Hi friends, I'm Joni … How’s it going on this last week before Christmas? I hope you’ve finished shopping, got the tree up, have the lights trimmed… and most of all, I'm hoping you’re able to carve out some long moments this week –what do you think– just to pause and thank God for His indescribable Christmas gift to us: salvation through Jesus Christ. Wow, what a gift!
And there’s no time like time around the dinner table during the holidays to reflect on all that this means. I remember when I was a child, my mother kept those holiday dinnertimes pretty simple, but always candlelit and cozy -- just as you'd expect for Christmas. Often, my German grandmother would come to stay with us… and, of course, with Grandmom Landwehr—that’s what we called her, Grandmom Landwehr--around, that meant plenty of music, mirth, and the best of German cooking. Sure, we’d have the typical holiday turkey during Christmas week, but after the 25th of December, get out the ginger, sauerkraut, and vinegar because it was time for a slow-cooked German brisket of beef with brussel sprouts, pickled beets, pearl onions, and potatoes. Oh boy, I can smell the fragrant spices even now.
My mother would first braise the brisket, pour on the dark (it had to be dark) vinegar and simmer – add the broth and raisins and thyme with salt and pepper. There was nothing like my Mommy’s German brisket of beef. Of course, after it’s simmering for a couple of hours, then you add the beets, onions, and mushrooms. You know what, this sounds so good, I'm going to post the recipe today on our website so you, too, can “sprechen-sie-deutsch,” and create a slow-cooked holiday dinner straight from the heartland of Deutschland. Friend, it’s comfort food, so put it on in the morning and it’s ready for an afternoon dinner that will bring everyone around the table for an unforgettable holiday meal and I should know, I’ve tasted plenty of them.
But for me the real comfort is nestled in the memory of watching my mother and my grandmother at the kitchen sink – two strong, tall, German women of stout character and sturdy build. For our German side of the family, Christmas week all the way to New Year’s was dedicated to family… maybe sitting around the fire after dinner and singing Lutheran hymns… Although my Grandmother Landwehr was pretty private about her Lutheran background, Grandmom nevertheless had a personal faith in Jesus Christ. She took her Lutheran heritage seriously and could even sing a few of those stanzas from those hymns in German, bless her heart.
So, friend, draw comfort this week – the Bible says, “Comfort ye my people,” and “Wherefore comfort one another with these words: Jesus Christ came into this dark world to save sinners.” And in this dark world -- and it’s pretty dark, isn’t it -- the coldest time of the year, our Savior came to be our Wonderful Counselor and our Comforter.
We’ve got just a couple of weeks before the rush of a New Year… so… what do you think about joining me for a Dutch-German holiday dinner of sweet and sour, braised beef with all the trimmings? I'm happy to share this wonderful recipe straight from my mother’s kitchen. I'm posting it up today on joniandfriendsradio.org, my radio page. It’s just a simple, homey way to celebrate the most comforting time of year – the time we remember the birth of our Wonderful Savior, our Comforter, our Lord, Jesus Christ.
Used by permission of
JONI AND FRIENDS
P.O. Box 3333
Agoura Hills, CA 91376
© Joni and Friends