Praying like a
gourmet means metaphorically moving beyond meat-and-potato
prayers. The author equates gourmet praying with various activities
associated with food, including planning, preparation, cooking,
dining, and cleaning. Divided into three parts, the first
part prepares the food and sets the table and the third part
concludes the gourmet meal and clears the table. The longest
and strongest section is part two in which the different types
of prayer are analyzed – praising, thanking, confessing,
blessing, observing, lamenting, meditating, contemplating,
asking, interceding, and joining – with creative examples
of how to experiment with these different styles.
Alternative ways of praying might be using your body for a
dance of praise, writing simple poetry to thank, breathing
exercises for confession, drawing a picture of someone to
bless, going on a walk in the forest to observe, and so forth.
Woven among the how-to-pray advice are stories about the author’s
travels, his spiritual journey, and occasional stories from
the Bible. Although the personal anecdotes usually relate
directly to the material, they are among the less-essential
information.
Designed with attractive splashes of color and whimsical illustrations
by Willemijn de Groot, this book has a professional look and
feel, and provides a smooth easy read. The prayer exercises
could be practiced over a few weeks or a few years, depending
upon your dedication to fully exploring new ways of praying.
While the food-prayer connection often works well (“Just
as the taste of simple food is utterly delectable after a
long fast, so was this simple new spiritual practice. But
I found myself hungry for even more”), the metaphor
sometimes feels a little forced. The second part of the book,
which is devoted to the actual courses, provides fewer food
references than the other two sections, and readers may be
so engrossed in the creative prayer techniques they forget
about the food analogy altogether – until they reach
part three.
For readers seeking intriguing new ways to pray beyond what
traditional religious schools may have taught, Pray Like
a Gourmet offers a variety of fresh ideas, all carefully
prepared and beautifully presented.
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Reviewer
Leslie C. Halpern is the author of Passionate About
Their Work: 151 Celebrities, Artists, and Experts on Creativity,
Rub, Scrub, Clean the Tub: Funny Children's Poems About
Self-Image, and Shakes, Cakes, Frosted Flakes: Funny
Children's Poems About Table Manners. |