Jambalaya as a Bow & Arrow Experience

Miss Jambalaya

As I posted a few days ago Tapestry provides the teachers and staff of Washington Elementary School a jambalaya lunch on their last day of work each year. We’ve been doing this since we started the church a few years ago. The teachers, and their families, love it. Just look at the picture of the pot above. The photo shows exactly how much jambalaya I took home after the teachers were finished. As I said, they love it. Every time I see a teacher from Washington in public invariably their first statement is “you guys are going to make jambalaya for us again this year, right?” Today there were 8 “threads” that were a part of providing food for this meal. Those of us that were there heard the teachers and staff say “thanks” a ton but I want to make sure that everyone who couldn’t be there knows that those thanks were meant for you too.

But first, an illustration of why I want to make sure everyone else knows those thanks go to them too.

Katniss is nice enough to illustrate my point here. See how the bow and arrow work together.

I have some friends that I love and respect greatly that form a amazing church in Baton Rouge. They have taught me more than I will ever be able to adequately acknowledge. One of the things that they do that I love is that when they talk about missions they use the example of a bow & arrow. It is such a great example. You see the arrow is what hits the target. You could say the arrow is what accomplishes the aim (that’s right I just made a pun). Yet the arrow can’t do anything without the bow. The bow gives the arrow its power. The bow sends the arrow on its mission. The bow and arrow work together.

The Holy Spirit working through the “threads” of Tapestry is the bow. I know all of you can’t make it to a lunch during the work week. You are working. You have responsibilities that don’t allow you to do take off at 10:30 a.m. on a Friday. Still, please remember that you were a very important part of the meal that took place today. Your offerings through the church paid for the jambalaya. Your belief in what we do as a church makes it where people consider it part of my work to make jambalaya rather than just considering it a picnic for me. Some of you even went out of your way to drop off food even though you couldn’t be there. The 8 of us that were there may have been the arrow but God working through all of the “threads” is the bow. Whether you were are Washington today or not God is still working through you and what God is doing through you is powerful and effective.

So this arrow wants to say thanks to all of you for being an amazing bow. Thanks Tapestry for believing in us serving in manners like this and thanks for making it possible!