“Comfort Food” works at this time of the year. For me a pot of pea soup slowly simmering on the stove, fits the mood for this time of year. A simple package of split peas with some water or chicken stock is a good way to begin. Let it soak for a few hours and then warm things up for an hour before pureeing the soup. Then in a skillet fry up a couple of yellow onions that are small diced, slice two celery stalks along with two or three carrots and a few garlic cloves. When you’ve released their fragrances add them to the soup and put in a ham bone along with smoked pork shoulder. Another hour on low and you’ll have a houseful of odors that will offer plenty of “Comfort Food.”

What’s interesting however is that “Comfort Food” in February is different than “Comfort Food” in July. On a hot summer day there’s nothing better than Burgers and Brats on the barbeque or a plate of Pasta with an Alfredo sauce. Of course, in the church we also make sure that the “Comfort Food” from God’s Word also is seasonal.

Ash Wednesday begins February 17th with a special service at 7:30PM. Lent follows and our mid-week services follow with a short meditation every Wednesday at 7:30PM. Since we follow a theme of repentance our focus this year will be on Jonah. When God confronted the people of Nineveh they repented of their sin and God forgave them their sin. This theme continues to build until we get to Holy Week. Maundy Thursday on April 1st will feature the Seder Meal. If you’ve never participated in a Seder Meal, it’s a unique, albeit ‘seasonal’ experience. Good Friday we offer a morning service at 10:30AM and a choral service at 3PM and finally on Easter we begin with our Sunrise Service at 7:00PM followed by our Easter Celebration Service at 10:30AM.

Of course, this is all pure “Comfort Food” as the Lord assures us our sins are forgiven and with His resurrection, we can look forward to eternal life. With the earthquake in Haiti we know how quickly life can change. Therefore, knowing that heaven is our eternal home means that our Lord’s promise of eternal life is sheer “Comfort Food.”

And yet like all “Comfort Food” there’s far more than heaven to offer more comfort. We also live in a world where people feel alone or unloved and God’s Love becomes the “Comfort Food” that can keep us going from day to day. Moreover, God’s Love is realized when His People put His Love into action through their own actions. At Christ Risen our ministry begins by assuring one another “We Care for He Cares.” For this reason we begin every worship service by reminding ourselves to keep going with a positive attitude. Therefore we start our worship saying “this is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.”

If you’re reading this for the first time and live in the Ottawa area, we invite you to join us for worship as we seek to share more “Comfort Food” with you over the coming weeks. Every Sunday at 10:30AM we listen to God’s Word, hear some Christian music that’s uplifting, enjoy some of the music from our choir and are uplifted through His Word and Sacraments so that we can continue to live with a positive attitude.

Please share with us some of your thoughts on “Comfort Food” and come grow with us as God’s Word continues to grow in our hearts. Above all please remember that “this is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.”

Blessings in Christ,