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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