Guest Artists at BB Cafe

Our February Broken Bread Café featured guest musician PHILEEP of Hollis, NH. His music melded beautifully with our theme of healing, as well as let some people know about a talented local artist. I was thrilled by PHILEEP’s performance and the reception he received from our gathering. Things worked out from an entertainment and community networking aspect, but our reasons for having PHILEEP join us extend even deeper than these.

I believe very strongly artists of all kinds have a great deal to say about humanity. Artists respond to the world from where they are just like each of us. They express their reflections in ways we often find pleasing, but also in ways we find difficult. One might even say it is the job of the artist to take off bandages and see wounds more clearly. Not all artists, of course, do this with the same clarity or skill, but that is another matter. I believe artists have things of great value to say about the world and we are opening our doors to have them come share those things at Broken Bread Café.

If you are reading this post, I want you to take a minute to check out PHILEEP and his music. His link is in our “community” column on the right hand side of the screen. He will be joining us again at Broken Bread Cafe at a later date. I also would like you to think about the art you experience and the questions it has helped you to ponder. Our second Saturday worship services use the arts. We have poetry, music, video, imagery, and more to come for sure. If you know of someone who might have something to share, please let us know and we’ll look into inviting them to be our guest at Broken Bread Café.

Healing

This Saturday, at the Broken Bread Café worship service, we will be exploring the theme of healing. The Old Testament reading is from 2 Kings 5:1-14, the story of Elisha healing Naaman the commander of the Aramaen army. Naaman is stricken with leprosy and travels to Elisha’s house to be healed, but Elisha sends a messenger out to Naaman instead of coming out himself. This upsets Naaman to the point of storming off angry. He had hoped for more personal attention. He had hoped Elisha would come out and call on God, wave his hands, and make a show of the leprosy being “zapped” by God. Instead he was told through a messenger to go bathe in the Jordan 7 times. Though he opposed such a simple solution, his servants convinced him to follow the instruction anyway. Naaman was cured of his leprosy.

To me, the thrust of this story is not in the healing of the leprosy, but Naaman’s expectations versus the reality of God’s healing power. I find myself in this situation more than I care to admit. I find myself in pain or suffering in one way or another and I pray God would send angels, medicine, or lottery tickets to cure my injury. I rail against the notion of rest, patience, perseverance, self-control, or even a little hard work. God often gives me the source of healing I need, but am I humble enough to accept it as it is presented? Do you ever ignore healing while fixating on how you wish to be healed?

As I have approached this “healing” service, I have become more aware of the suffering around me. I have a neighbor who just lost her mother. I know people suffering personal loss and material hardship. Take a quick look through the news and there is plenty suffering to go around. What does the healing power of God have to do with any of it? Why doesn’t Elisha come out and wave his hands, call on God, and “zap” away the pain? I don’t know. Perhaps much of the healing available to those closest to me is through not my “magic” but through simple action. Could I share with them a kind word, a quiet note, a warm meal? Have you experienced healing through such “simple” measures?

This Saturday we will hear the actual story in 2 Kings and another one Mark 1:40-45. We will hear music from PHILEEP, the lead singer from the band Mr. Squid of Milford, NH. There will be opportunity for healing hand therapy massage, anointed prayer, and private surrender of our obstacles to grace. We hear poetry written by Oklahoma poet, Nathan Brown and a few other surprises. And of course, we will break bread in the name of Jesus Christ through Holy Communion which will be extended through a shared meal. All are welcome to the table.

January Recipe: Bourride or Provencal Fish Stew

Bourride

3-3 1/2 pounds hake, cod, cusk, and pollock fillets

1 cup dry vermouth or white wine

2 large pinches of saffron threads

2 Tblsp olive oil

3 cups chopped leeks, onions, or a combination of both

1 cup chopped celery

1/2 cup chopped carrots

2 minced cloves of garlic

1 1/2 cup peeled, seeded, and chopped tomatoes

1 bay leaf

1 sprig fresh thyme or 1/2 tsp dried

1 cup peeled chopped potatoes

2 quarts of fish stock

Aioli

French Bread Croutons

Remove any skin or bones from the fish fillets, cut the fillets into 2-3 inch chunks and refrigerate until ready to use.

