an interview with Wirzba.