Saturday August 15, 2020
The Rev. Nathan Bourne
Nourish
Over the last six months, the line from the Lord’s Prayer “Give us this day our daily bread” has taken on new and richer meaning for me. Like so many of my generation one of my Covid-19 coping mechanisms (and a way to space out grocery store visits) has been bread-baking. I’ve made flatbreads, quickbreads, sourdoughs, focaccias, naan – an array of shapes, sizes, and flavor profiles. I’ve baked breads I had never heard of, and taken to the daily feedings for my sourdough starter like an over-anxious parent. It’s been a welcome distraction at times, but has also been a source of some valuable lessons.
The biggest thing that bread baking has reminded me is the limits of my control. No matter how precise my measurements, how closely I follow the recipe, how expertly I knead, or how carefully I shape the loaves, there are processes that determine the final result is out of my hands. The interaction of time, temperature, and microorganisms give the loaf it’s structure, guide the rise, and determine the finished product. All I can do is pay attention and respond to what I see – stopping the rise when the dough has doubled, putting it in the oven once the proofing is done.
Every loaf of bread I’ve made has been an act of faith. There have been no guarantees that any would turn out the way I envisioned. I’ve had some failures along the way – pizza dough still raw when the ingredients were burning, a sourdough loaf that looked more like a crepe. Every time I take a loaf out of the oven, cut into it, feel the gluten strands pull apart, and bite in, I’m nourished – not only by the delicious carbohydrates, but by the process. The time, labor, and act of faith are part of the nourishment. I’m fed by the act of creation, but also by the limits of my control. When I pray those words “Give me this day my daily bread” I envision the baking process. I imagine God working in us, with us and through us, animating the work of love that we are all invited to do. I trust that God is working in those places and situations that are outside of my control, moving in ways that I can’t see or sense. I’ve been nourished in so many unexpected ways in my life and in the past six months.