Pour the wine into a small bowl, stir in the saffron, and set aside to steep.

In an 8-quart soup pot, heat the oil, add the leeks or onions, celery, and carrots, and saute the vegetables for 8-10 minutes or until they are wilted, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic, tomatoes, bay leaf, thyme, potatoes, the fish stock and wine/saffron mixture; bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat, and cook for 20 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and thyme sprig if you used fresh thyme, transfer the cooked soup in batches to a food processor or blender and puree it; or put the cooked soup through a food mill, then put the pureed soup in a large bowl. You can prepare the soup ahead to this point, cool, cover, and refrigerate. Reheat the soup before proceeding with the recipe. (Makes about 12 cups soup base.)

Wipe out soup pot, place the fish chunks in the pot, and pour the hot soup over the fish. Bring the soup to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 4-5 minutes, or until the fish is just opaque.

Put in 1 cup aioli in a large bowl and slowly whisk a ladle (about 1 cup) of the hot soup liquid (without the fish) into the aioli. Continue to whisk 2-3 more ladles of soup, then pour the combined aioli-soup back into the soup pt. Stir the soup gently so you don’t break up the fish, and season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Heat gently to thicken, but do not simmer or the soup may curdle.

To serve: Place 1-2 croutons in each soup bowl. Ladle the soup into the bowls, evenly distributing fish into each bowl. Sprinkle with parsley and serve extra aioli on the side, if desired.

Aioli

2-3 small garlic cloves, peeled

salt

1 egg yolk

1 cup olive oil

Pound garlic and a pinch of salt with a mortar and pestle until smooth.

Put egg yolk in a bowl, add about half the garlic paste and 1/2 teaspoon of water. Mix well with a whisk.

Using cup with a pour spout, slowly dribble in olive oil, whisking constantly. As egg yolk absorbs oil, sauce will thicken, lighten in color, and become opaque. This will happen rather quickly. Then you can add oil a little faster, whisking all the while. If the sauce is thicker than you like, thin it with a few drops of water. Taste, add more salt and garlic if you like.

Gloss on John 1:43-51 by Maren Tirabassi

It’s stirred not shaken, some kind of anti-martini –
this famous “follow me” call.

There’s the one that whispers, “Get up”
in the middle of the night
but isn’t there — on the ice cream side
of the refridgerator door,
or on the flat-screen TV

when you channel-surf to get drowsy –
maybe, just maybe, it’s there
if you listen to the breathing of someone you love.

Samuel, that call was Samuel’s…right?
Of course, there’s “Go, be kind to all the wrong people.”
Jonah got all swallowed up in that call.

Then there was Moses with the burning bush,
and Isaiah with the burning tongue–
way too political, both of them — calls to avoid
after the New Hampshire primary.

Mary with the pregnancy? really a one time thing.

But what about the call that’s not God’s voice at all
or mystical shrubbery or angels or whales?
There’s just someone extremely human
telling you to — “Come and see.”
Maybe it’s the girl from high school math club
who friended you on Facebook,
the neighbor woman with the annoying beagle,
the guy who’s a little too friendly at the meeting–
acts like you belong there,
when you just popped in to see what AA was all about.

Come and see, but everyone knows
there’s nothing good comes out of…church.
And Jesus (who has all these extremely odd disciples)
says he saw you at Starbucks with your laptop,
and knows you so much it’s practically identity theft.

Of course you should be really shaken up, but, in fact,
you’re stirred, that’s the point.
You are stirred up and already you’re thinking–
there’s someone else I need to find and tell — Come and see.

