Bread and Butter

I have a sweet friend who raves about my cooking. And in truth, I am a very good cook. I struggle to lose weight because no matter what style of eating I attempt—vegan, nutritarian, whole foods—I can concoct very yummy things to eat!

But in the end, most of my recipes are pretty basic. My “fabulous” baked pears are simply pears that have been halved and cored, with a spoon of brown sugar, a sprinkle of cinnamon, and a pat of butter, baked until soft and fabulous. That’s it. Another friend loves my soups. Again, simple. Onion and garlic. Celery, carrots, and whatever I find in the fridge.

Salt and pepper. Bread and butter. Oil and vinegar. Even when expanded into Trinitarian flavor combinations, the best flavors are the basic ones. Garlic, onion, and celery. Brown sugar, cinnamon, and butter. I have a six foot spice cabinet, containing all kinds of spices, including mace, fenugreek, and saffron, and spice mixtures including Old Bay, Herbes de Provence, and Garam Masala. But the basics, like salt and vanilla, are in the cupboard over the stove where I can reach them quickly. It’s great to make internationally themed dishes with exotic spices, but in the end the foods my family and guests prefer are the basic ones.

In the same way, it’s great to understand all manner of theological concepts, and to occasionally spice up our reading and conversations with a pinch of antinomianism, a dash of eschatology, or a spicy debate about reformed theology. But these are spices, not nourishment. They don’t take the place of the basics, of common workaday Christianity. Prayer and fasting. Praise and thanksgiving. Sharing and serving. They don’t sound glamorous. They don’t seem spicy. But in the end they create a sustaining, refreshing Christianity that nourishes our souls.

In the summer I am busier and it is more difficult to get my daily quiet time or read the book for my weekly Bible study. And by the end of the summer I can feel it. I’m behind in my devotions, and less in touch with God’s leading. But now it’s fall and my business is slower and, and, and…

No, it’s not that. I am doing much better lately. But it’s not because my business is slower. It’s because I’ve consciously chosen discipline. I’ve begun getting up at Oh-Dark-Hundred and walking two miles with a friend. I hate getting up early. And I don’t like exercise all that much. But I love talking with my friend each morning. And because it’s so early I have to time read my devotions and Bible. Sometimes I journal and pray. And these disciplines are the ingredients for a strong, sustaining faith that will nourish me through this season and the seasons to come.

“Doing the basics” isn’t glamorous or sensational or even all that interesting. Day in and day out simply doing what we’ve been commanded to do doesn’t seem very attractive or compelling. Yet in the end, the best walks with God, like the tastiest dishes, rely on the basics for their success.

I hope I’ll remember that tomorrow at Oh-Dark-Hundred!