Brenda Salter-McNeil challenges us to give our witness credibility by going through Samaria- the neighborhoods of the marginalized.

While I can reproduce the salsa experience from last sunday for those of you who missed it – Here’s a few additional thoughts on the talk this past sunday.

There’s not much we do more frequently in life while awake than eat. Is there we can redeem our times of eating and see how God may be speaking to us through our food? Maybe rather than saying grace before meals, we could see grace within our meals?

The dining table helps bring people together as equals.  All in need of food, all with the capacity to enjoy and taste God’s goodness and providence.

Most of Jesus’ parables were spoken in the presence of a food and also often about food.

If the whole earth is filled with his glory – maybe our food expresses flavors of the gospel as well?  Think about the cilantro – the smell the colors – it’s all so unnecessary to digestion and nutrition – but why might our ever-creative God have done that with our food?

Everything (good) we eat was once alive.  Our food in many ways ‘dies’ so that we can live.

We can see the truth of Christ’s death, bringing us life, everywhere.

Death is not only a reality of life, it is the fuel for life.

Jesus once said that unless a kernel of wheat falls from the ground, it remains a single seed.  But if it dies… life is multiplied when we die to ourselves, our ambitions, our selfisness…

Jesus also said that we are to we deny ourselves (ie. die to ourselves), pick up our cross and follow him

Another statement Jesus repeated was that those who lose their lives (ie. die to ourselves again) will find our lives.

Death to ourselves, death for the sake of Christ, death on behalf of others, leads to life…

Here is a link to the trailer of food inc that I had mentioned – and how the way we eat today disconnects us from life, death, and how our universe functions.

Here’s an article I wrote about on ‘hoping for the death of your child‘ regarding the story of the two babies I closed with.

BTW – The jalapenos were burning under my nails for the next day.  Another reason why I love spicy food.  Ever have an experience eating food and you can’t recall whether you ate it or not?  Jalapenos provide me with a tangible experience to the food I ate – through the heat and my sweat – i’m reminded of the meal I just ate.  What if we lived more memorable and impactful lives – like the Jalapeno?

Reactions?

Thoughts?

Thoughts?

Shane Claiborne Sermon from Covenant Communications on Vimeo.

Your thoughts?