Sunday Supper Newsletter

At Sunday Supper, we gather for reflection and connection. This week’s edition is all about "Help". I release the fear of asking for the help I need.

Welcome to Sunday Supper!

Set the Table

Say your grace

Prayer - Dear God, Thank you for being an ever-present help in times of trouble. Amen.

Affirmation - I release the fear of asking for the help I need.

The Main Dish

Dig in

Help is on the Way

God faithfully teaches me lessons, and this week was no exception.

About twice a year, I feel the urge to redecorate my bedroom. That urge arrived this week.

I headed to one of my favorite stores to search for the perfect decor. After finding what I wanted, I made my way to checkout. Only one cashier was available, and he was troubleshooting with another customer. I enjoy talking to cashiers, so I reluctantly approached the self-checkout and paid for my items.

Suddenly, I heard two machines behind me blaring:

"Help is on the way! Help is on the way! Help is on the way!"

I turned to see two women at separate self-checkout stations who clearly needed assistance.

Before the store associate arrived, the two women, who appeared to be strangers, began helping each other. The associate eventually came, pressed a button, and the machines stopped blaring. The associate quickly resolved the problems, and the women checked out.

This moment exemplified the importance of asking for and accepting help.

Alarms

Watching those two women in the store made me think about how open I am to receiving help and how willing I am to ask for it.

In American culture, there is an emphasis on helping others, but how often are we taught to accept help? How willing are we to ask for help, even when it’s what we need?

Some people journey through life with blaring internal alarms from feelings like anxiety, worry, pain, and fear and ignore those alarms because asking for help is considered taboo. Too often, people reject asking for help and suffer.

I even live by the mantra, “I’ll figure it out,” which sometimes makes me reluctant to ask for help. However, I must remember the importance of community. We need each other to survive. Help is not a sign of weakness. It is a survival mechanism. It’s part of what keeps us connected and allows us to grow.

If we are grappling with grief, struggling with life’s challenges, or simply feeling isolated—remember this: Help is accessible. Don’t ignore the internal alarms. Don’t hesitate to seek help.

Accept the Help

God provides help in many forms—through friends, family, strangers, and even moments of unexpected grace. When we ask for help, we often discover it is closer than we realize. Problems exist, but help is available and accessible.

The two strangers at the store needed help. Their alarms blasted, so they showed up for each other, got help from the store associate, and successfully checked out. I am confident that when we ask for help, we’ll get what we need too.

Pot Likker and Cornbread Crumbs

There’s flavor in the small things.

When was the last time you asked for help? This week, let’s challenge ourselves by asking for and accepting the help we need.

Potluck

From Our Community Kitchen: Music

Music

I have never seen The Preacher’s Wife, but I know every word on the soundtrack. In this scene from the movie, Whitney Houston and the Georgia Mass Choir remind us to “Hold On. Help is on the Way!”

I might add this movie to my Christmas movie watchlist this year.

Recipe Exchange

My mom and I almost burned the house down.

When I was a kid, my mom and I made Apple Bread for my maternal grandmother each Christmas. One year, we got fancy and added a Brown Bag Apple Pie to the dessert menu.

We prepared the pie and placed it in a brown paper bag. We put the beautifully latticed pie in the oven, and then it happened. The paper bag immediately caught on fire. We quickly worked together to remove it from the oven, throw it in the sink, and cover it with flour. We helped prepare the pie, and we helped each other extinguish the flames.

That moment reminded me of the importance of working together—how helping each other can turn a potential disaster into a funny memory.

That was the first and last time we attempted this recipe!

To prevent a similar disaster, I’m not sharing the Brown Bag Apple Pie recipe, but instead sharing our tried-and-true Apple Bread recipe. It’s a family favorite with none of the fire hazards!

Apple Bread Recipe

• 1 cup white sugar

• ½ cup unsalted butter

• Two large eggs

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• ½ teaspoon salt

• ½ teaspoon ground cloves

• Two apples, shredded

• 1/2 cup of chopped pecans (optional)

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Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a loaf pan.

2. Beat sugar and butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Beat in eggs.

3. Sift flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and cloves together in a separate bowl; mix into butter mixture until moistened. Fold in shredded apples and optional pecans. Transfer to the prepared loaf pan.

4. Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out of the bread clean, about 50-60 minutes. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Invert carefully onto a wire rack to cool completely.

5. Enjoy!

Table Talk

Dessert

A Sweet Send-Off

When this song came out, I kept it in rotation and sang the soprano part with my whole chest. I hope you enjoy this choir song as much as I do!