We have a group of folks in their 20s at our church, and this weekend I joined them for Mexican food. Here’s how the evening went:
- We gathered, ate chips and salsa, and grieved over some members of the group who had recently moved out of town. Also, we welcomed back one group member who came from out of town for the weekend.
- We ordered and talked about new people we have met who may like to join us for dinner the next time.
- We ate and talked about the next round of moves. People are changing careers, looking for work, thinking about joining the military…and it all adds up to not staying in town.
- We talked about being single, being in relationships, and how tough all that is when you don’t know where you will be in six months.
- We set another date and said goodbye.
In that one span of a few hours, we embodied ancient practices of faith: hospitality, mourning, celebrating, marking life’s passages, and bearing one another’s burdens.
I spend a lot of time trying to run programs that will minister to college students and young adults. Spending a few hours just talking and eating with good companions, and being with them as they ministered to one another, was refreshing. I don’t think any program or guest speaker could have replicated the ministry around that table.
Who knew a quesadilla could be so divine?
Pastor2K 