THE 4th LENTEN SOUP ‘N’ PRAYER ‘N’ LEARNIN’ EVENIN’ Wednesday April 2, 2003 at St. Joan of Arc

How do I love thee? Let me count the soups!

“An impossible task!” I sighed. “How can I write anything new about St. Joan of Arc’s weekly Lenten soup supper, prayer and educational event?” One thing I can say is that many people are going to miss this special one of a kind weekly event that will end next Wednesday evening as we near Holy Week and Easter.

Some of the things that I am going to miss as highlights of these events are:

• People entering with pot after pot of hot and delicious soup
• People with silly aprons on to make people laugh
• People giving guidance and help in this state of preparation and chaos
• People knowing their tasks and busily going about doing what needs be done
• People standing in a long slow line patiently waiting for their bowl of soup
• People conversing with strangers in line and getting to know them
• People hailing friends and beckoning them to join them at their table
• People challenging themselves to try to make it back to the table without spilling
• People asking the cooks and servers for their soup recommendations
• People sitting at the tables discussing everything from soup to nuts
• People passing salt and pepper and peanut butter and jelly and bread
• People being serious and people having fun - moments apart
• People wandering from table to table with more bread, fresh spoons & napkins
• People picking up empty bowls and used napkins and spoons
• People going about quietly cleaning up in the kitchen and the tables
• People behind the beverage table cheering when someone comes for water
• People feeding their babies on their laps and in high chairs
• People dropping money in the basket for donations to worthy causes
• People cheering when George asked how the soup was
• People becoming quiet for a simple prayer of thanks for the meal
• People who I love everywhere in the room ready for a smile and a hug

Let us thank staff member,Roseann Rogers for the many hours she has spent doing the planning and preparation work for all of these wonderful soup suppers.

Let us thank all the Small Christian Communities who have donated their time, energies, faithfulness and soups to make this endeavor such a success.

Let us thank the Prayer Partners who plan, implement the prayer services that follow the soup suppers each Wednesday of Lent. Their efforts expanded the theme of each Sunday’s service and helped keep our Lenten worship cohesive and on going.

Let us thank the efforts of the Life Learning Program headed by Tom Smith-Myott in obtaining for us interesting subjects and speakers to help us complete the goal of the overall theme of our Lenten worship. This year’s Discipleship theme has turned out to be of greater depth than first imagined when planning begun. It gave us incentive to ponder ways to help us to become more spirit-filled.

Let us thank our faithful SJA musicians who were there to help enhance our prayer services with meaningful and well-performed music.

Let us thank our efficient maintenance crew that keeps our space clean and efficient; one of whom, Richard Penland, felt the reason for the increased attendance at these events was a strong need for community and fellowship in these dark days. I agree.

The evening’s prayer service whose theme expanded Sunday’s Earth and the Discipleship of Creation Mass, was led by Mary Eve Thomas whose artistic display was outstanding with a bouquet of geraniums and many small objects d’art showing God’s creation of every sort, and Mark Scannell whose outstanding reflection brought us new appreciation for God’s creation through scripture and prayer. Let us remember, Mark told us, that Earth is our teacher and we are the students. Life moves through seasons - has beginnings and endings, dawn to dusk and death and life! We, like all of nature always bounce back and there is great hope in our diversity! Steve Kremer’s music was, as always, soothing, mellow and uplifting.

Our Presenters
Mary Eve Thomas	Mark Scannell	Tom Smith-Myott	Jim Farrell

The evening’s third part was the inspiring dual talks of Tom Smith-Myott who took us through the Values of Christian Discipleship and Jim Farrell’s “Postmaterialist Values”. Both were fascinating in their sameness and their diversity and made for interesting discussions and questions among participants. Thank you so much, Tom and Jim for giving us so much to ponder.

and

JoAnn Potts is a retired music and English teacher/choir director and 30 year member of St. Joan's. She enjoys volunteering to assist Anna Vagle with music tasks one day each week; singing in the choir; writing her memoirs and poetry; keeping up with friends and family via email; visiting the North Shore and entertaining friends. JoAnn and Jim, husband and wife team of 50 years, are proud of their family of five children and nine grandchildren.

I can’t wait till next week’s “Soup ‘N’ Prayer ‘N’ Learnin’ Evenin’” for more surprises and insights.