Gospel In Motion

Had two Thanksgiving gatherings. Students came home and we celebrated the Sunday before with a traditional American meal - Turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, sticky-rice, and Tiramisu cake. With parents on Thanksgiving day and had the traditional Chinese hot pot. Parents older, soft foods, savory sauces to help with appetite.

There’s a western folktale dating back between 1700-1800. Stone Soup Story.

Once upon a time, there was a great famine in which people jealously hoarded whatever food they could find, hiding it even from their friends and neighbors. One day, a kindly looking stranger came into a village and began asking questions as if he planned to stay for the night.

“There’s not a bite to eat in the whole province,” he was told. “Better keep moving on.”

“Oh, I have everything I need,” he said. “In fact, I was thinking of making some stone soup to share with all of you.” He pulled a large metal pot from his wagon, filled it with water, and built a fire under it. Then, with great ceremony, he drew an ordinary-looking stone from a velvet bag and dropped it into the water.

By now, hearing the rumor of food, most of the villagers had come to the square or watched from their windows. As the stranger sniffed the “broth” and licked his lips in anticipation, hunger began to overcome their skepticism.

“Ahh,” the stranger said to himself rather loudly, “I do like a tasty stone soup. Of course, stone soup with cabbage — that’s hard to beat.”

Soon a villager approached hesitantly, holding a cabbage he’d retrieved from its hiding place and added it to the pot.

“Wonderful” cried the stranger. “You know, I once had stone soup with cabbage and a bit of beef as well, and it was fit for a king.”

The village butcher managed to find some beef . . . and so it went, through potatoes, onions, carrots, mushrooms, and so on, until there was indeed a delicious meal for all.

From 1700 to … 2021, the recipe for Stone Soup is available! “By working together, with everyone contributing what they can, a greater good is achieved.”

Chinese hot-pot is a lot more appetizing - thinly sliced meats, mushrooms, head-on shrimp, Chinese lettuces, fresh noodles, and more—in a single pot of simmering, seasoned broth heated on an induction burner or electric range. Once cooked to your liking, you dip it in the sauce of choice and eat it. Rinse and repeat until extremely full. Burp with approval, body is cozy, heart is warm …

Wake up from your imaginary food-coma! The moral of the story - “it’s what you bring to the pot!” That should have been the sermon title. As it applies to our church, “By serving together, with everyone offering their gifts, a greater love is shared!”

(Opening Prayer)

Scripture:

13Therefore let us go forth to Him, outside the camp, bearing the disgrace he bore. (12Jesus suffered outside the city gate) 14For here we have no enduring city, but we seek the city that is to come. 15Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. 16But do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.

From story book to sacred book

The Bible is the Living Word of God. It is life-giving, life-preserving, and life-changing. Anyone who is guided by the principles of Scripture will have the power of the Holy Spirit in them. Jesus said, “Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them” (John 7:38). ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? : ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?(M) Xìn wo de rén jiù rú jing shàng suo shuo: Cóng ta fù zhòng yào liúchu huóshui de jianghé lái.

(C) Sun ngo de yan jao yue geng siong soh suet: Cong ta fuk zhong you lau-chut wut sui de kong ho loi.

Flowing rivers is a metaphor for life.

Water may not seem special. It’s clear. It has no taste. It doesn’t smell like anything. But if it couldn’t do the things it does, life on earth would not exist. Water is a tiny molecule. It consists of three atoms: two of hydrogen and one of oxygen. Water molecules cling to each other because of a force called hydrogen bonding. It’s the reason why water can do amazing things.

71% of the earth’s surface is water-covered. The oceans hold about 96.5% of all earth’s water. The globe illustration shows blue spheres representing relative amounts of earth’s water in comparison to the size of the earth. The volume of the largest sphere represents all water on, in, and above the earth. The smaller sphere over Kentucky represents earth’s liquid fresh water in groundwater, swamp water, rivers and lakes. The tiny bubble over Atlanta, Georgia represents fresh water in all the lakes and rivers on the planet. Most of the water people and life on earth need every day comes from these surface-water sources. We have too much water, and not enough.