Holy Thursday 2022-2023 - Whom Seekest Thou: Restorative Easter Reflections

Thursday, April 14, 2022

 




Serving the Last Supper from a Church Kitchen


Anyone who has tried to serve

A fancy dinner in a cultural hall

Knows that something

Will probably go wrong

In the church kitchen where the ovens

Aren’t allowed to cook food,

Only keep it warm.


My favorite memories of serving meals from a church kitchen

Are never of the food. 

Since when was church kitchen food

What people prayed to eat on their birthday?

But lasting friendships have been forged

Over the laughable lack of soap and knives

And bowls and forks and not enough room in the fridge.


I have seen miracles happen in church kitchens.

Scissors turned to knives,

Toothpicks to skewers,

Ziploc bags to piping bags,

And more than once

Shirts used like my grandmother’s apron

To dry hands and fruit.


Women make beauty from nothing all the time,

But the church kitchen has front row seats

To the magic.

Need beautiful cheesecakes for 250 young women?

Ask the church kitchen witches.

How about a pancake breakfast for the primary?

Ask the church kitchen witches.

I’ve even seen them do it

When the budget demands

They make it happen for basically free.


Can you imagine

If the Last Supper was served

From a church kitchen?

Jesus would have eaten

Rolls from the grocery store

And potluck soup.


Church kitchen witches

Are especially talented at

Making good out of good enough.

Jesus probably learned it from them.

Loaves and fishes? Good Enough.

Twelve misguided disciples? Good enough.

Son of God or just a prophet?

Whatever. Good enough.


Church building curfew is 10pm.

Floors vacuumed, lights out.

The Holy Ghost goes to bed at midnight

And Jesus probably knew it - 

That’s why he asked Peter

To stay awake as they walked

To the garden.


Meanwhile,

The Church kitchen witches were just getting home

When they heard the news from Mary.

They made their way to Martha’s,

Bringing candles and spices,

Cloth and needles.

They all had heard what Jesus

Had said without saying.


The candles stayed bright 

through the night, 

Though the flame wavered

Every once in a while.

All the while needles whispered

Threads of fated hymnsong

Into the cloth.


“Tomorrow,” one said.

“Together,” they agreed,

And Jesus wept 

For the vigil kept

Through the witching hour.


Bread and water

Blood and bone,

Body and spirit

Upon the stone,


See him in

The trees atone,

May the love

Of God be known.



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