by Christine Sine.
As summer approaches we gear up for a season of hospitality. Friends from Oregon and Australia have already visited and next week family from the East Coast will come to stay. Hospitality is the essence of summer for me. And it is not just the people we interact with that I am talking about. The wild creation of God embraces me with the hospitality of beauty and abundance, beckoning me to come and stay and enjoy all that God provides. What a good time to revisit the Biblical gift of hospitality, so central to the life of ancient Palestine.
Hospitality in ancient Palestine was more than a courtesy extended to friends and travellers. It was the means that villages used to determine if strangers were friends or enemies, a threat or an asset to the community. Extending hospitality by providing food, water and shelter was a way to temporarily adopt strangers into the community and hopefully convert a potential threat into a friendly alliance. Sometimes oil was poured over the head of the stranger as a sign of welcome.
It is probable that it was these customs that David referred to in Psalm 23:
You prepare a feast for me
in the presence of my enemies.
You honor me by anointing my head with oil.
My cup overflows with blessings. (Psalm 23:5)
In this verse David is most likely not talking about God preparing a banquet for us to eat while our enemies sit around with empty stomaches drooling over the lavish food we are enjoying. This is a verse that speaks of the ancient practice of hospitality, an invitation to sit down and enjoy a meal with strangers and those we perceive as a threat, an encouragement to seek for understanding and reconciliation rather than division and hatred.
What an important message for today. We live in a world of great division where there is much necessity for all of us to sit down over a meal with those we disagree with and see as a threat. As you think about this what comes to mind? What situations are you currently facing that might be defused by sitting around the table during the summer and sharing a meal? Where have you seen God prepare a feast that has brought enemies together and overcome fears and disagreements? How could you prepare a meal “in the presence of your enemies” and offer open hospitality to those you disagree with?
In Jesus’ day this kind of hospitality was considered more than a commandment. It was a sacred obligation, filled with the joy of serving both others and God. Those that did not extend hospitality to orphans,widows and the homeless could be rejected. Like early monastics and Celtic Christians, Jews believed that sometimes in welcoming strangers they welcomed angels into their midst.
Jesus repeatedly demonstrated his joy in offering hospitality as he fed the crowds, sat down with tax collectors and shared a passover meal with his disciples. Even after his death he came back to share meals as a way to communicate his message of salvation and hope.
As I thought about this today, the picture that came to me was of Jesus sitting and eating that last meal with Judas. Then I saw him get down and wash Judas’s feet. He must have realized that Judas was about to betray him, but he still reached out in embrace not division. I wonder if he hoped that through this gracious act of hospitality towards him Judas would change his mind.
At communion each week our priest says “All are welcome at the table” yet the welcome of God begins long before the institution of communion at the last supper. Radical hospitality is at the heart of God’s creation. Every time I go out into the garden and harvest the abundance of God’s provision, or walk through the neighborhood enjoying the beauty of God’s world I am aware of the radical hospitality of a God who comes to welcome us all home to the kingdom banquet.
Many feel surrounded by enemies in the current political climate. How do we respond in these hard times? This is not a time for complacency but for commitment, not for hate but for love, not to close doors but to open them, not for violence but for peace, not to wound but to heal, not to bring division but to inspire reconciliation.
There is no better place to learn to listen, not to the answers in our own heads but to the unsettling questions others are asking, than when sitting around the table sharing a meal. And there is no better time of year to take Jesus’ radical call to hospitality seriously and reach out with love not hate, seeking to build bridges not walls, to embrace compassion not conflict. Summer, with its more relaxed pace, provides time and space to listen to the voice of God more intently. It is in the place of listening that change can begin for all of us.
As we move towards summer and your desire to be hospitable to friends and family, think about the people you disagree with, want to exclude or think are about to betray you. How could you reach out with radical hospitality to them in this season? Sit with your eyes closed and listen to this version of Psalm 23. What names come to mind? Perhaps it is someone like Mary, an unwed mother who could have been thrown out by her family. Or someone like the lepers Jesus healed, despised by the society around them yet welcomed by the son of God. Or the Roman soldier whose servant Jesus healed, foreigners like immigrants, refugees and those of other religions. What are the first steps you need to make to reach out in a spirit of hospitality and reconciliation? How could you embrace the radical journey of hospitality
Closing Prayer
Lord help us to listen deeply not to the answers in our own heads but to the questions others ask. Lord help us to provide environments where others can relax, express themselves and learn to listen too. We know that listening is where change begins and we all need to change. May we learn to listen deeply and see our world transformed.
