8 Jan 2026, 14:30Catherine Anthony Boldeau, BUC Stewardship Director
Come Dine with Me: Stewardship in the Upper Room
It is a potluck at church, and at the centre of the table sits an exquisite vegan quiche, surrounded by an array of savoury and sweet dishes. To hungry members and visitors, it is simply one dish to be enjoyed soon. But to the chef, it represents something far more intentional – a delicate harmony of diverse ingredients, textures, flavours, and properties brought together as culinary art.
In a plant-based kitchen, there is no single ‘egg’ to bind the ingredients. Skill is required: choosing the right tofu, balancing nutritional yeast to the desired consistency, sourcing saffron, turmeric, pink Himalayan salt, and smoked paprika, and selecting the freshest seasonal vegetables – all encased in a coconut flour pastry. Each element matters. Together, they create something far richer than any ingredient alone.
This is the invitation of the Upper Room.“On one occasion, while He was eating with them, He gave them this command: ‘Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised… For John baptised with water, but in a few days, you will be baptised with the Holy Spirit’” (Acts 1:4-5, NIV).
It was a call to move beyond differences, surrender to the Holy Spirit, and be blended for humanity’s highest calling – the mission of spreading the gospel to the world.
Preparation
Unlike fast food, good cuisine is never a ‘flash in the pan’. Preparation is essential. Luke records that Jesus spent forty days preparing the hearts of His disciples following His resurrection:
“During the forty days after His crucifixion, He appeared to the apostles from time to time… and talked to them about the Kingdom of God” (Acts 1:3, TLB).
Before the disciples could become ambassadors of faith, they first had to become stewards of truth. They had walked with Jesus for three and a half years. They had witnessed miracles – the feeding of the five thousand, the healing of the lepers, and the raising of Lazarus. Yet, despite all they had seen, one betrayed Him privately, another denied Him publicly, and all forsook Him in the hours leading to Calvary.
Knowing their vulnerability and the hostile world they would soon face, Jesus spent forty days grounding them in the truth of His resurrection. These were the raw ingredients they would need for the mission ahead.
Some, like Mary, believed without hesitation. Others, like Thomas, doubted. The travellers on the road to Emmaus failed to recognise Jesus even while He walked with them. Yet their shared experience of the risen Christ became the binding agent that allowed petty disputes and hidden jealousies to melt away in the mix.
At the Table
The invitation to the Upper Room was not simply about fellowship or food. It was an invitation to lay aside inedible individuality and be blended into the richness of ‘one accord’. United, the disciples were to feed a hungry world with the saving truth of the Bread of Life through the knowledge and acceptance of Jesus Christ.
This unity, empowered by the Holy Spirit, enabled the gospel to spread rapidly through Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.
Unity in the 21st Century
The prophet Joel reminds us that God promises to pour out His Spirit on both men and women. When we gather in one accord today, our communities do not encounter a fragmented group of worshippers. Instead, they experience the rich flavours of a unified body of Christ – baked in shared truth and empowered by the Holy Spirit.
“Notice that it was after the disciples had come into perfect unity, when they were no longer striving for the highest place, that the Spirit was poured out. They were of one accord.”
(Ye Shall Receive Power, p. 287)
Reflection
Stewardship is often framed in terms of financial resources. How might our congregations be transformed if the stewardship of unity were emphasised just as intentionally?
What steps can you and I take to ensure that we steward our shared truth for the good of our congregations and communities?
Prayer
Father, forgive us when we behave like isolated ingredients rather than members of the body of Christ. Forgive us when we allow our individual textures and flavours to overpower the life-giving nourishment of the Bread of Life.
Today, we choose to put You first and at the centre of our lives, that we may become part of Your exquisite masterpiece. We commit to stewarding Your truth, our time, our talents, and our resources, so that the world does not see the raw ingredients of our lives but experiences the richness of Your grace and mercy through the power of Your Holy Spirit.
Amen.
It is a potluck at church, and at the centre of the table sits an exquisite vegan quiche, surrounded by an array of savoury and sweet dishes. To hungry members and visitors, it is simply one dish to be enjoyed soon. But to the chef, it represents something far more intentional – a delicate harmony of diverse ingredients, textures, flavours, and properties brought together as culinary art.
In a plant-based kitchen, there is no single ‘egg’ to bind the ingredients. Skill is required: choosing the right tofu, balancing nutritional yeast to the desired consistency, sourcing saffron, turmeric, pink Himalayan salt, and smoked paprika, and selecting the freshest seasonal vegetables – all encased in a coconut flour pastry. Each element matters. Together, they create something far richer than any ingredient alone.
This is the invitation of the Upper Room.“On one occasion, while He was eating with them, He gave them this command: ‘Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised… For John baptised with water, but in a few days, you will be baptised with the Holy Spirit’” (Acts 1:4-5, NIV).
It was a call to move beyond differences, surrender to the Holy Spirit, and be blended for humanity’s highest calling – the mission of spreading the gospel to the world.
Preparation
Unlike fast food, good cuisine is never a ‘flash in the pan’. Preparation is essential. Luke records that Jesus spent forty days preparing the hearts of His disciples following His resurrection:
“During the forty days after His crucifixion, He appeared to the apostles from time to time… and talked to them about the Kingdom of God” (Acts 1:3, TLB).
Before the disciples could become ambassadors of faith, they first had to become stewards of truth. They had walked with Jesus for three and a half years. They had witnessed miracles – the feeding of the five thousand, the healing of the lepers, and the raising of Lazarus. Yet, despite all they had seen, one betrayed Him privately, another denied Him publicly, and all forsook Him in the hours leading to Calvary.
Knowing their vulnerability and the hostile world they would soon face, Jesus spent forty days grounding them in the truth of His resurrection. These were the raw ingredients they would need for the mission ahead.
Some, like Mary, believed without hesitation. Others, like Thomas, doubted. The travellers on the road to Emmaus failed to recognise Jesus even while He walked with them. Yet their shared experience of the risen Christ became the binding agent that allowed petty disputes and hidden jealousies to melt away in the mix.
At the Table
The invitation to the Upper Room was not simply about fellowship or food. It was an invitation to lay aside inedible individuality and be blended into the richness of ‘one accord’. United, the disciples were to feed a hungry world with the saving truth of the Bread of Life through the knowledge and acceptance of Jesus Christ.
This unity, empowered by the Holy Spirit, enabled the gospel to spread rapidly through Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.
Unity in the 21st Century
The prophet Joel reminds us that God promises to pour out His Spirit on both men and women. When we gather in one accord today, our communities do not encounter a fragmented group of worshippers. Instead, they experience the rich flavours of a unified body of Christ – baked in shared truth and empowered by the Holy Spirit.
“Notice that it was after the disciples had come into perfect unity, when they were no longer striving for the highest place, that the Spirit was poured out. They were of one accord.”
(Ye Shall Receive Power, p. 287)
Reflection
Stewardship is often framed in terms of financial resources. How might our congregations be transformed if the stewardship of unity were emphasised just as intentionally?
What steps can you and I take to ensure that we steward our shared truth for the good of our congregations and communities?
Prayer
Father, forgive us when we behave like isolated ingredients rather than members of the body of Christ. Forgive us when we allow our individual textures and flavours to overpower the life-giving nourishment of the Bread of Life.
Today, we choose to put You first and at the centre of our lives, that we may become part of Your exquisite masterpiece. We commit to stewarding Your truth, our time, our talents, and our resources, so that the world does not see the raw ingredients of our lives but experiences the richness of Your grace and mercy through the power of Your Holy Spirit.
Amen.
