Sloppy Joes and the Bible

lifeatctk ♦ September 9, 2011 ♦ Leave a comment

I’m famous for my sloppy joes. There’s no denying — it’s some of the best stuff ever made with ground chuck and ketchup. Brown the meat with a little chopped onion, drain, and pour in the ketchup until it looks right. Add a dollop of mustard, half of whatever-kind-of-spoon-you-have-handy of sugar, and two capsful of vinegar, and there you go. I make it in large batches and usually serve it at some sort of church function.

As a matter of fact, we often serve food in conjunction with worship, as I’m sure many congregations do. It’s a gesture of friendship, an opportunity to enjoy fellowship in a relaxed atmosphere, a time to gather at the table together before gathering at the Lord’s Table. Served before an evening service, it gives families with hungry children a less hurried schedule so that they are more apt to make worship a part of it. We have people, like me, who love to cook and count it as a blessing to feed hungry folks.

We seek and find nourishment of several kinds at CTK — that of body, mind and spirit — and often they go hand-in-hand-in-hand. Fed by the Word, fed by the Spirit, fed by the sloppy joes. It’s what makes us a family.

The other night I was struck by the large crowd who had gathered for a new Bible study taught by our associate pastor. Our Fellowship Hall was full of people gathered at the tables, but they weren’t eating sloppy joes (or cheeseburger soup or chicken alfredo, a couple of my other specialties). No, they were feeding on the Word, and that alone. They had gathered together with no promise of a brownie afterward, but with a promise of increased understanding and appreciation of the scripture.

In the book of John, Jesus tells His disciples that He has “food to eat that you know nothing about.” (John 4:32) On Wednesday nights at CTK, we are finding out more about that precious food He offers so freely.