Bread, Body, Spirit

by Peck, Alice

• ISBN13: 9781594732423
• ISBN10: 1594732426
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2008-05-30
• Publisher: Skylight Paths Pub

Summary

Through a beautiful, diverse and eclectic array of personal narratives, fiction, sacred texts and verse, this inspiring book offers new perspectives on the unique ways that food nourishes our connection to the Divine. Tracing our food?s journey from the garden and the slaughterhouse to preparing, cooking and serving meals in our homes and at our feasts, these writings will speak to your heart and allow you to journey beyond physical satisfaction to the sacred connection between food and feeding our souls. Drawing from many faith traditions and backgrounds?Christian, Jewish, Native American, Hindu, Buddhist, Muslim, and Sikh?this collection contemplates, illuminates and unveils the mysteries to be discovered in harvest and banquet as well as hunger.

Table of Contents

Introduction	p. xi
The Garden: Acts of Faith	p. 1
Jalal ad-Din ar-Rumi: The Blossom Gives Way to the Fruit	p. 6
Meister Eckhart: The Seed of God	p. 7
Sister Miriam Therese MacGillis: Food as Sacrament	p. 8
The Rev. Jennifer Baskerville-Burrows: Lemon Love	p. 12
Alison Luterman: Every Piece of Fruit	p. 15
Kahlil Gibran: Speak to Us of Eating and Drinking	p. 16
Fish, Fowl, Flesh: Acknowledging Responsibility	p. 19
A Native American Blessing: Sacrifice	p. 24
From the Taittiriya Upanishad: Cycle	p. 25
Nancy Willard: A Wreath to the Fish	p. 26
Betty Fussell: On Murdering Eels and Laundering Swine	p. 28
Rabbi Zalman M. Schachter-Shalomi: Are They Kosher?	p. 34
Barbara Kingsolver: Free Breakfast	p. 36
Jane Goodall: Tale of the Giveaway Buffalo	p. 38
Matthew 26:26: Blessing	p. 41
Michael Benedikt: The Beef Epitaph	p. 42
Barbara Tanner Angell: Deer Season	p. 44
Cooking: Taking Action	p. 47
Edward Espe Brown: How Could I Have Ever Known It Would Be Like This?	p. 51
Julius Lester: Braiding Challah	p. 53
Mary Beth Crain: Food and God: Cooking as a Spiritual Calling	p. 54
Lama Surya Das: Keep Cooking	p. 61
Bernard Glassman and Rick Fields: Flour, Water, and Determination	p. 62
Serving: Nurturing	p. 65
Buddhist Meal Gatha	p. 69
Martin Buber: His Table an Altar	p. 70
Brother Lawrence: Love Is Everything	p. 71
Guru Gobind Singh: To Feed a Hungry Mouth Is to Feed the Guru	p. 72
Diane Ackerman: Accepting	p. 73
Zen Master Eihei Dogen: How to Share All Offerings	p. 74
Jacqueline Kramer: Warm Sweet Milk	p. 76
Amanda Cook: Sugar-Frosted Memories	p. 79
Eating: Being Present	p. 85
Karyn D. Kedar: There Is Nothing More Profound	p. 90
Julia S. Kasdorf: Onion, Fruit of Grace	p. 91
Wendell Berry: The Pleasures of Eating	p. 92
Marc David: How We Eat	p. 96
Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Sensei: Just Enough	p. 98
Bich Minh Nguyen: The Plum's Eye	p. 104
Fasts: Letting Go	p. 109
Omid Safi: Ramadan, Date Omelets, and Global Compassion	p. 113
Rabbi Irwin Kula and Vanessa L. Ochs: A Meditation on Fasting	p. 116
Ram Dass: Stuffing Our Egos	p. 117
Helen Nearing: Casting Off His Body	p. 119
Rabi'a al-`Adawiyya: Miracle Onion	p. 122
Jessica Swift: I Can Eat Chocolate for Breakfast	p. 123
Feasts: Reaping	p. 125
Rabbi Rami Shapiro: Heaven and Hell	p. 129
Diana Abu-Jaber: I've Heard Angels at Dinner	p. 130
Lynne Meredith Schreiber: Inheriting the Earth	p. 134
Mary Rose O'Reilley: Key Lime Pie	p. 138
Joan Chittister, osb: Table Fellowship	p. 140
Compost: No Beginning and No End	p. 143
The Qur'an 6:141: He Does Not Love the Wasters	p. 147
Daisetz Teitaro Suzuki: A Worm in the Rice	p. 148
Taittiriya Upanishad Part III: Food Is God	p. 149
Kristen Wolf: The Parable of the Squash	p. 150
Haven Kimmel: Diner	p. 155
Alisa Smith and J. B. MacKinnon: One Beautiful Meal	p. 160
Grace: Communion	p. 163
Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji: The Path	p. 167
Laurie Colwin: Feeding the Multitudes	p. 168
Lawrence Raab: Since You Asked	p. 172
Elias Canetti: Potlatch	p. 174
Lynn L. Caruso: Communion	p. 175
Sara Miles: Crossing II	p. 176
Grace Paley: Peacemeal	p. 179
Mary Oliver: Rice	p. 181
Ways to Share Your Meal	p. 183
Acknowledgments	p. 185
Credits	p. 187
About the Contributors	p. 191
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