Care of Creation

Lenten Series:

Focus on Food Loss and Waste

Ash Wednesday

Lent is traditionally a time to focus on simplicity. One way many congregations have often done this is through gathering for simple meals such as soup.

Last year, the Bishop challenged every congregation in the NJ Synod to take up the stewardship practice of caring for God’s good creation. A key sustainability practice is reducing meat consumption. For Lent last year, then, the Bishop’s Challenge team offered a vegetarian soup recipe for each week. We share them again this year as part of our Lenten emphasis on Food Loss and Food Waste. These recipes can be used by congregations or at home by individuals.

You are invited to let these recipes spur your imagination for what meals might be possible and to search for ways to make food choices with lesser impact on the environment. Also included are prayers for the care of the Earth for each week.

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Throughout Lent, starting February 25, each week on Wednesday we will highlight a video from Rutgers’ Leave No Bite Behind resources, a meditation, some questions to think about and practices to try, and a new recipe and prayer. We hope these resources will be a blessing to your Lenten practice. For Ash Wednesday, a recipe and a prayer are below.

And for a full calendar of Care of Creation ideas to try during Lent, click here.

More Program Information from the 24-25 Bishop’s Challenge:

  • Food Waste and Diet

    • Food Pantry

    • Buy Local

    • Reduce Food Waste

    • Meatless Monday

    • Plant-Based Eating

    • Community Garden

    • Hydroponic Garden

  • Reduce Waste

    • Zero Waste Event

    • Waste Audit

    • Reduce Paper Waste

    • Zero Waste Fellowship

    • Reusable Bags

Back to Main Lenten Series Page
Back to Main Bishop's Challenge Page

This week’s recipe and prayer:

Red Lentil Soup

Serves: 8

Ingredients:

2 cups dried red lentils

2 large carrots, diced

4 large stalks celery, diced

1 medium/large yellow onion, diced

8 cups vegetable broth or water

1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste

2 bay leaves

4 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 tablespoons olive oil

Instructions:

1. Heat the olive oil until shimmering.

2. Add carrot, celery, onion, and salt. Stir to combine. Cover and let the vegetables sweat, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes.

3. Add the lentils, broth or water, bay leaves, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the lentils begin to fall apart, about 20 minutes.

4. Turn off the heat and remove the bay leaves.

5. Add the lemon juice.

6. If desired, blend to a desired texture and salt to taste.

NOTE: The recipe calls for the vegetables to be diced. I just chop them coarsely, because at the end I use an immersion blender, leaving some larger chunks. This speeds the preparation and delivers a consistency that my family likes.

God of Plenty, thank you for the gift of the earth, created by you to provide all the food we need. In selfishness we have taken advantage of your goodness and abused the soil, water, and air. May this meal remind us to protect our global environment and to live in harmony with all who share this world. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Recipe and prayer from Laura Poethke