the improvisational cook (part three)

I continue to find inspiration in this cookbook, both for my kitchen and for my life as a pastor! As the author was explaining how to determine what flavors go together, she gave a wonderfully simple principle: What grows together, goes together! This means combining foods from the same growing region/or season is a principle you can rely on and you will rarely go wrong. For the chef, that means that strawberries and rhubarb which arrive together in the spring are a classic combination for pies tarts, and cobblers. This principle holds true for regions as well. The rich spicy cuisine of Louisiana reflects the French and Creole influences on local ingredients, such as crayfish (or crawdads where I grew up!), shrimp, and oysters. What grows together, goes together is true for the church as well. For true Fusion to take place in a congregation, EVERYONE has to continue to grow. As we all grow together, we all go together! One of the dangers that we face as “mature” Christians is to think that we have all the answers—that we can “stand pat” and everything will be just great. First of all, we need to look at Paul who told us, “Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.” If Paul had to keep on pressing on, so do we! But more importantly, as we grow (in the Lord) together, we build up common ground to keep us together in difficult times and circumstances (and life is full of both of those). So, I urge you, brothers and sister, pastors and lay people, grow together so that when the tough times come, we will be able to go together!