Every sourdough loaf has the same essential ingredients:
Sourdough starter.
Flour.
Water.
Salt.
The technique, ratio, and process, however, can vary widely.
Some add a higher ratio of water that creates a stickier dough. Others prefer to use freshly milled wheat which requires a bit of tweaking to get the desired results. Some prefer several sessions of stretching and folding and utilizing cold fermentation while others prefer a much simpler process. Some pull a loaf out of the oven that has been beautifully etched with an intricate design while others prefer to simply create a single slash into the loaf purely for the practical purpose of allowing the loaf to expand and release its gases.
No matter how different the process, each person is able to create a delicious and nutritious loaf of bread.
Isn't that just like the body of believers?
There are important ingredients to a healthy spiritual life. Four that come to mind are:
Prayer.
Studying scripture.
Worship.
Service.
We all, however, have unique ways of utilizing these important ingredients. Some are prayer warriors who can close themselves off for hours, quietly beseeching the Lord behind the scenes. Others devour scripture and take deep dives on theology, eagerly sharing with others what they have learned. Some feel closest to God when singing praises to Him. Others dedicate their lives to being the hands and feet of Jesus through serving the needy in their community.
We should never omit any of these important ingredients from our lives lest our spiritual walk suffer, but we should also understand that the ratios and method of using the ingredients will vary throughout the Christian community.
God is His goodness created us all different. We should all be bringing glory to Him in the unique ways that we are called.
Comments