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Dearly Beloved,

Victory! Thank you for rejoicing with those who rejoice. 

Perhaps Laura even congratulated me on winning the Tomato Competition 2025... but I'm not sure if she will publicly confirm this. 

Why don't I share the recipe for the sandwich you see? And then, oh boy, being that this is the Dearly Beloved (and not just a tomato competition report), I will tie in a thought relevant to your life in here too. But first the recipe...

"The Tomato" Sandwich 

I am following a recipe I learned via Barry Enderwick of @sandwichesofhistory on Instagram, who got the recipe from Chef Mason Hereford of Turkey and the Wolf in New Orleans. 

  • Butter both sides of two nice pieces of white bread (Portofino recommended) and pan-fry until both sides are toasted golden.
  • Lay the pieces of toast down and generously apply mayonnaise to both slices. 
  • Sprinkle roasted and salted sunflower seeds onto the mayo (both sides). 
  • On one side, put a very large amount of fresh dill. 
  • On the other side, put a very large amount of fresh mint (this is my own modification on the original recipe).
  • Squeeze a wedge of lemon juice onto the dill. 
  • Then apply your own homegrown, thick-sliced (championship, sorry, Laura) tomatoes. Store-bought will do just fine, but heirlooms are great if you can find them these days. 
  • Season the tomatoes with salt and cracked black pepper, generously. 
  • Put the two sides together. 
  • Behold.
  • Thank the Lord God Almighty! 
  • Cut diagonally. 
  • Lift to reveal the inside cross-section. 
  • Behold (again).
  • Thank the Lord God Almighty! (again)
  • Proceed with the first bite. 

Now, a thought relevant to your life...?

Well, last week I wrote about how you need people in your life who are like the apple and banana, which helped my tomatoes to ripen. You need people who will make you fruitful in your own discipleship and witness. If you missed that, you can see what I said here. This all was tied to two of our four priorities that everyone in CPC is called to: DNA Relationships and Gospel Intentionality Together. 

Today, let me take a moment to tie the photo and recipe above to one of our other 4 strategic priorities everyone in CPC is called to: SUNDAYS.

Ever since the resurrection of Jesus (which happened on a Sunday!), worship and teaching have changed forever. We gather as a whole church on Sundays to encounter Jesus together in worship and to be equipped by His Word to live lives that bring His message and ministry into the rest of the week. 

WE do this. Not just you, or I, or any one of us. 

WE. 

In 1 Corinthians 12, the Holy Spirit inspired Paul to write about how the church is like a body. We are one unit but made up of many different parts—each crucial.  

Consider my tomato sandwich (it truly is very delicious). While the tomato is crucial, it is fascinating to both Laura and I how each element of the recipe is actually crucial and contributes to the symphonic explosion upon the taste buds. The sandwich wouldn't be the same without the bright note the squeeze of lemon juice brings. It wouldn't be the same without the subtle nutty note and crunchy pop the sunflower seeds bring. The toast wouldn't sing if it weren't for the butter. And as wonderful as the tomatoes are on their own, they come alive because of the salt and pepper. Go down the recipe list—each and every item matters. Each item is part of making the whole sandwich a stunner. 

You are part of our church family. 

We gather together on Sundays. 

When we're ALL together, we make a greater impact! 

I hope to see YOU Sunday. 

I hope to see YOU ALL on Sunday. 

Pastor Mike 

PS—If you try the recipe for yourself, let me know how it goes! 

PPS—Sunday's message will make a whole lot more sense to you if you read Leviticus 16 this week (your homework!)