(NOTE: Today’s post is adapted from a previous 2016 post)
Looking for hospitality inspiration? We have an entire resource page dedicated to hospitality. Find recipes and reflections on numerous hospitality topics, including Celtic hospitality, prayers, and liturgies. Click on Hospitality for more!
Interestingly in planning for this something else popped up and I wrote a piece around King Charles’ coronation to do with cultural diversity. As a good detective says “there’s no such thing as coincidences” and my QEC practitioner is always saying how things come up for a reason that we need to explore.
So what does come to mind when we talk about “cultural diversity”? What picture/image comes to mind? And what does cultural diversity look like?
Meaning according to https://www.dictionary.com/
- the cultural variety and cultural differences that exist in the world, a society, or an institution: Dying languages and urbanization are threats to cultural diversity.
- the inclusion of diverse people in a group or organization: to embrace cultural diversity in the workplace.
The Modern Cockney Festival looks at how the culture of Cockneys, which was originally a word used for those born within the sound of Bow Bells in London, has morphed and changed and come to embrace all those who feel they can relate to some of the cockney traditions. There are other events like this that are for people who feel they relate to those traditions, cultures or similar, that at one time certain races, genders or creeds may not have.
There are differences in cultures that we need to recognise, honour and celebrate and I believe we are getting better and better are recognising the big differences, but what about the more subtle ones?
I live in North Wales and when we moved here we did think that the only differences were between Welsh and English, but the longer we’ve lived here and the more people we have come to know we have found that there are much more subtleties within the land than we originally envisaged. Many of which can get lost within the bigger picture. We’ve had both Anglican church parish boundaries and electoral boundaries changed recently due to population density. But there is a major cultural difference between those who live on the coast and those who live in hills, those who live nearer the English border and those who live on the Western reaches, those who live in the large towns and those who live in isolated villages. Within a population of just over three million people there is a great range of diversities.
I lived in Belfast in 1996-7 which gave me a feel there for the cultural diversity of the city and the surrounding countryside. I got to know people who were Protestant and Catholic, Unionist and Loyalist, who had moved to the city from a village where everyone knew each other and those who lived in the city but also knew each other. Belfast in the mid 1990s was like no city I’ve ever lived in before. I cannot comment about the rest of Northern Ireland because I never made it over to Londonderry or into the hinterland. The population of Northern Ireland is less than two million and yet so diverse.
Having lived in both these places I have seen how especially government or media do not honour the diversity of these nations but make judgement calls about what they need as a whole, what they want as a whole, and even what these people think as a whole. There is no space for different wants and needs.
I know too that I am guilty of this with Native American tribes, with people who live in India, Asia, and all those myriad of countries I have never visited and never had the time to really get to know. Yet Revelation 7:9 says
After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from EVERY nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands
I think the reason the bible says “multitude” is because then no one can give an exact figure. I think this is because God understands and knows each different group of people however big or small, however diverse, and is going to make sure they are fully represented in heaven.
Note the word EVERY in there. Not most, not a few of, not even the majority, but EVERY nation, tribe, people and language will be there whether here on earth they have been recognised at all.
I believe that we need to stop lumping people into easier to handle homogeneous groups believing we know what they want or need or think but we all need to start listening to, talking to and really finding out how we can all fit together but still stay cultural diverse.
I think we also all need to be true to our own cultural diversity and who we fit with. I’m working with people who are between 15 and 40 years younger than me. Even those who are 15 years younger than me are of a different generation, have different values, different tastes, remember different music and TV programs. I have to accept that even though I am friends with them I also have a different culture that I relate to and fit comfortably into.
I do think too often we try to find a homogeneous whole that we can fit into instead of enjoying the over laps. There is nothing to be afraid of in being cultural different to someone whether they are in our street, town, workplace, country, or that we never meet at all. God says “EVERY nation, tribe, people and language” will be standing shoulder to shoulder praising. We’re not going to have to conform to a “holy homogeneous huddle” but will be able to enjoy our different hues, words, styles, etc in heaven. Maybe we could start doing it now. But also realise how much overlap there is.