Broken Bread Cafe service feeds more than 55 at Milford United Methodist Church – Cabinet.com

Broken Bread Cafe service feeds more than 55 at Milford United Methodist Church – Cabinet.com.

January Recipe: Marinated Cauliflower

“In some cuisines, cauliflower is treated quite nobly, the queen of vegetables. On the other hand, garden writer Ed Smith (The Vegetable Gardener’s Bible, Storey Books, 2000) says, “Cauliflower has long had a reputation for being a vegetable prima donna. It is the easiest of the cabbage family to stress, and when it stresses, it acts like a two-year old and bolts.”

It was Mark Twain who remarked, “Training is everything. The cauliflower is nothing but a cabbage with a college education.” That extra training makes cauliflower a highly versatile member of the cabbage family. Cauliflower can be roasted, steamed, boiled, sautéed, braised, stewed, and eaten raw. It is a veritable workhouse of flavor, high in nutrition, low in calories.”

- Andrea Chesman, “Cauliflower: Queen or Brat of the Garden,” Serving the Harvest: Celebrating the Goodness of Fresh Vegetables

 MARINATED CAULIFLOWER

2 heads cauliflower, broken into florets

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1/4 chopped fresh parsley

1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano, tarragon, summer savory or basil, or 1 teaspoon dried (I used fresh tarragon)

1 garlic clove, minced

1 teaspoon salt

freshly ground black pepper

 1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the cauliflower and boil until just slightly softened, about 3 minutes. Drain well.

2. Combine the oil, vinegar, parsley, herbs, garlic, salt and pepper to taste in a large bowl. Whisk to blend. Add the still-warm cauliflower and toss gently with a rubber spatula. Marinate for 8 hours or longer in the refrigerator.

3. Remove from the refrigerator and allow to warm to room temperature before serving.

Serves 6-8. Will keep for several days.

“I Am” poetry

To say, “Hear I am,” is to respond to a call.  At Broken Bread Café we examined the theme of being “called.”  Part of understanding a response to a call is understanding who it is responding.  At the Café, we used the exercise known as “I Am” poems to take a closer look at who we are and how we feel about a few things.  It was mostly a fun thing to do in order to encourage each of us to ask a few questions about ourselves.  It also generated some fun conversation, a couple “poetry readings,” and a couple of poems for our blog.  Take a look here to see if you recognize your own or can identify someone you know.

 

I am usually joking around, but caring
I wonder when Jesus will return
I hear that people need to help each other
I want to do what I can to help
I am usually joking around, but caring.
 
I feel hopeful
I worry that I’m failing at being righteous
I cry when I have to say goodbye to my closest cousins
I am usually joking around, but caring.
 
I understand I have a weird sense of humor
I say don’t let it get to you
I dream when everyone accepts and loves each other
I am usually joking around, but caring.

__________________________________________________
 
I am a soldier of the cross and a bit insecure
I wonder if the world will ever have peace
I hear the calling to share my understanding of God’s word
I want for others to know Christ
I am a soldier of the cross
 
I feel sad sometimes
I worry about finances
I cry at silly commercials
I am a bit insecure
 
I understand why people are sometimes defensive
I say “wazzup dude”
I dream of a life free of worry
I am a soldier of the cross

__________________________________________
 
I am strong and dependable
I wonder how best I can help
I hear the joy of children
I want to be there for others

I am strong and dependable
I feel cautiously optimistic
I worry about the future, though I shouldn’t
I cry when I see children in pain
I am strong and dependable
 
I understand that I must believe
I say thank you every day
I dream of traveling the country
I am strong and dependable.

_____________________________________  
 
I am restless and hopeful
I woner what my faith will look like in five years
I hear God calling me to new horizons
I want to travel to Europe again
I am restless and hopeful 

I feel excited.
I worry about global warming
I cry about children suffering
I am restless but hopeful
 
I understand less and less
I say “whatever,” way too much
I dream of flying
I am restless but hopeful.