Weekly Lent Devotional: Week 4

Philippians 2:3-8, NRSV
3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or empty conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not to your own interests but to the interests of others. 5 Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus,
6 who, though he existed in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God as something to be grasped,
7 but emptied himself,
taking the form of a slave, assuming human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a human,
8 he humbled himself
and became obedient to the point of
death—
even death on a cross.

This Scripture represents the nature and attitude that we should focus on cultivating as followers of Jesus. As the Amplified version puts it in verse 3, "Don't act from selfishness or pride, but instead, through humility, consider each other as better than yourselves". I believe that if we are attempting to possess the perspective of Christ, we need to demonstrate His humility. But if we are honest with ourselves, we have been unable to differentiate humility from servitude. Too often, people of color have been warned that there will be serious repercussions if they do not remain in "their place". Similarly, women have often been belittled and expected to be obedient to their husbands. Thus, this Lenten season, the real question that comes to mind is how do we self-reflect on our own intentions? How do we put into perspective the humility of Christ?

Humility is a characteristic of empowered servant leadership which involves recognizing that one does not have all the answers or power, and that others may possess more knowledge and aptitude. By admitting one's own fallibility and recognizing the boundaries of one's knowledge, the servant leader helps to create a learning environment in which colleagues, and folks within the congregation can gain knowledge through their own attempts and from others.

We are not called to be Jesus, but to have the same motivation for our actions. The attribute of humility comes out of a wellspring of knowing oneself and allowing others to be themselves. Humility is other- centered, rather than self-centered. We learn a lot more when as we seek to live out our calling in partnership with others rather than alone.


Rev. Dr. Flo Barbee-Watkins
Lead Presbyter for Vision and Collaboration
Presbytery of the James

Ingredients
6 slices bacon
4 tablespoons butter
1 cup minced white onion
1/2 cup minced celery
1/2 cup minced carrot
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt and/or seasoning (to taste, see notes) 1/4 cup all purpose flour
3 cups whole milk
1–2 cups chicken broth
2 russet potatoes, peeled and cubed

Instructions
1. Bacon Prep: Bake the bacon on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Crumble or cut into pieces.
2. Soup Base: Melt the butter in a soup pot. Add the onion, celery, & carrot (mirepoix), garlic, salt, and sea- soning and sauté until nice and soft. Add flour and stir with the vegetables for a few minutes to cook off any floury taste. Add milk, just a little bit at a time, stirring after each addition until smooth and creamy. The soup should start out very thick and eventually thin out as you add milk. Add the potatoes, and add chicken broth as needed to achieve the right consistency. For a thicker soup, you may not need as much of the broth.
3. Simmer Time: Let the soup simmer for 30-40 minutes. The potato soup will thicken as it simmers, and even more as it cools down. I like to wait until the potatoes are almost melty, with their edges softened just a bit, before removing from heat. When ready to serve, crumble the bacon and stir it into the soup.

Notes
Seasoning can kind of be whatever you want it to be. I (recipe’s author) like to use a little bit of sage, and I’ve also used a basic chicken seasoning mix which has thyme, rosemary, oregano, etc.