Cooking and Eating Together: A Spiritual Practice
Guest Writers: Carole and Gary Kimmel
“Food is our common denominator. Sharing meals has the power to distract us from our worries and set our eyes on what is important, if only for a brief moment. These are moments of grace where we are able to truly taste and see that God is good.” Campbell and Seibert, 2014 1.
We have found joy in cooking together, especially in retirement, trying new recipes and enjoying the taste of different dishes. We especially enjoy sharing our knowledge of cooking, teaching cooking classes, and eating together with friends. Our focus for many years has been on Asian cooking, and we have been fortunate to travel to different Asian countries, enjoying their cuisine. More recently, we have been part of cooking and wine tours in Italy, France and Spain, expanding our appreciation of other cultures and their approach to mealtime.
But what does one find in cooking, other than a meal, leftovers in the frig and more ingredients than you will ever use in a lifetime? Well, cooking can be a creative experience with joy in finding the right ingredients, growing herbs and vegetables to go into dishes, and using intuition to make it all come together in the right way. We cook very differently. Gary is very organized and gets all the ingredients out beforehand to make sure we have everything, and he explores changes to the recipes with some intention. Carole, on the other hand, decides to cook something, looks at a recipe (maybe several) making changes as she goes along. She gets out each ingredient as needed and many times has had to send Gary to the store to get something missing. Surprisingly, either approach can lead to excellent outcomes.
What we both enjoy immensely is sharing food and wine with friends in fellowship and love. Our church on the Outer Banks is the “eatingest” church we’ve ever been in, and we gather for meals at every opportunity. The Eucharist is central to those meals together. During Covid, we weren’t able to gather for a long time, and when we did, the Eucharist was spiritual rather than actual, until recently. This has been extremely difficult for us all. Sharing a meal is a central part of many Gospel stories and can be a spiritual experience that brings us closer together in the way that the disciples and Jesus were drawn together at the Last Supper. The Eucharistic service is one of those thin places where we can feel closer to God. Share meals with your friends, even from a distance, and know the love that Jesus gives us is present in that gathering.
Carole and Gary Kimmel
1Campell, JES and Sebert, JJ. Taste and See: Experiences of God’s Goodness Through Stories, Poems, and Food, as Seen by a Mother and Daughter. Temenos Publishing, 2014.
