White or Wheat by Nathan Brown

A good friend of mine recently sent me a book of poetry and prose by Oklahoma author Nathan Brown, Letters to the One-Armed Poet: A Memoir of Friendship, Loss, and Butternut Squash Ravioli. Leading up to February’s Broken Bread Café theme of healing this was a well-timed package to arrive at my door. The book is a really great read, and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys sharing time with friends over a table of favorite foods. I must put out a fair warning, this book does deal with the heart wrenching pain of loss, but ultimately it is a journey of healing. I have included a link to Nathan Brown’s website where you can find this book and others.

White or Wheat

on bread from county line

Only five disciples made it to the last of
the lost suppers to be held in the home
state. But the group was so right for the
part – a tiny crew of the great ladies of Oklahoma poetry
who’d loved you, supported you, published you , and mourned
you deeply.

The loaf came in thick slices…half white…haft wheat. And,
as you would know, a loaf that goes both ways made this
bunch feel right at home. We passed the basket around to
each disciple, broke and buttered our bread, and then…
someone raised a cup.

We all followed.

And in a hush uncharacteristic of these reveling bandits and
literary thieves we intoned

“For Jim”

One cup bled wit the deep maroon of pinot noir. One bottle
held the harvest of amber ale. And one glass required iced tea
with a slice a lemon because the blood of the sacrifice-
namely Chivas Regal Scotch – had been a bit rough on the
system in her earlier years.

******

The Eucharist is what it is.

If Jesus had been a songwriter,
he’d’ve served pretzels and whiskey

If he’d been a Baptist…
dry toast and grape juice.

But whatever bread we break…
and whichever cup we take…

we do it in love
and rememberance.

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.