How many cultural groups do you belong to?
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Yesterday was the Feast of Ascension on the Church Year Calendar. This event in the life of Jesus has been celebrated since the 4th century but many of us haven’t ever given it much thought. You can read about it in Acts 1, but this year’s lectionary finds us in the gospel of Luke and this account is much shorter.
He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.”
Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. 46 He told them, “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, 47 and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”
The Ascension of Jesus
50 When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven. Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God.LUKE 24: 44-53
WHAT ABOUT BLESSING?
I had never noticed the verse “He lifted up his hands and BLESSED them.” The last thing Jesus did before he physically left the planet was to BLESS his followers. He didn’t give them a big long TO-DO list, or a set of rules they should remember, but rather he gave them a blessing!
Eric Gill 1882 1940
What do you think the blessing was that Jesus gave his disciples as he ascended?
Think about what the word “Blessing” means to you. What blessing do you need from Jesus? Want do you need/want to hear from Jesus?
BLESSING. noun
noun: blessing; plural noun: blessings
God’s favor and protection.
a prayer asking for God’s favor and protection.
”a priest gave a blessing as the ship was launched”
a special favor, mercy, or benefit
Check out the different Bible verses about blessing HERE.
Look at the quote below, what do you think? How does it feel to participate in God’s delight?
BLESSING meta carlson
I met Meta through an online book study I did last fall. She is a mom, pastor and author who lives in Minneapolis. She writes wonderful books of blessings and poetry you can find on her website
ascension by giotto
You can discover more art to pray with in a slide show below created for our Thinplace gathering this week by Teri Valente.
ART SLIDE SHOW for The Ascension created by Teri Valente
Maybe like me, you could use some blessing today. I didn’t grow up in a family that was about blessing. We had loads of material blessings but the honor and favor that Jesus bestows is not something that happened to us as kids. I need to be reminded that Jesus is all about BLESSING ME AND YOU!
“A blessing evokes a privileged intimacy. It touches that membrane where the human heart cries out to its divine ground. …A blessing is not a sentiment or a question; it is a gracious invocation where the human heart pleads with the divine heart.” John O’Donohue
Here are some words of Blessing for YOU! Which word of Blessing pops out/stands out to you that you need from Jesus now? Write it down and carry it with you today!
PEACE
INVITED TO REST
HONORED
HEIR of God
ACCEPTED
WELL PLEASED
FORGIVEN
CHOSEN
FILLED With JOY
DELIVERED
FILLED
HEALED
FRIENDSHIP /FRIEND of God
FILLED With HOPE
FREEDOM…You are set free
SATISFIED WITH GOOD THINGS
LOVED UNCONDITIONALLY
You might choose to copy the list and cut out each word/phrase, put the words in a basket and choose one each week or every couple of days to RECEIVE from God and carry with you!
How would your life be different if you lived in the BLESSING of GOD rather than in self criticism or comparison?
Who in your life needs to receive BLESSING? How can you help bless them in the days ahead?
I am reminded of the song that helped me a lot during COVID times …. May we all choose to receive the Lord’s BLESSING this week and pass it along to others! AMEN
©lillylewin and freerangeworship.com repost from last year.
By Barbie Perks
On my walk yesterday I noticed the gutters in the road, how full of leaves and grass cuttings they
were, how much of the mole heaps end up being washed into them, and considered how, over time,
those deposits compost and become fertile spots for seeds to germinate and grow. If those gutters
are not regularly swept and cleaned, the grasses and weeds grow stronger, and their roots begin to
crack through the cement/tar edges of the road. Come the rains, the power of water washes those
edges away and potholes form. There are times when those potholes become so big, traffic health is
threatened.
I was gently reminded that there are times in our lives when our hearts collect hurt. Whether the
hurt comes because of words spoken to us or by us, spoken in jest, disparagement, scornfully,
sarcastically, or in anger; or whether it is deposited by the negligent, or intentional actions of
another person or persons. If the hurt is not regularly cleaned away it festers, it will compost into
bitterness, unforgiveness, isolation and withdrawal. These seeds grow, tended by the storms of life,
and eventually we find that we are surrounded by potholes that threaten our mental, emotional,
and spiritual lives. Our joy in life drains away and any energy we have is spent in navigating our way
around the ever-growing holes.
