First, You Make a Roux
Hello Cathedral Friends!
As some of you may recall, I grew up in New Orleans. In New Orleans food is really important. It isn’t just a necessity — in New Orleans, food is an art form.
The care with which it is crafted. The gusto with which it is enjoyed. The abundant generosity from which it is shared. The art of cuisine, hospitality, and celebration shape the identity of the place and its people.
To my way of thinking, the people of God in the life of the church are shaped by similar values.
For me, the Body of Christ gathered together in beloved community is like a Gumbo; an amalgamation of the most unlikely ingredients into something heavenly. Christian Community is something we make together, enjoy with one another, and dish up to share with the world.
Every pot of Gumbo is a little bit different depending on the ingredients available and the method used to bring those ingredients together. You can’t just throw all the ingredients into a pot, turn on the heat and hope for the best. There is an order to things and a process by which all those ingredients come together in just the right way to make something wonderful.
But every gumbo recipe begins with the same instruction. First, you make a roux. The roux forms the base of the whole dish, and it is simply three ingredients: flour, browned in oil, over heat. As the flour browns it turns into a rich and sticky paste that binds all the other ingredients together. Making a roux isn’t complicated, but it does require close attention. Take your eyes off it for moment to do something else and it might split or catch. A good roux requires a strong arm for stirring, patience, and focus.
The roux of Christian community — the thing that binds the whole thing together, is love.
It’s our relationship of love with God, our neighbor, and ourselves. In this alchemy of love brought together in the heat of the Holy Spirit, we are transformed from our individual elements into something rich and sticky with the power to hold things together. Just like an ordinary roux, ‘love roux’ also requires close attention. Our focus and intention matter deeply.
In the season of Easter I’ll speak more in our Dean’s Hour series: Therefore, Let us Keep the Feast, about the art of feasting and the Christian practices of hospitality, hope, and joy. I’ll explore the art of eating with gusto and sharing from abundance the delicious goodness made known to us in Jesus Christ.
But first, we must make a roux. In this season of Lent, I invite you to focus on your relationship with God and your inmost self: that part of you that is longing to be healed and longing to be loved. And I invite you to pay attention to your relationships with others. Those near to you, like family members and friends — but also those farther afield, like store clerks and acquaintances from church. To pay attention to your relationships, not in an abstract way but in a real and embodied way. To use the power of your strong arm to stir into those relationships, time and attention, friendship and forbearance, respect and reconciliation.
From the most unlikely ingredients God makes something heavenly and hearty: a beloved community with the power to hold all things together and nourish us all.
The Reverend Canon Kathy Rock Pfister, Vicar
Every Member Canvass
If you have yet to make a pledge commitment for 2021 but are planning to financially support Christ Church Cathedral this year, please know that there is still time to make your pledge online, over the phone, or via email. We are so grateful for the continued support of the Cathedral’s mission in the year ahead!
Ways to make your pledge:
- Pledging online is easy.
- Return the pledge card you received by mail to 1117 Texas Ave, Houston, TX 77002.
- Make a pledge over the phone at 713-590-3338 or by email by contacting Karen Kraycirik, minister for stewardship.
Ways to pay your pledge:
- Go online to make an electronic payment via credit or debit card. You can also set up recurring payments via this form.
- Donate using PayPal via the Cathedral’s website: christchurchcathedral.org/give/
- Text the word “Give” to 888-998-1634
- Send a check to the Cathedral address: 1117 Texas Street, Houston, TX, 77002.
- Make a gift of stock or securities, using our stock donation instructions.
Learn more about this year’s EMC at: christchurchcathedral.org/emc
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