The old wooden recipe box belonged to my mother. It has mitered corners and was constructed long ago without nails or glue. 

My mother would have been 106 years old today. Her mother was born in 1896, 129 years ago. In the box are recipes from my mother and my grandmother, and from Jan’s mother and her grandmother.  These recipes span many years.

Each recipe card is covered with stains from butter and the special ingredients used to make the recipes. These stains were imprinted by our mothers and grandmothers as they prepared meals for their families. 

The box was out and on display in our kitchen today as Jan was baking pumpkin pies for our Christmas dinner. Jan used a real pumpkin that was on display on our front porch.  This is how our ancestors created pumpkin pie. 

The recipe box is filled with so many good memories. Someday, the recipe box will be given to our daughter, Anna, when Jan and I leave this world. It’s a historic family document of sorts, something to be remembered and carried on to keep our family tradition alive.

The wooden box reminds me of the enduring faith that Jesus gave to His Church. What worked in the beginning of the Church still works today, but in a different context. The recipe of our calling creates works of love, the healing of broken bodies, and the encouragement we all need to move forward when life throws us a curveball.

I love reading the ancient and abiding truths of Scripture– the recipes that create an impactful Church. The Lord spoke of this when He gave His first disciples the recipe for creating a truly miraculous Church.  “These miraculous signs will accompany those who believe: They will cast out demons in my name, and they will speak in new languages. They will be able to handle snakes safely, and if they drink anything poisonous, it won’t hurt them. They will be able to place their hands on the sick, and they will be healed” (Mark 16: 17-18).

It’s time for us to pull out our box of faith recipes, revisit the ingredients, and create a Church that will become a joy to those who taste its miraculous provision. It will be a joy like the joy our family members will experience this Christmas season, when we bite into Jan’s pumpkin pie and savor its taste. They will be tasting a history recorded long ago from stained recipe cards – recipes we will get to enjoy in this joyous season of miraculous Kingdom possibilities.