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Fika (fee'-kuh) – a Scandinavian custom of slowing down to enjoy a moment with friends and loved ones over coffee and a sweet treat.
I first learned about this charming Scandinavian custom of fika through Norwegian missionary friends in Madagascar. Fika is deemed so important to Scandinavian daily life that it can be observed at any time of day. Our Norwegian friends invited my friend Bonnie and me to join them one day for their mid-morning fika, which was part party and part coffee break.
I've since appropriated the idea of fika, adapting it to become an occasional fun activity here in my retirement community. I make a Scandinavian treat, and others contribute by bringing baked items that they enjoy making. Cardamom buns are a fika favourite, but there are many delightful Scandinavian treats to sample. We've so far enjoyed Fika in the Garden on a beautiful early summer day in June, Fika in the Fall with autumn treats, and February Fika to celebrate Valentine's Day.
We who love the Lord can also enjoy a sort of spiritual fika through fellowship with fellow believers. It's good to sit down with a friend and talk about spiritual things over a cup of coffee. Not only do we encourage one another as we share our thoughts and prayers, but it also honours and pleases God when we talk about Him.
Malachi 3:16 – Then those who feared and loved the Lord spoke often of him to each other. And he had a Book of Remembrance drawn up in which he recorded the names of those who feared him and loved to think about him. (TLB)
We can also have a fika with God, spending time with Him, remembering what He has done, thanking Him for our many blessings, talking over with Him our future hopes and dreams, enjoying the beauty of the world around us, and turning our burdens over to Him. Quiet times with God like this help to deepen our faith and strengthen our bond with Him.
Psalm 46:10a – Be still, and know that I am God! (NLT)
This time of quiet reflection can then give us the impetus to get up and continue on with the tasks ahead of us. Just as a coffee break helps to carry us through a busy day of work, so a spiritual fika helps to give the balance of quiet times interspersed with the mundane activities of daily life.
Let's think about times and ways to slow down to enjoy a spiritual fika, either with friends or with God — or both — in a quiet, meditative place. Such a time is refreshing and rejuvenating. It's good for the soul!
Prayer: Dear loving heavenly Father, we know that it pleases You when we make You part of our everyday life. May we frequently take time to stop our busy activities and think about You and Your part in our lives. Help us to slow down and enjoy these moments with friends — and with You. Amen.
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Thanks for the perspective, Gail.
Happy fika to you, my sister in Christ.
Amen Gail !
Thanks for sharing ! Blessed Devotion !
Thank you for sharing this encouraging devotional with us today. To God be the glory! Blessings.
Thanks, Gail, for reminding us how we should spend quiet time with friends and God, blessings.
What an interesting word. I’ll be trying to add it to my vocabulary and remember your devotion today.
This is lovely. A new word for my vocabulary. Thank you for this – I’m going to send it to several of my friends.
Gail-
Once again, your words touched the chord of peace within me. Thank you.
May your days be blessed as you have blessed us with your wise sharing.
Gail, your writing today is a great example of a relationship with our Father …that quiet and deep time spent together, like with a good and loved friend, is uplifting and sweet. I love Fika too!
What a lovely reading to start my day! Thank you for putting a name to my times with friends and tea and God.
I have enjoyed your writings.
(Manitoba)
Greetings Gail and thanks for your devotional today. I found it very interesting to read about “fika”, a word I hadn’t heard before. Your words are very right that not only is it good to chat together with friends, but to also take time to think about God in our lives and have a “fika” time with Him. Blessings for your special writing.
Gail, I have found your writings over the 5 years I have been reading the devotionals have provided me with spiritual fika. Thank you so much for sharing about the place you live, your life, and the way you encourage so many about faith in our Lord. You and the other contributors have been a huge blessing. Again, Thank You.
(BC.)
Good afternoon, Gail,
Thank you for your message today. Spending time with God is good. He listens and He speaks and understands everything that we are going through. Thanks be to God for always working not only in my life but in the life of others.
Blessings!
Thank you, Gail.
I enjoyed your devotion tremendously.
I was having FIKA breaks with friends, and not knowing it.
Now there’s a name for it.
Thanks so much.
I enjoy those I have with the Lord too.
(Quebec)
Fika time
Good morning,
Thank you for writing this devotional.
I need lots of reminders.
To look at ordinary daily occasions.
As God occasions.
Oh my,
Thank you for explaining fika times.
Blessings.
Good morning, Gail,
Thank you for the wonderful encouraging devotional about fika. I use the passage Psalm 46:10a – “Be still, and know that I am God!” often and it works for me. It has been very enjoyable for me to read your devotionals over the last few years once I knew about PrebyCan. I appreciate all the writers that are able to put their faith into words to help others grow and learn. Robin definitely gave people many years of faith help and is continuing to provide access to these devotionals. Wonderful that he know how to program and was guided by God to help so many others.
Wishing you more wonderful times celebrating fika. Blessings.
Thank you for sharing such a lovely idea.
Loved this! I have a friend in Gothenburg who loves her “Fika”.
Your writing over the years has meant so much, as you lead me into new facets of The Word.
I’ll miss it, thanks for your faithfulness along The Way,
(BC)
Dear Gail
Once again, thank you for your devotional today on ‘Fika’. We have enjoyed every one of your daily devotionals throughout the years.
We were very sad that our daily ritual of reading the PresbyCan message is coming to a close. Robin Ross did such a wonderful job of producing these.
Thank you again for all your contributions.
Blessings.
Hi Gail,
I am a regular reader of PresbyCan Daily, and I particularly enjoyed today’s devotion.
My church developed a tradition a number of years ago of selecting a ‘Star word’, either intentional or by random drawing from slips of paper (during COVID we even had a random generator program!). These words were to help guide us, like the star led the wise men, through the year. My word this year, randomly drawn, was Fika!
While I understood the Scandinavian tradition of taking a rest from normal activities, I loved your idea of taking a break with God!
Thank you for your message. I’m sorry that PresbyCan will no longer be delivered to my in-box. I will have to make deliberate Fika time to go and look up a devotion on the website.
Blessings,
(ON)
Thank you, Gail, for encouraging us to slow down and spend time with our friends and with the lord. It’s hard, sometimes, in this fast-paced world.