Thanksgiving Soup Communion

a bowl full of kale soup, spoon sticking out

This script is intended to take place over the arc of a worship service or children's chapel.

People Needed: Narrator (can be Worship Leader) and Five Villagers.
Set up: Up front either on the Altar or on a separate table is a slow cooker that is plugged in and turned on with Vegetable broth already warming on High heat. A ladle is set nearby. Back stage, containers of precooked vegetable ingredients for soup are ready. (Soup recipe is included at the end of this service: Winter Kale Soup. It’s quite good)

Start with introductory elements of worship, such as Prelude, Words of Welcome, Announcements, Welcoming Guests, Chalice Lighting
Act One:
Narrator: Listen, listen, I have a story to share. Listen, and watch. Watch and see if you see someone you know in this story. Watch and see if you see yourself in this story.
(Villagers 1-5 walk onto the “stage” and stand in a line)
Narrator: Once upon a time, there was a small village, full of friendly people just like you and me.
(Villagers wave and/or say “hi” to the audience)
Narrator: They were just like you and me, except, they didn’t get their food from the grocery store. They had no grocery stores, they had to grow and raise all of their own food. One person grew leeks.
Villager 1: (Steps forward) I’ve got leeks.
Narrator: One person grew kale.
Villager 2: (Steps forward) You know kale is good for you!
Narrator: One person grew tomatoes.
Villager 3: (Steps forward) I’ve got tomatoes.
Narrator: One person grew sweet potatoes.
Villager 4: (Steps forward) Yum, sweet potatoes.
Narrator: And one person grew lentils.
(Villager 5 Steps forward and is about to speak, mouth open, finger up, but is interrupted:)
Villagers 1-4, looking at Villager 5: What’s a lentil?!?!
Villager 5 Steps back
Narrator: And they were all grateful for what they had, and everyone lived in peace and harmony.
(pause)
Villager 1: Um, excuse me? Have you ever tried eating nothing but leeks all day every day? It’s awful. I’ve asked that so-and-so over there to share some of her sweet potatoes, but she won’t! Peace and Harmony my eye!
Villager 4: (turning to Villager 1) Oh yes, it’s all about you, isn’t it? If I give you my sweet potatoes, then I won’t have any. I may be tired of eating sweet potatoes but it’s better than nothing!
Narrator: And so our “friendly” villagers were not-so-grateful, and were maybe not-so-happy with their neighbors, and everyone was afraid of not having enough so they didn’t share at all.
(all 5 villagers walk off the stage, looking quite irritated with each other)
(pause)
Narrator: A moment for contemplation: Are there parts of yourself that you’re holding back? Are there parts of yourself that you’re not sharing? Why? (rings meditation chime, gives congregation time to contemplate, rings meditation chime again)
Hymn, Joys and Sorrows, Offertory, and perhaps a Reading go here
Act Two:
Narrator: So this sorry state of affairs existed in the village all season long, everyone had just enough but no one enjoyed it, until…
Villager 5: (holding container of lentils, stomps over to slow cooker, talking to self) I can’t believe these fools don’t even know what a lentil is. (Talking to congregation:) I mean, they’re high in protein and in calcium. They’re one of the first foods that were ever cultivated by human beings. (Turns attention back to soup pot.) Well, I’ve eaten as many lentils as I can stand, and I have more than I can ever possibly eat, so I’m going to actually share some and show them what a lentil actually is!
(pours precooked lentils into soup, starts stirring)
(Villager 2 walks by, all the way past Villager 5 and the soup pot. Smells something, stops and sniffs the air exadgeratedly, turns around and come back to the pot.)
Villager 2: What do you have there?
Villager 5: Oh just some soup, would you like some?
Villager 2: Oh yes I would!
Villager 5: Well it’s not done yet, in fact (inhales deeply) I do believe it needs some kale.
Villager 2: Oh I have some of that (disappears offstage)
(Villager 2 returns with Villager 3, both holding their containers of ingredients)
Villager 2: Here’s the Kale.
Villager 3: He told me what you were doing, and I thought you could use some tomatoes if I could have some soup too please?
Villager 5: Dump it in!
(Both add their ingredients)
(Villagers 1 and 4 are walking by with their ingredients already in hand, they’re still arguing about leeks vs sweet potatoes, ad lib)
Villager 3: (Really loudly and obviously trying to get the attention of villagers 1 and 4): Gee this soup smells so good! I bet it would be even better with some leeks and some sweet potatoes!
(They come over and add their ingredients, Villager 5 stirs it up really good)
Narrator: And just like that, everyone shared what they had, hopeful that they would benefit from the end result.
(Villagers exit)
Narrator: We all have something to give. And what we have to share may seem uninteresting, insignificant, or even not enough, but it really can become amazing when blended with the right combination of ingredients. Our community here is like that. When we all do our part, all bring ourselves to the table, we all benefit.
Narrator: A moment for contemplation: What are you bringing to the metaphorical soup-pot of this community. What do you have to give? (rings meditation chime, waits a minute, rings meditation chime again)
Suggested Hymn: #1021 in Singing the Journey, “Lean On Me”
(During the hymn our villagers re-enter with cups and spoons… and extra soup if your congregation is large enough that you need more. Singing along, and then start scooping soup into cups)
Narrator: It wasn’t long until the soup was ready, and the five villagers discovered that they not only had enough for themselves, but for their entire community.
All Villagers: Because soup is awesome like that!
Narrator: They invited everyone they knew to come share their soup.
Villager 5: We look upon all that has been given, in generosity, in love and in the spirit of community, and we realize that we have much to be grateful for. In a spirit of Thanksgiving, we ask you to come to this table, and share in the gifts of community. As we share together, we grow together. Please come forward.
(People come forward to the table, Villagers 1-4 hand cups of soup to people and say “As we share together, we grow together”)
Narrator (once everyone has returned to their seats): A moment for contemplation: What do you need to receive from this community? (as people eat the soup, rings meditation chime, waits a minute, rings meditation chime again)
Closing Hymn, Closing Words, Extinguishing the Chalice and any other closing activities your congregation may do.
Winter Kale Soup Recipe
Ingredients
2 Boxes of Vegetable Stock (8 cups) warming in the slow cooker
4 chopped leeks, white and light green parts only, sauteed in olive oil and garlic until soft
1 bunch kale, stems trimmed and cut into bite sized pieces, sauteed in olive oil and garlic until soft
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into a 1/2-inch dice, roasted on a cookie sheet with 1 Tbsp olive oil and 1/2 tsp salt at 425 degrees for 20 minutes
1/2 cup of brown lentils, cooked according to directions on bag
With items all pre-cooked, simply make sure they are reheated right before the service begins, and then add to the warm vegetable stock during the service.