Tonight was a special night. I have a new liturgical partner in crime at ECL and we are ridiculously excited about creative expressions of ancient truth. Tonight, we celebrated Maundy Thursday on a 40' picnic table that three guys built this week! It was amazing. Communion in the context of a meal, how...biblical. I wanted to share with you a picture of the night and a word from my reflection. I pray that this is a night where you are aware of the love and grace and inclusive nature of the table.
9 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. 11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13 Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Romans 12:9-13
This last line is why we chose to eat outside tonight. We cannot practice hospitality by having great meals inside a building that the world never sees. We can have a great band and wonderful coffee, but if we never open the door or invade a parking lot with food or serve the world, we find ourselves huddled in an Upper Room of our own making. And then, the world misses out on this beautiful meal.
Hospitality means getting dirty, and feeding hungry stomachs and being shelter from life’s storms. Hospitality means ushering hope into hopelessness and celebrating fully the joys of life. Hospitality means creating space for students and children to be loved when moms and dads are tired and weary.
When we share life, we remind each other in acts of service that our mission is to love one another in big, profound, Jesus-sized ways.
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