Recently I read an article in the New York Times about a pot of soup. Annie Rauwerda started cooking the soup the first week of June and she hasn’t stopped. “It’s a perpetual stew; Ms. Rauwerda and her friends eat most of it, leaving just a small amount of broth and other ingredients in the pot before they replenish it. They have repeated that cycle for over a month now.” Word got out about the perpetual stew and attendance and participation continues to grow each day. Hundreds of people show up contributing ingredients to be used in subsequent days and the perpetual stew continues to be shared. The article (linked above) paints a rich and wonderful story of community, connection, and the power of gathering as a transformational experience.
The concept of a perpetual stew is not new. On the website she created for her iteration of the stew, Ms. Rauwerda quotes from Wikipedia: “a perpetual stew, also known as forever soup, hunter’s pot or hunter’s stew, is a pot into which whatever foodstuffs one can find is placed and cooked. The pot is never or rarely emptied all the way, and ingredients and liquid are replenished as necessary. Such foods can continue cooking for decades or longer, if properly maintained. The concept is often a common element in descriptions of medieval inns. Foods prepared in a perpetual stew have been described as being flavorful due to the manner in which the ingredients blend together."
One of the hot topics in the Church world right now is the growing concern about how churches might bring more people into the community. We don’t always phrase it that way – we usually focus less on community and more on empty pews. But perhaps we need to shift our perspective and ask ourselves what we (not just at Pinnacle, but throughout the larger Church) are doing to live the gospel and celebrate Jesus. Another way to ask – why should people come to church? I do think the answer lies in community. Jesus gathered people around meals. He shared scripture with them and they with one another. He asked challenging questions and engaged people in how they see the world. He healed, loved, and cared for people. Living in community with one another, they experienced transformation.
Jesus still works the same way today! When we share our lives, and we share scripture, and we share prayer, and even when we laugh, cry, eat, play, and work together, there’s something even greater that happens in that connection. And people notice. And when they notice, they want to be a part of it. They’re drawn in and they bring themselves … and they bring their “ingredients” to add to the mix and they bring their “cups” ready to be filled.
