Our son, Micah recently spoke at a gathering of Eastern Mennonite University staff and faculty. He spoke about welcoming others and making a space for them to feel that welcome. He suggested that we maintain an outsiders stance even when we become insiders so that we can connect to the outsiders. I am sure that is a Jesus action. How does that play out in everyday life? How do we do that?
We often receive a variety of visitors, lately it has been no different.
Today I helped lead a silent retreat, and welcomed folks into a space to encourage them to connect with God in silence. I always feel inadequate but God seems to use the little I have to offer and speaks to people. We used parts of Moses' story to look at the seasons of life through which we travel. I introduced winter using the story of Moses leaving Egypt and caring for sheep in the wilderness for his father-in-law. Raised as royalty, Moses tried to help his family of origin (The Israelites) with this own strength and failed, losing both his families. What was God doing for forty years with Moses the royal, watching sheep? Was Moses learning; learning to shepherd people, learning to let God work through him not doing things on his own?
Red Grammer sings about receiving 'strangely wrapped gifts', those gifts that we may not want but we learn from them. I folded a box for everyone, asked each one to write on slips of paper the strange 'gifts' they have received in wintry times and place those slips in their boxes. Later as we reflected on Autumn times, we celebrated by tying ribbons written with praises on those boxes.
This past Thursday, I spent 3 hours with a woman who is trying to start a business using dialog and a restorative process to work at clashes between cultures. I served tea, homemade muffins, and resources while listening and asking questions.
Earlier that day, I served many cups of tea. homemade biscuits (cookies for North Americans) and later soup and muffins as lunch to the folks moving our new neighbor into the lower level of our house. Friday I offered coffee and lunch to our new neighbor for I know what moving-in takes out of you and how easy it is to forget to stop to make meals.
I have been offering bikkies for morning tea to the construction workers, plumber, tiler, sparkie (electrician) and painters who were trying to quickly reconstruct our lower level before our neighbor needed to move in.
Wednesday, I helped find accommodation for someone who was flying through Sydney.
Tuesday, friends offered me welcome in taking me out for lunch to celebrate my birthday.
Last weekend, we hosted and provided transportation for a young couple traveling around Sydney to speak about Christian Peacemaker Teams. That Saturday, I made lunch for seven and bikkies (cookies) for several of their speaking engagements. There we also welcomed, offered tea and coffee, and answered questions when the young couple engaged with other folks.
That Friday morning before we picked them up at the airport, I traveled to the southern part of Sydney by bus. I was trying to read but once again, God had other plans for me. A woman asked me questions and engaged me in conversations. She was Australian but lived in the USA, was only in OZ for a few weeks but I heard of her life and troubles.
The second to last weekend of August, we welcomed a traveling Mennonite to our city and offered accommodation and suggestions for tourist sites. We swapped views on children, the US election process, the environment, and world issues.
But, the most interesting visitor was one that was sneaking up our drive at night but caused our motion sensor to turn on our floodlights. He was a Long-nosed bandicoot and is probably the culprit who had dug holes in our garden. All we had to offer him was grubs and insects in our soil. I even scared him off attempting to take his photo. I had to google a photo for this blog.
We try to do hospitality. In many ways, as an inadequate, Jesus
-follower, in this culture, I am an outsider so try to connect to both insiders and outsiders.
We leave for Tassie Tuesday so will experience others' hospitality.
See great close-up shots of our bandicoot's kin at: http://pbase.com/sheila/image/7860635 or http://www.pbase.com/wildlifeimages/long_nosed_bandicoot
Bandicoot Photos from : http:// www.americazoo.com/goto/index/mammals/12.htm and http://fnpw.org.au/OurProjects/Plants_Wildlife/Long_Nosed_Bandicoot.htm
