Saturday, August 11, 2012

Saturday, August 11, 2012


Wedding Feast

Scripture: 1 Kings 19:4-8               

The angel of the Lord came a second time, touched him, and said, 
“Get up and eat, otherwise the journey will be too much for you.” 
1 Kings 19:7

Whether the rain trickles down from gray clouds or the sun rays dance on the tall grass, two of my friends will commit their lives to each other this afternoon. With each “I do,” their journey together will continue. I do not know if the way ahead will take them up steep cliffs, through rivers, or across sandy shores, but I do know that they will go together, supported by a community of family and friends.

No one will have to say, “Get up and eat” today, but as the days go by and their journey changes course, from time to time someone might need to say, “Get up and eat, otherwise the journey will be too much for you.”  The bountiful feast shared today will provide the couple and the community who supports them energy for the initial journey, but it will not be enough for a lifetime together.

All our relationships are nurtured and sustained by what we consume. Take a look at your plate.

What are you eating?

Is your plate filled with the protein of love, the rich greens of grace, the fortifying grains of mercy? Or are you having more than the daily recommended allowance of fatty despair and salty negativity?

It is no coincidence that in our economic market we, the purchasers, are called consumers. We eat everything we take in: television ads, people’s opinions, song lyrics. We feed on these daily without much thought. But do they sustain us for the journey? Are they nutritious for our body and soul?

As you go through your day, pay attention to what you consume. Which relationships help you grow as a person? Which relationships eat away at you? Which activities build you up and which activities leave you feeling drained and abused?

Fill your plate with the bounty of the wedding feast each day so that wherever your journey may take you, you will be nourished.


Prayer: Holy Bridegroom, you invite us to the banquet table. Make us yearn for you and the fruits of the wedding feast. Sustain us with a wedding party who cares for our whole being and keeps us nourished by your love. Amen.


Jennifer M. Manis

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Resources

http://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/