Quiet leavening

I am currently reading 52 Loaves, One man's relentless pursuit of Truth, Meaning, and a perfect crust by William Alexander. It is funny and interesting and I am learning a lot about both the process of baking bread and one person's search for answers. I have been baking bread for our family for years, a joyous pasttime which began in the early 70's when we moved to the Boston area and I met Bob Gates, then the sports editor of the Monitor. Bob used a very simple recipe to make bread and he taught me how to do it. He taught me lots of things about Christian Science as well, as I was just discovering it and had so many questions. When he began to list his name in the Journal as a practitioner I sent him flowers. He loved that.

The process of baking bread has always interested me and as I read and studied Science and Health I loved the references to leaven or yeast. That made sense to me. It is referred to in the second section of this week's Bible Lesson on Truth. Mrs. Eddy writes, "Ages pass, but this leaven of Truth is ever at work".

One thought that came to me this morning was that the action of yeast or leaven is silent. You cannot hear it at work. It makes no sound. But you can see it at work as the bread dough rises. You can clearly see the effect of the yeast working in the dough. Sometimes our prayers seem to require loud protests against some stubborn or painful condition. It is often the 'still, small voice' that comes to us in those situations and leads us to healing and peace. You never call upon God in vain. He is always present and working on your behalf. You might not see it right away but Truth is being effective.

Tuesday is my regular day to bake bread. Our current favorite is Rosemary Olive Oil bread. The 'grands' love to help and they get to sample the dough and the warm finished product. I love the process and having them there with me in the kitchen. It gives a deep and satisfying meaning to 'give us this day our daily bread'.