Sunday night I arrived at Lydia's to find we had 12 or so guests visiting from their college in Wisconsin, and they'd be joining us for Dinner Church. Trinity Lower East Side often has youth groups or college groups come and camp out in their sanctuary when they're on a mission trip to New York. It always looks pretty cosy in there with everyone's inflatable sleeping pads and sleeping bags and pillows spread out on the floor, like a big slumber party.
The students came down and helped get the space set up in a flash, and Rachel ran out and picked up more pancake mix (Rachel's instituted a breakfast-for-dinner theme in January, which we've found is the universal key to joy) and about five people crammed into the kitchen cutting up fruit and flipping pancakes.
Guests outnumbered regulars that night, and I liked that our intimate little crew could so generously expand to welcome a whole batch of newcomers with ease. The awkwardness that comes with new ritual melted away as pancakes and strawberries and blueberries and nutella and whipped cream were shared between the tables.
There's a funny fulcrum that exists with community building. What begins as a healthy community that cares and prays for one another can suddenly tip into a insular group, doors closed to others. We're looking for ways of living together that purposely, intentionally keep our doors wide open to whoever might wander in, expecting that whoever shows up will change us, and us them.
Comments