Sit on the Porch and Visit a While
Table Talk
Setting the Table
You are welcome here. Come just as you are, bringing whatever is on your heart today. Take a few moments and allow yourself to just be. Take a couple deep breaths, grab yourself a cup of coffee, light a candle, do something that brings you comfort. Allow yourself to be present in this moment.
Consider the way a home-cooked meal is not only good for the body but is also good for the soul. How can we allow God to work through us so that we may provide that same intentional nourishment to someone who may need it?
Love has no awareness of merit or demerit; it has no scale... Love loves; this is its nature.
- Howard Thurman
Matthew 25:35
For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me.
Food for Thought
Neighbors and strangers all knew that Ms. Thrower prayed for any and everyone. Grandma was a pillar of Ebenezer Baptist Church in Portsmouth, VA and a faithful follower of Jesus Christ. During our summer visits, my brothers and I enjoyed the delicious meals she found joy in preparing for Granddad and us. Cooking far more than any of us could eat, she always had a meal for the many passersby who stopped to chat along their walk on busy Portsmouth Blvd. After dinner she would sit in her rocking chair, on the porch, digesting her meal and waiting for visitors. The visitors were an eclectic array of humanity. Strangers and friends, some were sober, others mildly intoxicated, and still others nearly incoherent. But Grandma welcomed them all gracefully, with impartiality and sincere interest in their well-being. Even at my young age, it was apparent to me that the visitors felt seen, heard, and accepted. All were lovingly listened to, given a solid meal, and none left without prayer and a Word from the Lord. “Thank you, kindly,” was the departing phrase heard most frequently from the visitors.
Grandma embodied Matthew 25:35; “for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me.”
From her, I learned the importance of what it means to be a welcoming presence. I witnessed how authentically the visitors shared their stories, their needs and concerns. I watched the physical and spiritual nourishment result in lightened loads for the visitors, and for my grandmother, as she allowed the Holy Spirit to minister through her.
Now, in retrospect, it occurs to me that, as treasures in earthen vessels, each of us is a separate and distinct home with our own front porch. As we encounter people who pass along our way, we have the divine opportunity to welcome them without fear or favor. What a privilege to exercise our faith by trusting in God, and welcoming the stranger - not relying on outward appearances, but rather seeing the inward beauty of God’s creation. As we cook up the meals, let us prepare a little extra hospitality, acceptance, grace, and love, inviting others to sit on our porches and visit for a while.
Just the idea of a front porch tends to encourage one to slow down, chill out, and listen. Take a step out on your front porch, or step outside, and sit for a bit. Close your eyes, listen, and remember what it feels like to be fully present.
Cook your favorite meal, and make extra this time. Take a plate to a neighbor or someone who would welcome a break. Stay a while, and offer a listening ear.
Blessing
Loving God, we are thankful for the way you welcome each one of us without fear or favor. You call us to one another in this same way - to welcome all.
A little Table Talk for your table...
Share an experience where you felt truly nourished in both body and soul.
How can we be a home, or a front porch, to someone else?
What are the things that hold us back from being places of welcome, and how can we be intentional about celebrating the beauty of God’s creation?
Try taking it to the Kids Table...
Pack a picnic, and take a stroll (even if just to the backyard). If it’s raining, a picnic in the living room is always fun!
Grab one of your favorite recipes, and make it together. It can be something as simple as a PB&J. Welcome the mess, and appreciate the laughter.
Sit together without any other distractions, and spend quality time. Practice listening to the stories your kiddo already has in their heart to share.
Meet our Welcoming Voice!
Rev. Cheryl Harris is a graduate of Boston University School of Theology and holds a Master of Divinity degree. She strongly believes in servant leadership, actively serving on the ABC Ministers Council leadership team since 2018 and the Conference of Baptist Ministers in MA since 2015.
Putting the Gospel into work clothes, Rev. Harris also founded her consulting firm in 2004 and provides diversity, equity, and inclusion consulting as well as leadership coaching to a variety of private and public organizations. www.cherylharrisassoc.com
To hear more from Rev. Harris throughout the week, follow along on our Instagram!