Reading Pray Like a Gourmet: Creative Ways to Feed the Soul, by David Brazzeal, immediately immersed me into an ecumenical experience. I felt as one with the religious world, unity in the midst of diversity.
When I attended Southern Methodist University mid 20th-century, the ecumenical movement for Christian unity and cooperation was prevalent on campus. As young as I was, I embraced this wide-spread movement and naively wondered why all Christians didn’t seem willing to come together. As I matured, I recognized that Christians must find the congregation with which they can best commune with God.
But, it was with renewed appreciation that I read Pray Like a Gourmet, written by a Baptist missionary, published by Paraclete Press, a prestigious Catholic publishing house, and now endorsed by a Methodist. How can these facts not be ecumenical?
I must confess that I had never heard of this book until I was given a copy last Christmas by the author’s niece, my daughter-in-law. Although it was first printed in 2014, it’s still available for purchase.
I read a lot - newspapers, books, magazines, cookbooks, even some daily webpages. I love good novels. I especially like adding a new religious book to my daily devotionals. This one is a keeper.
Dr. Jim Ervin, Baptist minister, says, “Brazzeal introduces the idea that food is a metaphor used throughout the Bible. From the fruit in the garden, to a simple meal to remind us of our commitment to Christ, food is part of our spiritual journey. “
A Georgia native, Brazzeal grew up, one of four children, in Atlanta. He graduated from Samford University in Birmingham, AL, where he earned a degree in Music Theory and Composition, and from Southwestern Baptist Seminary in Fort Worth, TX. He is fluent in several languages. Now retired and living in South Florida, he worked for years through the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Conference in Brazil, Guadeloupe, Quebec and France where he led in the establishment of five innovative new churches.
Brazzeal’s former classmate Charles Kinnaird, an author, says, “I say "missionary," because he is commissioned by the International Mission Board of the SBC, but he is more like an ambassador for the arts, having a unique outreach to the artistic community.”
Like a feast spread out on a huge buffet, this small volume introduces the reader to the plethora of spiritual foodstuff for strengthening our own prayer life. Brother Lawrence, who worked in a monastery kitchen in the 17th century, calls such an emersion into prayer, The Practice of the Presence of God. Although the monk lived his creed of standing in God’s presence at all times, even in the kitchen, he kept his advice as simple as his lifestyle.
Brazzeal, the globe trotting missionary, shares from his abundance of experiences like an overflowing cornucopia from which we can nourish not only our own prayer life, but also our daily living in the presence of God.
The book is divided into three parts. Each part is divided into multiple chapters. Each chapter offers readers plenty of recipes for using our own God-given talents. The suggestions range from making lists to singing songs to painting to looking to seeing to sitting still to reflecting to praying for others. Four chapters especially spoke directly to me: “Spreading the Table;” “Thanking,’ “Observing” and “Interceding.” I doubt that anyone would ever engage in all of the activities put forward; but the flavorful smorgasbord of possibilities allows us to pick and choose new methods from which to feed our own prayer life.
For me, Brazzeal summarizes the entire book in Chapter 14, entitled “Asking.” He writes, “I want to suggest that we expand our concept of prayer so that the default definition changes from asking God for stuff and expecting him to answer to creating space with God where a wide-range of prayer happens - prayer that is less self-absorbed and more God-focused - prayer that is less egocentric and more spiriting outward to others.”
Amen.
2022
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