30 Days of Tasting

Day 18

The first Art of Faith workshop took place today. And, from what I can tell, it was a very rich and meaningful event for those who attended. This workshop and (hopefully) book has inspired our 30 Days of Tasting experiment. So, I had to let you know that I am very pleased with the experience and impassioned about helping people experience God more deeply and fully.

I am very tired, as you might imagine, and so I don’t have lots of energy to write. But I did have an interesting taste experience tonight. After the workshop, I went out to dinner with a friend, Carol, who came from Illinois. She had two friends with her and I wanted them to experience a unique restaurant in Indy, so I suggested the Brugge in Broad Ripple.

The Brugge is a French restaurant with a savory cuisine. Their signature item, in my opinion, is pomme frite--French fries, with exotic dipping sauces! I wanted to try a crepe and so when the server came to get our order, I asked her opinion about the crepes. She told me her favorite was the one with pork tenderloin, goat cheese and mustard sauce. I was having trouble deciding and that didn’t really sound good, but I ordered it anyway because I felt hurried. Bummer—I should have listened to my own palate.

I didn’t like it. It was way too oniony and the pork just didn’t work with the crepe. I ate most of it because I was hungry, but honestly, I was disappointed the whole time. Why didn’t I listen to my true desires, my own tastes?

How does that relate to my experience with God and my spiritual life? No one else can decide for me what will nourish my soul. I need to listen to my own spiritual palate. Our faith journey really is more of an art than a science. And as an art, I have to play with different mediums to discover what helps me connect best with God, hear from God and open my heart more fully to God.

So, action point for the day: listen to your own spiritual palate and try spiritual food that appeals to your soul. (And, if you go to the Brugge, don’t opt for the pork tenderloin crepe.)