Growth in Grace
In John 17 Jesus prayed an eloquent prayer for his disciples: that we should be in the world, but not of it. It’s a tricky business at best, one that requires careful thought and lots of practice, which is why each year we look at it anew, from a different angle, in our Growth in Grace Conference. Past conferences have focused on film, literature, music, perfectionism, the problem of evil, and child-rearing. See a pattern in these subjects? It’s not coincidental. All are areas of our lives that we are touched by daily. All require wisdom and discipline, knowing and doing in order to live up to our calling as followers of Jesus.
At first glance this year’s topic—Grace and the Table: a Theology of Food—may seem different. What’s faith got to do with food, right? Or, how does the Christian life get played out on a day-to-day basis – in this case, with the food we eat?
“We have made a bad habit of pitting the physical against the spiritual. And by we, I mean the western church in general, and you and I in particular. If God had been interested in a purely “spiritual” world, he would have created one. But God was not interested in a merely spiritual world; he was interested in a physical one as well: a dusty, weighty, tangible world.
Each Sunday we gather to worship a risen Christ, whose body rose from beneath the earth, with dirt beneath his nails. And each Sunday we remember his death and resurrection with nothing less than a feast. This is no accident. What does it mean that God chose to use food as a means of his remembrance? What does this mean about food? What does this mean about grace? What are the implications for how we live our lives in the world, or how we view vocation? I hope you will join us as we explore these questions together.”
- John Perkins
At its heart food –raising it, preparing it and eating it together—is one of our most important cultural and social habits. So, part of being in the world but not of it is understanding how our faith relates to our food. Make plans to join us!
Menu:
course #1: – black garlic chicken liver mousse, with granny smith apple saba (fruit syrup) and maytag blue cheese, arugula and brown butter roasted pear
course #2: – cauliflower panzanella; roasted cauliflower, charred tomato jam, creamy blood orange vinaigrette, fried bread and parsley
course #3: – porchetta style pork shoulder, braised fennel, charred radicchio, smoked shiitake polenta
course #4: – gooey butter cake (a st. louis specialty), with prickly pear gastrique
Venue: Redeemer Presbyterian Church | 2111 Alexander Ave, Austin Tx 78722
Purchase tickets here
Online registration is now closed. Tickets are still available and may be purchased at the door.
Contact: Greg Grooms