Scripture speaks about hearts in many ways, so I think our heart-health is important to God. We can
ask God “search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if
there is any offensive way in me and lead me in the way everlasting” (Ps 139:23-24), “Test me O
Lord, and try me, examine my heart and my mind” (Ps 26:2).
When God reveals what we need to bring to light from out of the dark depths of our heart, “For God
who said, ‘let light shine out of darkness’, made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the
knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.” (2 Cor 4:6), then “we can approach the throne
of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of
need.” (Heb 4:16). When we pray about those hurts, God will help us to clean them out of our
hearts, and the result will be that peace that Jesus promised – “Peace I leave with you; my peace I
give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled.” (John 14:27)
May the God who created us, who redeemed us, who loves us, who knows us so intimately, bring us
to that point of surrender, that insight into what is troubling us, enable us to lay it down before him,
and move forward in peace.
Never heard of pothole golf? Take a look here:
No matter the time of year, it’s important to pause and take time to reset and restore. An excellent way to do that? Take a personal retreat. Building a retreat into the rhythm of your life is a spiritual practice often lost in our helter-skelter, busyness-is-next-to-godliness world. This booklet is based on the most popular posts about spiritual retreats published on Godspacelight.com over the last few years and provides resources for taking a spiritual retreat either on your own or with a friend or spouse. Check it out in our shop!
By Karen Wilk
Earth shalom,
The call of this poem,
While glaciers melt
And ocean reefs swelt,
Chemicals cloud the atmosphere
And plastics pollute, far and near
God’s precious creatures going extinct
And all of it, all of us, intricately linked…
Yet no confession, no lament,
No remorse, no clothing rent
Deaf to the cry, the lament of the wild
Deaf to the sound
Of anxious parent, vulnerable child
What will be left? When will we stop?
On a collision course but does anyone care?
The forest, the garden, all laid bare
Because of us, the land moans (Hosea 4)
Wasting away, drying up, creation groans (Romans 8)
The beasts of the field, birds of the air, fish in the sea
So far from shalom the way it should be
no acknowledgment of holy ground
The sacredness of all of life, all around…
Yet yeast still grows in kneaded dough
And mustard seeds even in rocky ground can grow
When will we hear? How will we go…
Not just with platitudes
But with reformed actions and attitudes
Justice, passion, respect and gratitudes
Creator has named us stewards, made to till and to tend
Image-bearers, who also on earth do depend
How will we once more all creation, befriend?
Letting go, giving up our over- consumption,
Accepting and embracing the need for disruption
To our systems, our politics, economics, corruption
Finding our way back to harmony, equity, love’s eruption.
Shalom in our hearts, our heads and our hands
Shalom for all creatures, all waters and lands
Shalom with Creator, creation invitation, participation spans
The whole universe, all life, can we see it? -In Eternity, she stands.
Jeremiah 14:2
“Judah mourns, her cities languish; they wail for the land, and a cry goes up from Jerusalem.
Hosea 4:1-3
1 Hear the word of the Lord, O people of Israel,
for the Lord has an indictment against the inhabitants of the land.
There is no faithfulness or loyalty
and no knowledge of God in the land.
2 Swearing, lying, and murder,
and stealing and adultery break out;
bloodshed follows bloodshed.
3 Therefore the land mourns,
and all who live in it languish;
together with the wild animals
and the birds of the air,
even the fish of the sea are perishing.
Romans 8: 22a We know that the whole creation has been groaning…
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by Christine Sine
Welcome to St Brendan’s Day. He is one of my favourite Celtic saints. Perhaps it is because I spent 12 years of my life living on a ship. Or maybe I just love adventurers. Whatever the reason, I find him inspiring and it is not just his incredible journey. His beautiful prayer, which seems to express his philosophy of life also contributes to that. Here are the first few lines:
Help me to journey beyond the familiar
and into the unknown.
Give me the faith to leave old ways
and break fresh ground with You.
