Invitation to community

I used the Luke 14 scripture in Sunday school last week when I was teaching. The focus there was to make a point that the peoples' possessions and choices can easily become a burden and keep you away from something or someone which you desire.

I went through this week with a different perspective because our friends Tara and Andy are here from Florida. Tracee and I will host the 3rd annual Big Daddy Bash this weekend. This is a party intended at merging all of our worlds. Our goal is to provide a chance for us to catch up with good friends, and meet families and friends of the kids' friends and even our neighbors. It is striking how few people respond to this sort of invitation. It is as though our worlds are almost too busy for those around us to trust.

I know it isn't fair to judge based on conditions that I have no knowledge of.. my thinking now is only of the 300+ invitees that we won't get to see tomorrow. Our context for relationship for those wonderful souls is diminished every time either of us makes a choice not to spend time together or make the telephone call. When we choose to sit and watch a TV or type in a blog rather than reaching out. Oh what a quandry we have made for ourselves with our distractions and things. Whatever happened to the idea of sitting and simply thinking or praying or just being still... "singing lauda, lauda, laude all of my days"


Luke 14
The Story of the Dinner Party
15That triggered a response from one of the guests: "How fortunate the one who gets to eat dinner in God's kingdom!" 16 -17Jesus followed up. "Yes. For there was once a man who threw a great dinner party and invited many. When it was time for dinner, he sent out his servant to the invited guests, saying, 'Come on in; the food's on the table.' 18"Then they all began to beg off, one after another making excuses. The first said, 'I bought a piece of property and need to look it over. Send my regrets.' 19"Another said, 'I just bought five teams of oxen, and I really need to check them out. Send my regrets.' 20"And yet another said, 'I just got married a_nd need to get home to my wife.' 21"The servant went back and told the master what had happened. He was outraged and told the servant, 'Quickly, get out into the city streets and alleys. Collect all who look like they need a square meal, all the misfits and homeless and wretched you can lay your hands on, and bring them here.' 22"The servant reported back, 'Master, I did what you commanded— and there's still room.' 23 -24"The master said, 'Then go to the country roads. Whoever you find, drag them in. I want my house full! Let me tell you, not one of those originally invited is going to get so much as a bite at my dinner party.'"