“Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’” Matthew 25:37-40
The amazing people at my church take turns cooking on Wednesday nights to provide a meal for anyone that shows up. The meal makes life easier for everybody in our high speed society, a true ministry for on the go people of all ages, an opportunity to relax, interact with others, sing a few songs and hear the message of Jesus.
The meals are not gourmet, generally speaking, but are acts of love in the shape of tacos or spaghetti noodles or chicken pot pies. Each family that volunteers takes the time to plan a menu, buy the food, prepare the food and serve the food.
Almost as important as cooking the meal is serving it; greeting the people that come through the line, with joy. I made chicken pot pie the last time I served. I used pre-made crusts, slow-cooked chicken breasts and homemade filling. The chicken pies cooked up beautifully, but serving slices of chicken pot pie turned into a less than beautiful presentation. I never got a picture, but that might be a good thing! It looked very messy. But no one complained. In fact my sloppy pie pieces made the dinner line a happy place, with people talking and laughing. I was grateful to serve and they were grateful to receive.
Making dinner for 80 people takes time and effort. Often have I thought of Jesus feeding the 5,000 with a prayer! But while one prepares dinner for 80, a lot of prayer happens! At first I pray about having enough, about getting everything hot at the same time, about whether it will taste good. As preparations continue I start to pray about the people who will come. How are their jobs going? How did the teens get along at school? Will someone miss the dinner due to a game or sickness? I pray for health and safety for those who may come. I pray for spiritual growth, eyes to see and ears to hear.
In the serving line I see and hear the answers to my prayers. I say hello to those who haven’t been for awhile and meet people coming for the first time. I learn who likes cooked carrots and who doesn’t care for them. I encourage young people to try something new. I see who looks a little down and hear who had the best day ever.
Service comes in many forms, but true service always involves care and compassion. I don’t care whether you serve at a soup kitchen, do prison ministry, work with teens or children, or make dinner for your own church, service is inextricably linked with loving people, any and all people.
In his ministry, Jesus reached out and touched the people around him. He called His followers to do likewise. In the parable in Matthew, Jesus teaches that when we serve others we are really serving Him. The parable goes on to remind us that when we do not serve others, we are not serving Jesus. Serving is really not optional, if you want to follow Jesus.
The parable also helps us to see that we do have many choices in how we serve, as long as we long to serve the needs of those around us. Are you an encourager? a cook? a baker? a hugger? someone who helps others learn math or languages or sports? a driver? a listening ear? Use your gifts in service to Jesus.
During the month of May I took a time away from sharing recipes to spend dedicated time in prayer. As a result of that time, and in service to those around me, I am going to drop back to one post per month for the summer. I’ll be back in early July with thoughts and a recipe.
I promised my friend I would share the Chicken Pot Pie recipe, so in service to her and her husband! here it is. Feel free to make your own crust if you are not making 12 at a time!
Chicken Pot Pie
- 2 9″ crusts
- 2 cups (heaping) cooked chicken
- 1 12 oz. bag frozen mixed vegetables
- 1/3 cup butter
- 1/3 cup flour
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- Morton’s Nature’s Seasons Seasoning Blend (or your favorite seasonings)
Press 9″ pie crust in pie plate. Or use a store bought crust in tin to save time!
I use steam-in-bag mixed vegetables. Cook them for 5 minutes. Shred or dice cooked chicken. I slow cooked chicken breasts in chicken stock in a slow cooker for 7 hours the day before making the pies.
In heavy duty skillet, melt butter. Add flour to the melted butter and stir until it bubbles. Add in 2 cups chicken broth and stir until it thickens. I add 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper at this stage, use according to your taste.
Add cream to this mixture and stir, turning off heat. Add chicken and vegetables, stir. Pour into prepared crust. Top with upper crust.
Using a thin knife, slash slits into the crust to allow steam to escape. I usually make four slits like a plus sign, then four diagonally out from those. Using a little more cream or some milk, with a pastry brush paint the surface of the crust. Sprinkle with seasoned salt.
Bake for 45-60 minutes at 350*, until bubbly and crust is golden brown. I place the chicken pot pie on a pie plate ring to ensure it does not boil over into the bottom of the oven.
