One Year of Substack

a reflection, a prayer, and a recipe to start your week

It’s been one year since I announced the closure of the 501c3 side of Edible Theology and migrated my weekly newsletter over to Substack.

I spent three years trying to build out the curriculum side of Edible Theology—the purpose of its nonprofit designation—and faced dead ends at every turn. This included applying for dozens of grants, meeting with potential donors, hosting dinners all over the country to share my vision for the work.

Those years were exhausting, at many turns heartbreaking, and filled with questioning where God was leading me in this work…and whether God would continue to provide for my basic needs along the way. Over time, I realized that I did not want to actually run a curriculum organization, I wanted to teach and to bake and to write…I just hadn’t known how else to financially support myself through this work.

Letting go of the vision I’d held for Edible Theology, even if it wasn’t one I really wanted anymore, was difficult. At the same time, I sensed the momentum building behind Bake & Pray and I was excited to see what might be in store.

When I first started teaching Bake & Pray workshops back in 2016, I never could have imagined where they would lead. I always considered the workshops to be a side gig while I figured out what I was really doing. But here we are almost a decade later, and these workshops are my greatest joy.

Over the past year, I (or really, we, because this newsletter community has been integral to the growth of this work!):

• launched the Bake & Pray book

• hosted my first Bake & Pray retreat in collaboration with my friend/writer/musician Amanda Held Opelt

• trained and licensed 8 new Bake & Pray facilitators to teach workshops across the country

• taught 200+ people how to bake sourdough through Lent Sourdough

• announced our forthcoming Eucharist Pilgrimage in Greece and Italy

This fall’s 2nd annual Bake & Pray retreat is nearly full, and the Eucharist Pilgrimage is well on its way to filling up too.

The success of Bake & Pray has also created the space for me to continue my research into 20th century food and religious history, as well as its connection to the ways this history is playing out on the public/political stage today—much of which I have shared here with you through these weekly emails.

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Now that we are at the one year mark, I wanted to take the opportunity to check in with all of you.

I’m curious to hear what is working for you, what is most interesting to you, and what you would like to see more of moving forward.

Is it more prayers, recipes, or reading recommendations?

More theological reflections, or more historical insight? More cultural critique?

Book reviews? Interviews with other authors?

More events (in person or virtual)?

Would you take a minute and share your thoughts in the comments?

I want to make this Substack as beneficial for you all as I can, and I can do that best when I know more about what you want to glean from it!

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Today’s prayer is a Prayer When Baking for a Church Potluck from Bake & Pray: Liturgies and Recipes for Baking Bread as a Spiritual Practice.

Creative God,

thank you for gifting us
with tongues and tastebuds,
with the ability to enjoy an abundance of foods.

Thank you for creating
each member of our church
with unique skills, in and out of the kitchen.

May this bread be a humble offering
to the church potluck spread.

And may the table be marked not by competition
but by an outpouring of joy.

Amen.

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Mulberry Scones

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 1/4 cups spelt flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup unsalted butter, cubed and cold
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
2 1/2 cups mulberries
3/4 cup half and half, plus a splash to brush on top
2 eggs

2 cups powdered sugar

1. In a large bowl, mix together the flours, cornmeal, sugar, salt, and baking powder.

2. Cut in the butter until you can squeeze a handful of the mixture and it just holds together. The butter pieces should be about pea-sized—make sure you don't work it too hard, you don't want the butter to soften or melt.

3. Add the lemon zest and mulberries and toss together with the flour/butter mixture.

4. In a small bowl, whisk together the half and half and eggs. Add to the dry ingredients and stir until it just begins to hold together. Turn the dough onto the counter. Fold the dough in half and press together, repeating until it holds together well–this will create layers in the dough while incorporating the wet and dry ingredients, without overworking the gluten. Form into a round then divide into eight pieces.

5. Spread the scones out on a baking sheet and let rest in the fridge or freezer while the oven preheats. Preheat the oven to 425°F.

6. When the oven has preheated, brush the top of the scones with half and half then bake for 20 minutes.

7. While the scones cool, mix together the powdered sugar and lemon juice—adding juice a little bit at a time until you have a thick glaze. Glaze the tops of the cooled scones and enjoy!

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Join me and Amanda Held Opelt for the 2nd annual Bake & Pray retreat this fall in Valle Crucis, North Carolina! It’s going to be a restful and beautiful three days of worship, prayer, bread, community, mountains, and more.

We hope to have you there! Only a few spots remain, so if you have been considering attending, now is the time to secure yours.