Welcome Friends

Welcome Friends

Be inventive in hospitality.

Romans 12:13 (THE MESSAGE)

For years we had a small-group Bible study. In addition to the six couples, there were triple that many kids. We’d snack on food, study God’s Word, and hope the kids weren’t tearing up the upstairs too badly.

The Amish also find gathering with friends important. It’s common to “go visiting” on the Sundays when there are no church services.

Families that go visiting on Sunday enjoy a diversity of age groups similar to their own. It is customary to arrive at the friend’s house in the forenoon, often an hour before lunch. Three or four families may be present for the occasion. The men unhitch their horses and talk as they find their way to the house, where the women have been setting a long table with delicious foods. The sitting room fills with people who seat themselves in a circle and wait until the women call the men to dinner. Men gather around the table first, and the women stand back and take the unoccupied seats. A second seating is often necessary. The noon meal is the highlight of the day. An outdoor picnic or eating in cafeteria style, practiced by some Midwestern Amish families, is not considered good hospitality by the most formal Amish groups, to whom sitting at the table is important.

Do you have a group of friends that you can gather? Open your doors for a simple potluck, or be inventive—meet at a park or at a kid-friendly restaurant. Plan a regular time to read and study God’s Word together.

Colossians 1:9-10 says, “We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding. Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better.” What a wonderful way to grow your friendships deeper!

Connecting your heart with others’ is more important than what you do together, and I bet your friends will agree! You’ll produce every kind of good fruit while laying out a good spread.

Dear heavenly Father, investments always take sacrifice, but I know that when I open my home to others, I’ll realize that my sacrifice is a blessing instead!