Your Gathering Doesn't Smell Like Jesus Unless

Jesus loved parties - he went to them all the time. But some he loved more than others. Some felt more like home - more like the kin(g)dom he longed to build, the shalom/wholeness he longed to restore.

So at one party, he had this not-so-casual conversationl with his host.

“I notice who’s in this room - your family, your friends, your business partners. Those rich neighbors of yours. And I notice who’s not in the room - the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind. Maybe that’s on purpose - maybe you just never thought about it. (And including the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind - including those usually left out - takes real thought.) But you need to understand - while your kind of party is normal, it’s easy and often reciprocated - it’s very HUMAN - parties can be so much more. They can be holy spaces that showcase the beautiful diversity of God’s kin(g)dom and the generous, ever-welcoming heart of God. What kind of table do you want to set? What kind of world do you want to live in?” (Luke 14:12-14)

Today Jesus asks us these questions too. What thoughts, stories or counter-questions does this bring up for you? How is God nudging you to respond? Sit for a while in Jesus’s warm, encouraging presence.