Scripture text: Psalm 51:10 – “Create in me a clean heart, O God and renew a right spirit within me.”
Last weekend I was with a group of young Quakers peeling potatoes for the Clinton County Homeless Shelter’s “Soup for The Soul” fundraiser event — and I must say we peeled those 20 pounds of potatoes in no time flat.
These spuds would soon become a hot tasty bowl of deliciousness to be served on Friday morning, a traditional event which takes place in our community every year.
I have been making potato soup for “The Soup for the Soul” event since the very first bowl of soup was served. Those currently involved have made it into a well-oiled event, filled with faith, hope and love.
Years ago when I first started peeling potatoes, carrots, and chopping onions and celery I wanted to include other people in the joy of this task of soup-making for the soul.
I have always felt a call to gather around a table with others as we blend work, prayer and fellowship. To me it is what the church is to be about: doing ministry and being in love with what we are doing.
So it has become a practice of mine to gather a group of people together to be a part of the faithfulness of soup-making. It does not matter what the age, because stories are always told, laughter is always shared and the job at hand always gets accomplished.
The laughter, the sounds of chopping, scraping and peeling all become a part of the prayer; and like the creamy broth of this soup, we become very rich in the Christ Spirit as we share in the gift of creating sacred space, knowing the work we were doing will warm the inner depths of those we serve.
My prayer this Thanksgiving is to thank God for the gift of those individuals who go about their days offering the gift of nourishment one to the other, one bowl of savory soup after another.
May we continue to seek sacred ways of offering compassion to one another as we step into that place of fellowship that is centered in the Divine Love of God, and may you have a Blessed Thanksgiving.
Nancy McCormick and husband Mike are pastors of Chester and Springfield Friends, and Nancy is Wilmington College’s campus minister.
