Serving One Another

August 10, 2021
             It’s raining.  The school bus just went by.  The puppy is losing her mind barking  at the dog food container.  A friend from college is in the hospital with COVID.  His wife has recovered but he is in grave danger.  They have a young son. The son of another friend is also gravely ill with something else.  And our Fan, of course, the UBC church administrator whose husband passed away suddenly a week ago.  A precious congregation also lost their pastor.  The world is relentless, in beauty and in suffering.
             So begins another week full of prayer and praise.  So much to be grateful for, so much to give to God in hope.  But there is also the solace of serving one another.  Some of you  cooked and carried so much food this past week it's a wonder your stoves still work.  Some drove to and from the airport.  Others cleaned, weeded and worked to make the church building positively sparkle when Fan’s family and friends arrived.  And yet another crew will show up today with trucks and muscle and move Fan’s daughter and grandson into their new house.
             Sometimes prayer is the only way we can serve others, and prayer is no small thing for sure.  Prayer impacts the cosmic vibrations of the universe, as the mystics and contem-platives say, adding courage and healing and sweetness to the very air around us, lifting spirits and healing bodies along the way.  Physical service, like feeding and helping, fulfills our own hearts’ desire to comfort others meaningfully.  Through such service our own grief is also comforted.  Serving others is good for the server and the served.  We are in right relationship with one another and God’s will is accomplished in both lives. 
             Humanity isn’t designed to remain content when some are suffering, especially friends and people within our reach.  Another way to say it ~  if our neighbors’ suffering doesn’t disturb our personal contentment, we ought maybe consider how and where we lost some measure of our own humanity.  Are we too busy with lesser things?   Are we working too hard and resting, or meditating, or praying too little?  Are we worried about things beyond our control?  All these missteps have a way of overwhelming the holy discontent which keeps us in right relationship with one another and with God.  
             I am proud of how so many of you have served in recent days.  I am so humbled and grateful to be in partnership with you as we do this work in this time and place. 

~peace & prayers,
pastor annette   

Recipe:
             A couple of people asked for this recipe and I can’t remember who ~ so here it is.  From Claude Cookman

Napa salad ~ Claude Cookman
Greens 
1 medium head of Napa cabbage 
l bunch green onions 
Shred cabbage and chop onions. Cover and refrigerate. 

Crunchies 
1/2 cup sesame seeds 
1 cup slivered almonds 
2 packages ramen noodles 
1 stick butter or margarine 
Crush noodles and discard the seasoning packets. Melt butter. Brown the top three  ingredients in the butter.
Note. Since they brown at different speeds, I start with the  noodles for several minutes until they lightly color, then add the almonds and finally the  sesame seeds.  

Sauce 
3/4 cup oil 
1/2 cup brown sugar 
1/4 cup cider vinegar 
2 Tablespoons soy sauce 
Combine all ingredients in a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Boil for one minute. Cool and  then refrigerate.  

​To serve 
Keep all items separate until ready to serve.  Bring crunches to room temperature, but keep  greens and sauce in the fridge.  Combine and toss.  

Notes. This does not keep well overnight because the greens and crunches become mushy. Also, because it’s hard for a family to consume a whole salad at a time, often I will make the three components and combine them one-fourth or one-third at a time, spacing them out over a couple of weeks or more.