This year about a week before thanksgiving, I started down the sourdough journey. I got the idea from another writer. I think her starter is passed down from 100+ years. Mine is not. I started my sourdough starter with flour and water and let it sit and ferment. I loyally fed it every day. The only thing I made for two weeks was a thin layer of hooch. I was disappointed and discouraged. Well, I loyally fed it unbleached all-purpose flour. After two weeks I did some more research and found out that when creating a sourdough starter from scratch, you need a flour with a higher gluten content. I decided to toss my jar of hooch and start over with whole wheat flour. After just 4 days, I had successfully created a sourdough starter. Now the thing with a sourdough starter is that you have to “feed” it every day. A certain amount of flour and a certain amount of water. You also discard some every day so that you don’t have a gallon of starter. If you aren’t going to use it frequently you can keep it in the fridge and feed it once a week or so. I have now shared some of my starter with my mother-in-law in California, a prophet in Harrah, a prophet in Choctaw and a shepherd in Choctaw.

When I handed over the starter I got to have good conversation with three of the four. Good Kingdom conversation. Sourdough has become a vehicle for ministry. Once conversation stuck out to me more than the others. The Shepherd from Choctaw. She is an amazing woman that, while we do not know each other well, we share a common grief. That grief binds our hearts together in a weird way.

She prayed for me at the end of our visit. Her prayers reminded me of so many things. I was reminded that iron sharpens iron. I was reminded that mundane visits can turn into moments to minister to others. I was reminded that we should not forsake the gathering. I was also reminded that walking with the Lord is a lot like making sourdough. You can not build from the wrong stuff. You need to be fed regularly. When left too long with out nourishment, there will be death. Death of prayer life, death of abide time, death of covenants, and death of spiritual growth. Death of spiritual growth will pour on to every other part of your life. Parts of our life need to be willingly discarded. In other words, Prune all branches that bear no fruit.

I was also reminded that one reason the Lord allows us to grow, is so that we can feed others. I have extra sourdough starter because I regularly feed it and nourish it. So, I am able to share with anyone who asks. If I want to be able to pour Jesus into other people, I have to first feed myself. You cannot pour from an empty cup. If you don’t know how to feed yourself the word, that’s okay. Everyone has to start somewhere. If you need some pointers, head over to the resources page and download the bible study PDF. If you need more help, reach out and I can help you find someone.

He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.              John 21:17

Are you feeding yourself? Are you feeding others? Are you trying to pour from an empty cup?

To the Shepherd in Choctaw: “It is God to whom and with whom we travel, and while he is the end of our journey, he is also at every stopping place.” -Elisabeth Elliot

I pray this finds you well. Grace and Peace,

– Chorley