Review of Nora Gallagher’s THE SACRED MEAL
by csmith - November 25, 2009 - 12:05 pmA Brief Review of
The Sacred Meal (Ancient Practices Series).
Nora Gallagher.
Hardback: Thomas Nelson, 2009.
Buy Now: [ ChristianBook.com ]
Reviewed by Chris Smith.
The “Ancient Practices” series from Thomas Nelson – with its deep historical rooting and careful theological attentiveness – is rapidly becoming one of my favorite ongoing series of books. Thus, I was pleased to see the release of two new volumes. The first of these volumes is Nora Gallagher’s THE SACRED MEAL, which explores the meaning of the practice of Eucharist (or communion, as it is called here Englewood and in many other churches). Gallagher eloquently reflects upon the communal nature of the Eucharist, the stages of participating in the Eucharist (waiting, receiving and afterward) and then explores the theological meaning of the bread and the cup as it has been honored in various traditions at various times in church history. My favorite chapter, however, is the book’s second-to-last chapter in which Gallagher explores the economic meaning of the Eucharist as expressed through a shared meal at a soup kitchen. “Here’s the irony,” she says, “the economy of scarcity appears to be abundant while abundance is marked by an appearance of scarcity. The scarce economy looks rich and full, but within it, people’s souls and bodies starve. The economy of abundance, on the other hand, is organized just to provide enough. Like the manna in the desert that could not be stored but was only enough to get through the day, so the economy of abundance releases no more than enough nourishment. I ran out of fruit one day (at the soup kitchen) at just the moment a farmer drove up with three cases of oranges.”
Throughout, Gallagher’s writing reminds me of one of my favorite writers, Madeleine L’Engle – in her rooting in the Episcopalian tradition, in her poignant use of personal stories and in theological clarity with which she sees complex questions like those related to the Eucharist. The Sacred Meal is another excellent book in The Ancient Practices Series and is well worth our attention and consideration.