They gathered together in my friend Amy's large family room and started heaping paper plates with a taste of home: koshary, an inexpensive and delectable combination of rice, brown lentils, macaroni, garlicky tomato sauce, fried onions, and chickpeas. This dish is beloved by everyone in Egypt, rich or poor.
But this wasn't Egypt -- it was Northern Virginia, where many Egyptians have emigrated in the last two decades, many claiming religious asylum. Every month, Amy and her husband would invite newly arrived individuals and families that they met at their nearby Coptic Orthodox Church for this "koshary night."
After all had assembled their dishes, she would ask them to share the stories of their journeys to the United States. With great joy, Amy shared with me how some of those stories would bring tears -- stories of families left behind and challenges to overcome -- but also hope at the beginning of something new.
Often, these gatherings resulted in new connections and a feeling of solidarity. Her guests left feeling more like they belonged and less like they were "traveling alone."The parable of the good Samaritan illustrates the risks of traveling alone in the early centuries. "A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho," Jesus describes, "and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead" (Luke 10:30 NKJV).
One of the reasons hospitality was important in the early church, according to a scholar of early Christian hospitality Amy Oden, was how dangerous it was to travel. In addition to all manner of risks from thieves and bandits, travelers faced great exposure to the elements by road and sea, and sometimes the hunger of wild animals.
Read more from Phoebe Farag Mikhail » |
| | FROM OUR ARCHIVE: HOSPITALITY |
Ministry in a troubled neighborhood led one pastor to start The Well Community, a church just for the mentally ill.
Read more from Gannon Sims » |
| A recent college graduate finds that how a congregation practices hospitality -- encouraging true, deep human interaction -- is more compelling than good preaching, music or other criteria. Read more from Gretchen Ziegenhals » |
| | UPCOMING WEBINAR FROM THE CHURCH NETWORK |
Reports that Matter and Will be Read featuring Vonna Laue, CPA July 18, 2019 | 2:30 p.m. EDT
Decision makers need information they understand and that focuses on critical information. Are you prepared to provide that to your board and leaders? Join us as we discuss how to prepare dashboard reports that may significantly impact your reporting model.
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Spiritual Discovery: A Method for Discernment in Small Groups and Congregations by Catherine C. Tran & Sandra Hughes Boyd
Spiritual Discovery is a practical guide for groups desiring a prayerful approach to decision-making. The discernment method developed by authors Catherine C. Tran and Sandra Hughes Boyd begins with the prayer model -- a process for guiding prayer in small groups created by Jane E. Vennard. This model brings elements of silence and spiritual reflection to the entire decision-making proceeding. The prayer is followed by a time of thoughtful exploration and discussion, resulting in decision-making that draws on both the spirit and the intellect.
The Spiritual Discovery Method facilitates thoughtful discernment, encouraging groups and individuals to attend to how they make decisions. This book offers step-by-step guidance for practicing the Spiritual Discovery Method, addressing essentials and challenges, while also providing concrete examples illustrating how groups have successfully used this process to enact spiritual growth and change. Tran and Boyd show how the skills that participants develop as they practice the Spiritual Discovery Method can be put to use in the everyday world, ready to be called upon for decision-making in any arena. The Spiritual Discovery Method has proven to be a powerful instrument for achieving positive change, and this book helps readers implement this process in their own lives and communities.
Learn more and order the book » |
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