A Gigantic Step of Faith

Table Talk



Setting the Table

You are welcome here. Come just as you are, bringing whatever is on your heart today. Take a couple of deep breaths and allow yourself to be present in this moment.

Think about how the sound of laughter or a warm smile is its own universal language.

Hospitality is simply an opportunity to show love and care.
- Anonymous

True hospitality is marked by an open response to the dignity of each and every person.
- Kathleen Norris

Luke 10:38-42
As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”


Food for Thought

In the mid-1960s, my father accepted an assignment with the United Nations. His assignment was to provide technical assistance in economic development, leadership, and agronomy in a city called Ouagadougou in Upper Volta (now known as Burkina Faso). My parents and older siblings had grown up in Haiti, and this first trip to an African country was a gigantic step of faith. The entire family of six was part of the package of saying “yes” to this international organization and to a lifestyle that would carry us to many African and European countries.

My parents taught us to say “yes” to God and step out in faith. We learned to be humble servants regardless of degrees acquired, professional experiences lived, or knowledge. We learned to always be humble at the stranger’s table. I learned as a Third Culture Kid to always show respect to hosts and elders.

I remember as a child at dinner time, I was quick to finish my meal at the family dining room table so that I could join another table that was set in the kitchen by our helpers. That meal to me was the best one. I do not remember what we ate or how many were sitting around that kitchen table, but I remember how I was warmly welcomed by these adults. I remember the love that surrounded the table. I did not understand the local language, and I could not be part of conversations - it would have been inappropriate for me, as a child, to interject myself into adult conversations. What I so vividly remember was the joyful click and clack of the spoons against the common bowl of food we all shared. I was a stranger in a strange land, but at that kitchen table, I was welcomed.

In the gospel of Luke 10:38-42, we read how Mary and Martha opened their home not only to Jesus but to those traveling with him as well. Where do we find that generous level of hospitality in our midst? I lived it as a child growing up in cross-cultural settings in French, English, and Somali speaking African countries, where others spoke a different heart language than my own.

I am re-discovering this intentional table of hospitality in Maryland, in my intentional communal living situation, where a diverse group of neighbors shares meals, prayers, joys, and concerns with one another - showing love as God would want us to do.

I am drawn back to my memory of the table of hospitality I joined in Ouagadougou. My heart and mind journey quickly back to remembering that little girl who was warmly welcomed at the table to share meals. I have often wondered about what made these adults in Upper Volta decide to share their bowl of food with me. Was it their faith tradition that moved them to welcome a child in their midst? How can we offer this same sort of welcome into the world around us - a welcome that I imagine resembles the welcome we are all offered at God’s table?


Plan a community potluck (outdoors, if the weather allows). Be intentional about celebrating differences and creating a space where everyone can feel welcome.

If gathering together is difficult, start small. Practice small acts of intentional hospitality. Maybe it's something as simple as sharing a smile or a laugh with a neighbor.

Blessing

God of welcome and hospitality,
Thank you for creating space for each one of your children,
and for reminding us that our tables should be a reflection of you -
places where we are all welcome to make ourselves at home.

A little Table Talk for your table...

  • Share a time when you have experienced intentional hospitality.

  • What was it about that experience that left a lasting impression, and how has it shaped how you offer hospitality to others?

  • How can your table be a reflection of God’s table?

Try taking it to the Kids Table...

  • Talk about what hospitality means (welcome, helpfulness, kindness).

  • List ways you can show hospitality to loved ones and strangers.

  • Discuss together what you think God’s table looks like.

Meet our Welcoming Voice!

Rev. Sandra Dorsainvil is the Director of Short-Term Mission at International Ministries. She holds advanced degrees in psychology, rehabilitation counseling, and pastoral ministry. Sandra is an ordained minister with ABC-USA. She is a published author and retreat leader. Sandra is passionate about missions and enjoys paddle boarding.

To hear more from Rev. Dorsainvil throughout the week, follow along on our Instagram!

Rev. Sandra Dorsainvil