This is Communion
On fellowship, flowers, & faithfulness
I’m convinced that I never realize how much dust is in my house until I’m preparing to have people I don’t know that well over. Then the dust cheekily coruscates from every nook, cranny, and available surface as I scoop up dirty laundry from the bathroom floor and tidy up clutter. My internal muttered mantra is “Why do we have so much stuff??” And we won’t even talk about the number of fingerprints on my unwashed windows.
Yet, obedience compelled me to open up my home to my neighbors for dinner, offering what I had. So the invitation was extended: 4pm on Easter Sunday, bring yourselves!
In her book The Gospel Comes with a House Key, Rosaria Butterfield states, "Our post-Christian neighbors need to hear and see and taste and feel authentic Christianity, hospitality spreading from every Christian home that includes neighbors in prayer, food, friendship, childcare, dog walking, and all the daily matters upon which friendships are built."
We cobbled together two tables and thirteen chairs, laying colorful Fiestaware place settings on the lace tablecloths and lighting the candle. In between chopping veggies for salad and slicing beef tenderloin into steaks, I googled "How long to boil frozen pasteles?" and "What temperature is needed to make oven-baked potatoes?"
Our neighbors arrived like a slow parade, with the grand finale being our neighbors across the street and their 5 young adult kids laden with soda, homemade quesadillas, and fruit salad.
We went around the circle, saying our names and a hobby. We marveled at the fact we had so many ethnicities at the table (Mexican, American, Dominican, Puerto Rican, Polish, German) and asked lots of questions. It was the kind of meal where if you needed something, one would ask, and if I didn't have it, a short jaunt was made to homes to grab it. Here's to you, Splenda & picante sauce!
The sun flooded in our windows, illuminated the beauty of feasting with neighbors. As the sun went down, people worked their way back to their homes and we (but mostly I mean my wonderful husband) cleaned up the dishes, put the remaining food away, folded the table and chairs, and reordered the displaced furniture.
What a sweet moment to be a part of - one that would have been missed if we had a traditional meal with family or refused to answer the call of hospitality.
I’d love to hear: What tips have you found to make practicing hospitality less complicated? What do you find standing in your way?
The Good List
Jesus. I’m so thankful He is a friend of sinners like me.
“The Communion of Empty Hands” - an article about an Easter service in prison.
Blooming tulips! 6 sunrise-colored buds in different stages of blooming.
Easter egg hunts. This was the first year that Jael really got what egg hunting was and it was funny to see her chuck eggs into the Easter basket while I held it.
Hot Baths while soaking in Create Anyway by Ashlee Gadd
This Coffee Cake Baked Oatmeal recipe was the perfect make-ahead breakfast for a busy Easter morning! We scarfed it down on the way to serve at church. (Also this recipe is east to adapt for things you have/don’t have).