Happy Palm Sunday, friends.
On this final Sunday of Lent, we are talking about the final (and perhaps most important) element of bread: rest.
While not an ingredient in bread, per se, rest is what allows the ingredients to transform into a delicious and nutritious loaf. I find this to be the most humbling aspect of my work as a baker. While I can mix together proper ingredients and create the proper conditions for bread to be good, the majority of flavor and texture are developed while both the dough and me as the baker are at rest.
For this week’s reflection, then, I thought it proper that I too take some time of rest from this Substack.
Instead of writing out a reflection, I encourage you to listen to this Kitchen Meditations episode On Rest that I released a few Lents back. It is, without a doubt, my most listened-to episode of Kitchen Meditations ever recorded.
I hope it blesses you this Sunday morning and prepares you for a time of rest as well.
God who rested:
For six days you created
and saw that it was good.
then on the seventh,
you took a break.
I struggle to rest,
to slow my body and mind,
to trust that this slowness
is good.
Teach me to delight
in the boundaries you give:
the call to rest, trust,
and enjoy your creation.
Amen.
Our second annual fall Bake & Pray retreat is open for registration! We’ll be gathering at the Mast Farm Inn in Valle Crucis, NC, from October 21-23. Last year’s retreat was incredibly special—I’ve already had retreaters sign up to come again. Spots are limited so I recommend signing up soon as it will fill up.