This last week has been another intense garden week for me, motivated by the record breaking temperatures we needed to plan for this weekend. It is a tremendous joy to watch the flowers bloom and the seedlings sprout and grow. Getting my hands in the dirt rejuvenates my soul. Photography is another creative art that inspires and refreshes me. I particularly love using the photos I take as a focus for reflection and this last week I contributed two posts with such reflections. My Meditation Monday: When the Wires Get in the Way, Learn From Them is a reflection on the distracting and sometimes ugly cables and wires that sometimes destroy the beauty of a photo. On Thursday I contributed Still Waters: Reflections in the Lake a short reflection and prayer that it gave birth to.
Lilly Lewin’s Freerange Friday: Poems from a Thinplace comes to us from the island of Iona where she is at present. This is a place of refreshment, inspiration and sacredness for her as it is also for myself. I love her poem and the invitation to “Cross the threshold into a thin place.” We all need thin places in our lives. Place of quiet and renewal that refresh our souls.
One thing I love about our Godspace authors is that they constantly teach me new things. This week David Pott and Catherine Knights wrote about Rogation Sunday. Their post Reviving Rogationtide is a fascinating read not only of information but also of interesting practices to combine with the celebration.
This week we celebrate Ascension Day. This is not a celebration I grew up with but every year I enjoy learning more and adding to our resource list. This year I learned that in Sweden people go into the woods very early in the morning to hear the birds at sunrise. It is said to be good luck if a cuckoo is heard from the east or west. In Indonesia, in spite of the fact that 80% of the population are Muslim, Ascension Day is a public holiday, a day to go to church for Christians, a day to rest and enjoy life for Muslims. I love that this is a day not just to celebrate Jesus ascent into heaven but also celebrate the new creation that his ascent brought into being. I love to focus on this aspect which seems particularly important for those of us who are concerned about sustainability and preservation of God’s good creation.
This season between Easter and Pentecost is full of celebrations that we are encouraged to give attention to. Pentecost itself is not far away. It falls on May 28th this year and we have just updated our resource list. We work hard to provide resources from many different countries so if you have resources you would like to add please let us know.
Many blessings on you this week.
I sit,
Encircled by God’s love,
Embraced by God’s presence,
Filled with God’s light.
I sit,
Savouring the wonder,
We are made from the soil,
Your filled with divine life.
I sit,
Filled with awe.
God is everywhere
God is within me.
(c) Christine Sine 2023
by June Friesen
The International Day of Families was established by the United Nations in 1993 as a way to raise awareness of issues faced by families throughout the world and highlight the important role that families hold in communities.
I was intrigued as I read the history behind the establishment of this day. The idea was to highlight the importance of the family system, how it has changed over the years, and the differences that there are in cultures throughout the world. During my lifetime I have seen many changes in the family systems and cultures. Above you will see three generations. I am the child and the year is about 1953. Both of my grandmothers and my mother are pictured here. These three women taught me many things as I grew up. My one grandmother was a great seamstress and she created blankets as well as aprons out of scraps of material she had left after sewing dresses, skirts and blouses. My other grandmother was a great baker and I was blessed that she allowed me to put sprinkles on cookies and help her bake. My mother taught me so much – indeed I was able to be the homemaker, wife and mother I am because of the many things I learned from her example as well as my grandmothers. It is interesting that I have many memories of extended family at large gatherings and often it included aunts and uncles of both sides of my family. These gatherings were possible as there was not the easy mobility of society to pick up and move as there is in today’s world. As we have moved forward in time we find that not only are families separated by distance on the North American continent but all over the world, so I can readily see the importance of establishing this special day. In the Scriptures we also see how God felt that family was important from the beginning. When He created humanity He created male and female and then encouraged them to reproduce.
Genesis 1:27-28: God created human beings; he created them godlike, reflecting God’s nature. He created them male and female.
God blessed them:
“Prosper! Reproduce! Fill Earth! Take charge!
Be responsible for fish in the sea and birds in the air, for every living thing that moves on the face of Earth.”
God not only created humanity, but He gave humanity more knowledge and greater ability to be able to think and learn. I am not sure if you have ever pondered the immense difference that there is between humanity and all of the other animal kingdom. He also put humanity in charge of His entire creation – Wow!
As we read and study the Scriptures we see how important family was throughout the Old Testament as well as the New Testament. I also like how when God chose to send Jesus His Son to this earth to improve the relationship between God and humanity, He chose a human family to be the earthly parents of His Son.
