It’s a day that should loom on the teen calendar like the sixteenth birthday or Christmas: National Pepperoni Pizza Day (September 20). You might wonder why a teen devotional would start off with that bit of info. But think about how much Jesus used food in His ministry. In fact, if pizza delivery were available in Jesus’ day, instead of the phrase “I am the bread of Life” we might have the phrase “I am the thick crust of life.” Okay, that might be a stretch, but it’s not a stretch to say you could easily create a theology of food from Jesus’ life. In fact…
[BTW, you can download a PDF version of this devotional here]
- Digging In (God, Show Me!
Take a couple minutes to explore the passages below (these are listed in event order rather than Bible order). As you read, make notes on the food/drink that shows up in the passage. Some questions to answer:
What food/drink is mentioned here?
How is it used? (Analogy? Sign? Background?)
What spiritual impact was made?
John 2:1-12
John 6:1-14; 25-27
Matthew 22:1-14
Mark 14:22-26
Luke 24:13-32
- Taking It Inward (God, Teach Me!)
What can you conclude about Jesus’ use of food?
Why was food such a big deal in His ministry?
Can you use food in the same way? How can meals and food be an opportunity for spiritual conversation?
- Putting Into Practice (God, Change Me!)
Take a crack at using pizza as a teaching tool for explaining spiritual things. What kinds of analogies can you make between pizza and the Christian faith? What might each of these represent?
-unbaked dough
-kneading/tossing of the dough
-tomato paste
-cheese
-toppings/pepperoni especially
-seasoning
-the baking process
-cut in triangles or squares?
-delivering/receiving the pizza
-sharing with friends
-sharing about your favorite pizza
-convincing others why your favorite pizza is the best pizza
Like Jesus , we should all be on the lookout for how we can use everyday objects and activities as teaching moments to explain our faith. We all typically eat three meals a day, and frequently those meals are pizza. In fact, make September 20 not only a day to celebrate pepperoni pizza, make it a day you share more than pizza with your friends, make it a day to share your faith.