Fixing Stone Soup

Dear Friends,

We all have heard this story at one time or another titled Stone Soup. It goes like this: “What are you doing?” a woman asked of the two travelers. “Fixing stone soup. All you need is a little water and some stones,” one replied. “Of course, it would be better if we had just a bit of potatoes,” said the other. “I have some,” she said, and going off, shortly returned with them.

Others passed and stopped to question the strangers. Each time the two travelers explained, and each time the townspeople volunteered to provide the necessary ingredient. At the end of the day, every imaginable vegetable, herb and spice had been added to the pot. That night, the two travelers fed the whole town on the most delicious soup anyone had ever tasted. (Elizabeth O’Connor,The History of The Church of The Saviour in Handbook for Mission Groups, pp 42-43.)

Our church’s ministry is a bit like making stone soup. One person comes and suggests, “We need to mow the lawn ourselves.” Well, as we all know, we are overworked. Yet, in the end, the list of volunteers gets filled, and generally speaking, the lawn gets mowed, and people fulfill the task. I give thanks for this quiet, not loudly stated, fulfillment of promises.

Like in the stone soup story, each person comes to the pot and quietly inquires about what’s needed. It seems to me that in our small congregation, we do just that. (It takes a village, right?! We are that village.)

One day, we bring food for the lunchtime recitals, or for Elijah’s Promise soup kitchen, or for the community suppers. On another day, we bring ourselves to volunteer at the House of Manna or Men’s Shelter. Others of us get involved with the Interfaith dialogues, the SNAP ministry, or teaching our children. While still others of us use our swift hands by knitting a prayer shawl, or making cookies for a fund-raiser.

All these little additions to the soup of our congregation’s ministry add up, and, moreover, it makes the soup tastier. Slowly, the soup is cooking. Hopefully it will bubble. As you look amongst these pages of our newsletter, may we each find places to add to the soup. I believe that there is so much we can do and provide. It might not be the large donation; rather it might be similar to the poor widow’s tithe of two copper coins as it is written in Luke’s Gospel.

She gave the most of what she had. If we consider this in these days of economic recession, perhaps that is the fear, more than anything else, that we as Christian face and need to address. Together, when we each add to it, we can make this ministry a wonderful blessing. Yet if we fear it and hold
back, we all starve.

But isn’t that why we open each of our worship services with these words: “Our help is in the name of the Lord” We say this to address the fear that we all face in the world, and that fear which we are called to overcome with love and faith. That is the help which we call upon - the stone with
which we feel able and willing to make our soup.

Thanks be to God!

~ Pastor Susan