Luke 2:1-12: So Joseph went from the Galilean town of Nazareth up to Bethlehem in Judah, David’s town, for the census. As a descendant of David, he had to go there. He went with Mary, his fiancée, who was pregnant. 6-7 While they were there, the time came for her to give birth. She gave birth to a son, her firstborn. She wrapped him in a blanket and laid him in a manger, because there was no room in the hostel. 8-12 There were shepherds camping in the neighborhood. They had set night watches over their sheep. Suddenly, God’s angel stood among them and God’s glory blazed around them. They were terrified. The angel said, “Don’t be afraid. I’m here to announce a great and joyful event that is meant for everybody, worldwide: A Savior has just been born in David’s town, a Savior who is Messiah and Master.
Yes, Jesus was raised in a family where there were other children as well. I believe this is an affirmation to humanity about how important family is to God. There is not a lot mentioned about Jesus and His family but we do know he spent time with His earthly father learning the trade of his father. We also know that they traveled to the Passover celebration at least once as a family. I suspect that they went more than just that one time. We do not hear too much of time spent with His earthly family after he entered His time of ministry however we do know that His earthly mother Mary was present at some of the events, including at His crucifixion.
So how may we as people today celebrate family? Celebrate extended family? Celebrate God’s family in the Church? Celebrate integrated family? Celebrate other family cultures?
As I mentioned I grew up with many extended family gatherings. I learned the importance of having family connections and communication although I also saw the difficulties that resulted from decisions some made about where they moved and lived. I myself was one who moved away from my home and home state when I got married.
Let me share a bit of my own life after I became an adult. When I was married I moved 2,000 miles away from my immediate family. For the first couple of years we lived in close proximity to my husband’s family. This allowed us to develop extended family relationships with his family. Then we made our first big move as a young family as my husband began his career in ministry. We were over 2,000 miles from both of our immediate families so we began to build close friendships in the community/communities where we were living. We did our best to keep family ties with parents/grandparents but as our children became adults and moved away that became more difficult. We also have collected many people around us over the years who are like family – many of them from other places/countries as well as some who are native Arizonans.
Today I would like to challenge us to maybe think outside the usual when it comes to building stronger family relationships. I will share a couple of ideas that my husband and I have incorporated into our lives.
First of all, our two granddaughters live 2,000 miles away from us. How does one build and celebrate family? There are visits back and forth but with job responsibilities those are limited. We have worked hard to make some special memories. One year we rented a cabin in a big park for 5 days. The girls were about four and six – they still talk of that trip and would love to go back. Another time we spent several days in the Grand Canyon and northern Arizona – another thing they would love to do again. But then there was covid and no traveling. So, I began to mail packages of fun things to make, to do, fun treats – they never knew what to expect. Sometimes there were special instructions as to how to open them – like the time I opened a package of little bouncy balls – and scattered them in the package. Open package and dump out – not sure who had more fun, the parents or the girls as balls rolled all over the floor. The girls are now teenagers but we still have some special times we create when we can make memories for all of us.
Here is another example of family for us. It is our present church family. While our meeting in person was interrupted by Covid we now meet every month in the park for a time of fellowship and encouragement. If you would ask any of the people, refugees as well as people who have lived here all their lives, we are family. We also try to make it a time to make memories as new people come and join us from time to time as well as we try to have toys for the children – bubbles are a fun thing that they all enjoy. On the other Sundays we enjoy meeting via zoom.
I have shared some thoughts, experiences and ideas you may want to consider in your own family and family celebration. But in our world today I just want to say – celebrating family no matter where you live can be an exciting and worthwhile experience. One more idea is doing cultural exchange – visiting and/or staying with people of another culture. Yes, it seems a bit scary possibly – but we have hosted people from other countries in our home and it has been a great learning experience. We have also stayed in homes in other countries or with other people groups. Adventures like these help one learn to embrace other cultures as you learn why they do certain things and maybe why they have some of the habits that they have. God has created every one of us – given us different features, colors, personalities etc. Yes, it is International Family Day – do something special as a family – maybe even explore together another culture, try some of their traditional foods.
Scriptures from The Message translation.
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