"We're invited to dinner! Into their home!"
Our family was electrified by the privilege. While on vacation, we had been hanging around an Amish community, absorbing their simple rhythms, but feeling like strangers on their counter-cultural island. We went to farmers' markets, marveled at their craftsmanship, and were mesmerized by the clip-clop of their horse-drawn carriages. Then one day we visited a family who made hickory rockers. We made a connection. They were real people! And they felt the same about us. I went back a second time to learn how they made the chairs. And the next thing we knew they had invited us to come into their kitchen for an authentic Amish dinner. It's a warm memory that is still as fresh and meaningful as it was that day.
The living church becomes the haven every heart longs to find.
There is nothing as warm as an invitation to come in. Come into my conversation. Come into my space. Come into my home. A facility, a culture, or even a family is not automatically inviting. In fact, the closer we are to a few special friends the easier it is to be oblivious to those outside our circle. Architecture, ambiance, and good signage are great tools, but nothing can equal a simple, personal invitation. "Come sit with me in worship. Come into our home." This is the timeless key to the expansion of the gospel and the deepening of Christian discipleship. Simply invite. Acquaintances become friends, friends become family. The living church becomes the haven every heart longs to find.
The table is set. Invite someone you meet to share it with you this Christmas season. There is no better way to do life together.
