Whoville Fun

Yesterday, Redeemer and 2×2 held our first event for the community since we were locked out of our church two years ago. The Whoville Party was fun and profitable.

The idea came from our visit to St. Michael’s, Unionville. The pastor read part of How the Grinch Stole Christmas as the children’s sermon. The Grinch tries to steal what is most precious from the people of Whoville, pretending that his efforts are for their own good. The people of Whoville rally amidst adversity. Perhaps Christmas means a little bit more. The parallels of the Grinch Story and Redeemer Story were remarkable. The Whoville Party was planned on the ride home.

It was good to feel that we were once again working together as a church without the feeling that we had to stay in hiding. We had help from many and were able to create an attractive party ambiance in the donated space of our friends at Old Academy. The Whoville art and decorations, created by a son of Redeemer, were fantastic and transformed the space into Whoville. The food (green eggs and ham soup and roast beast sandwiches) got rave reviews even from the hesitant. The children had lots of fun playing Whoville games and older Whoville visitors sat together, sipping wine and chatting long after the party was supposed to be over.

Whoville visitors heard a story by Dr. Seuss. Even the Grinch (foreground) stopped to listen.

We are grateful to all who helped. It showed the strength of community. Binswanger Realtors donated the Phillies tickets. Old Academy gave us space. Donations helped us cover expenses.

In the process, several people left planning to look up Old Academy on the web. When neighborhood organizations work together there are benefits for all.

It was unfortunate that our event coincided with the devastating news that another East Falls church organization is being managed out of existence by hierarchies that understand dollars more than sense and mission.

Children had fun dressing the Grinch.

Recipe for Green Eggs and Ham Soup (as requested)

Quantities depend on how big your pot is! We made a huge pot, so we are guessing at the quantities for a more normal batch. This was the one and only time we made this, so the only proof of the pudding was in the eating!

In a mixture of olive oil and butter (or just one or the other), saute a large onion, 2 spears of celery, 2 carrots, and 4 diced potatoes. As these ingredients soften, add a quart or so of water and a cup of dried split peas. Simmer on low for an hour as the peas soften. For spices use red pepper, garlic powder, savory and parsley flakes, chicken bouillon, salt and pepper — all to taste. We also added some Goya Ham flavoring. If your Whovillians don’t like chunky soup, blend it with a hand blender. Add milk until it is creamy to your taste. Add 3 to 6 sliced or diced hard boiled eggs. Add ham. We used a pound of Tavern Ham lunch meat and ground it up in the food processor first. This would be delicious served with buttery croutons.