Last week I was the chaplain for a gathering of Spiritual Formation leaders from across the country. I had the honor of curating the prayer/meditation times that helped people process their day and what the various speakers had to say. The opening keynote talk by Reverend Isaiah Shaneequa Brokenleg inspired my creativity and got me thinking! Reverend Brokenleg told a beautiful story about learning to make stew. …and compared good stew/soup to a church community.
A good stew/soup has yummy ingredients, layered flavors, and is usually made in a big enough pot to serve lots of people .
Good stew/soup provides hospitality and warms us up on a cold winter day.
What is your favorite soup or stew? if you happen not to like soup, what is your favorite comfort food? (use this food instead of soup as you pray through the questions)
Think about all the textures and flavors.
The colors.
Imagine the smell of the soup/stew wafting through your home.
Now consider the Stew/Soup of your life….Think about all the great flavors and ingredients. What are you thankful for? Take some time to thank Jesus.
There is a great passage that talks to us about how we are to be in the world. Read it and take some time to ponder or journal from the questions below.
“Let me tell you why you are here. You’re here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God- flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? You’ve lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage.
“Here’s another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Creator in heaven.What ingredients are you missing?
- Are you bringing good flavors to your world? Are you feeling flavorful or are you feeling scorched?
- What is scorched in your life? Talk to Jesus about this.
- If the stew is scorched, burned on the bottom, you don’t scrape the burned part into the rest of the stew…you pour the stew out into a NEW POT. After pouring the scorched stew into the new pot, Reverend Brokenleg said her grandmother used a potato to take out all the scorched taste. The potato was like Jesus, removing all the scorched flavor from the stew. What scorched-ness do you need Jesus to remove today, in your life, and in the life of your church community?
- What ingredients are you missing? What do you need to make your soup/stew better?
- Think about all the ingredients in your community…all the beautiful flavors they represent. Who are you grateful for in your community?
- Who is missing in your community or in your life who might add a different flavor to your stew? Who has been left out of your stew? Why have they been left out?
- What are tangible ways you can enhance the flavors of those who might be left out? Ask Jesus to show you.
I think we need to consider that we might need NEW POTS, Like New Wine Skins… in which to pour all the beautiful ingredients. And we definitely need new pots if the stew has been scorched. New pots and fresh ingredients…with room to mix them in fresh ways.
What could those New Pots look like in your church community? Or in your own life? Would they be smaller? Different sizes? Maybe we need a bigger spoon or more bowls to share our soup/stew. Who would you like to share stew/soup within the near future?
Read the passage again
“Let me tell you why you are here. You’re here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God- flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? You’ve lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage.
“Here’s another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Creator in heaven.
I love the thought of bringing out God-flavors and God-colors in the world! What could this mean in your life?
God-Flavors and God -Colors
As you eat soup this week or make soup or stew, use this as a reminder to bring out the God-flavors in your home, your neighborhood, at work or school. Taste the richness and thank Jesus for all the rich flavors and varied ingredients in your life. When you see or eat a potato, remember that Jesus takes away all the scorched things of our life and gives us back the good flavor. And like we prayed last week, use your spoon, and allow the Holy Spirit to stir up NEW THINGS in your life in the days ahead.
©lillylewin and freerangeworship.com