A great evening of food, laughter, friendship and conversation was shared by a good number of folk (I didn't count but I suspect nearer 40 than 30 in the end) at last night's progressive meal. With five hosts (I think) offering sumptuous starters and mains, we then moved on to the Gathering Place for desserts, coffee/tea and chocolates.
It was above all a really happy evening. Some of those who came along are really quite lonely or troubled people (I hope they will forgive me for saying so) and it was good to see them tucking into their food and laughing and chatting. Others are amazing cooks who could have given the five thousand a real banquet, never mind fish sandwiches. Still more have an eye for detail, making sure the place looked lovely as we arrived. Some put furniture out, some put it away, some washed up (with the dishwasher, panic not!) and some were just the most wonderful guests.
We can get ourselves rather into theological knots in Advent - should we feast or should we fast? I suspect the answer is, a bit of both. Jesus, as I recall, got into trouble for feasting when others thoguht he should fast; he also assumed that people would fast (check out Matthew and his revisit of the Law) with good attitudes and cheerful demeanours. Sometimes it is about the 'how' and 'why' not the precise form of the 'what'. So it was yesterday. I have a feeling that Jesus would have approved of last night's repast.
Comments
Hi Catriona
Thank you for the great Advent ideas. The food looks brilliant!
You have mentioned the Gathering Place a few times. Is this the name for your church building? If so, is that what everybody calls it or is it just your own name for it? I am always looking for ways of speaking about the church's building without calling it a church, so I quite like this. I like too the idea that it is about offering hospitality.
Cheers,
Robert
Hi Rob,
I always use a degree of 'masking' church identity - those who know where I am know where I am, but those who don't have to work a little harder. Our church premises have a one word name that translates, among other things as 'Gathering Place' and also speaks of the intentionality of gathering, mutual trust and even according to 'wicktionary' of covenant (if your Shakespeare, Old French or Old Scandinavian is good you can work out what the word is!! Clue: it is often used nowadays in romantic connotations!!). The signs say something to the effect that 'The Gathering Place is the home of D+300 Baptist Church' (it hasn't got an on-line place name yet, hence label relative to my old place).