The rolled pork stuffed with spinach and goat cheese was the highlight of the family Christmas meal. There were plenty of leftovers to take to a family member who had returned from the hospital on Christmas day. However, the real surprise came when the chef decided to deglaze the roasting pans with the pork juices and “blend” them with the pan from the charcoal grill.I like to slow cook meat on a charcoal grill. The meat melts in your mouth. But this takes extra time, so you need to find the patience. I had recently slowed cooked a pork roast on a charcoal grill for six hours. This grilled has been used to smoke various kinds of meat this fall season. The juices from the grilled pork were caught in the pan below but what I did not know was that the juices had captured the smoky flavors from all the prior grilling.
The chef had an idea to combine the Christmas pork juices with the pork dripping that had been captured in the grill. When the juices were mixed together, there were a lot of crispy trimmings that were difficult to reduce. So the chef reached for the Christmas gift, a Cuisinart blender spoon and they were able to grind up the pork trimmings that made an awesome sauce that you would die for.
Something miraculous happened in the blending. You see the pork trimmings that were captured in the grill also contained the smoky flavors from a season of grilling. Add the juices from the stuffed pork that contained the goat chesses and spinach and the blending make a sauce that would make the saints in heaven scream for more.
I like to think that a faith community is a blending of many different cultures, traditions, and experiences. What gives each faith community flavor is the spirit to experiment and try for something unique that makes the light of Christ’s loves present in their community. The blending might result in a potluck supper to help pay the medical expenses of a neighbor’s cancer treatment. Or it might be a request to donate blankets and warm socks to a local clothing shelter. It might be a dream to rebuild a former parish complex into a retreat center located in a valley where people might want to walk and commune with God in the woods.
Yes, all faith communities are a blending of God’s love that has no boundaries and cannot be contained by any faith tradition. Jesus, our master chef, brings all the ingredients together so that each one may add their seasoning to the pot. The result is a taste of heaven here on earth where people feel the warmth and forgiveness of the newborn Savior, the Iron Chef of peace and good will to all God’s children
Immanuel watches over us as we reflect: “Taste and see the goodness of the Lord; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him. (Psalm 34:8).
Lord, I pray for all my Sonshine Friends who you have blessed with many flavors and talents. May they open their hearts to Your creative hands as You stir their hearts and blend their spirits to bring Your sweetness and love.
