Tag Archives: Home Hospitality

The Simplest Way to Change the World: One Meal, One Conversation, One Neighbor at a Time

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In a world grappling with complex problems and a pervasive sense of disconnection, Dustin Willis and Brandon Clements offer a refreshingly accessible and profoundly impactful solution in their book, The Simplest Way to Change the World: Biblical Hospitality as a Way of Life. Their central thesis is both straightforward and revolutionary: the most effective way to transform our communities and the world at large is by emulating the simple, relational ministry of Jesus – primarily through sharing meals and engaging in authentic conversations with those around us, starting with our neighbors.

Willis and Clements challenge the notion that global impact requires grand gestures or extensive resources. Instead, they argue that Jesus’s ministry was characterized by intentional presence, genuine curiosity about individuals, and the radical hospitality of sharing meals. He met people where they were, listened to their stories, addressed their immediate needs, and invited them into deeper relationship. The authors contend that by adopting this model in our own lives, we can create ripples of positive change that extend far beyond our immediate reach.

The book dismantles the barriers we often erect between ourselves and others – busyness, fear of awkwardness, and the misconception that we need to have all the answers. Willis and Clements emphasize that genuine connection doesn’t require perfection or a meticulously planned agenda. It simply requires a willingness to open our lives and our homes to those around us, offering a space of welcome and authentic engagement. They share numerous inspiring stories of individuals and communities who have embraced this simple approach, witnessing remarkable transformations in their neighborhoods and beyond.

The Simplest Way to Change the World isn’t about adding another item to our already overflowing to-do lists. Rather, it’s about shifting our perspective and infusing our everyday interactions with intentionality. It’s about seeing the divine potential in every person we encounter, from the barista at our local coffee shop to the family living next door. By prioritizing presence over programs and conversations over campaigns, we can cultivate genuine relationships that foster understanding, empathy, and ultimately, positive change.

The authors highlight the power of the table as a central point of connection. Sharing a meal breaks down social barriers, creates a relaxed atmosphere, and provides a natural context for meaningful conversation. It’s in these shared moments that we can truly see and be seen, hear and be heard, and begin to understand the unique stories and needs of those around us. This simple act of hospitality, consistently offered, can be a powerful catalyst for building trust and fostering a sense of belonging.

Top Five Applications of Home Hospitality in Changing the World

Home hospitality, as advocated by Willis and Clements, goes beyond polite entertaining. It’s a deliberate act of extending welcome and creating space for connection that can have profound ripple effects. Here are five key applications in the context of changing the world, one relationship at a time:

Intentional Meal Sharing with Neighbors: Regularly inviting neighbors over for simple meals – whether it’s a potluck, a barbecue, or just sharing leftovers – creates consistent opportunities for interaction and relationship building. This breaks down the anonymity of neighborhood living and fosters a sense of community where people know and care for one another. For instance, hosting a monthly “pizza night” for families on your street can become a cherished tradition.

Creating a Welcoming Space for Conversation: Your home can become a safe and inviting space for deeper conversations. This could involve inviting a neighbor struggling through a difficult time for coffee and a listening ear, or hosting a small group discussion on a topic of shared interest. Offering a space free from distractions signals that you value their presence and perspective.

Extending Hospitality to the Margins: Following Jesus’s example, home hospitality can be intentionally extended to those who are often overlooked or marginalized in our communities. This might involve inviting someone who is new to the area, someone experiencing loneliness, or someone from a different cultural background for a meal or conversation. This act of radical welcome can break down societal barriers and foster understanding.

Building Bridges Through Shared Experiences: Hosting informal gatherings centered around shared interests or local events can be a powerful way to connect with a diverse group of people. This could be a book club, a movie night, or a gathering to watch a local sporting event. These shared experiences provide natural conversation starters and help build connections beyond superficial interactions.

Practicing Open-Door Hospitality: While not always feasible, cultivating a spirit of open-door hospitality – being willing to welcome unexpected guests or offer spontaneous help – can create opportunities for organic connection. This might involve offering a cold drink to a neighbor working in their yard on a hot day or inviting someone in out of the rain. These small acts of spontaneous generosity can have a significant impact.

Next Steps to Take

Embracing the simple yet profound approach of Willis and Clements is a journey that begins with small, intentional steps. Here are some practical next steps you can take to start changing the world, one relationship at a time:

  1. Identify Your Immediate Neighbors: Make a conscious effort to know the names and a little about the people who live closest to you. If you don’t know them, take the initiative to introduce yourself. A simple knock on the door with a small gesture, like a baked treat or a plant, can be a great icebreaker.
  2. Plan a Simple Shared Meal: Invite one or two neighboring households for a casual meal in the next week or two. Keep it low-pressure and focus on creating a relaxed atmosphere for conversation. Don’t worry about having a perfect home or a gourmet meal; the focus is on connection.
  3. Initiate Meaningful Conversations: When you do connect with your neighbors, practice active listening. Ask open-ended questions and show genuine interest in their lives, their stories, and their perspectives. Put away distractions and be fully present in the conversation.
  4. Look for Opportunities to Serve: Pay attention to the needs around you. Is a neighbor struggling with yard work? Could someone use a ride to the store? Offer simple acts of service that demonstrate care and build goodwill.
  5. Be Consistent and Patient: Building genuine relationships takes time and consistency. Don’t be discouraged if initial interactions feel awkward or superficial. Keep showing up, keep offering hospitality, and trust that meaningful connections will develop over time.
  6. Expand Your Circle Intentionally: Once you’ve begun connecting with your immediate neighbors, consider how you can extend this approach to others in your wider community – perhaps someone at work, in your faith community, or involved in a local organization.
  7. Reflect on Jesus’s Example: Regularly reflect on the ways Jesus interacted with people. Notice his intentionality, his compassion, and his focus on building relationships through simple acts of love and hospitality. Let his example inspire your own efforts.
  8. Share Your Experiences: As you begin to experience the power of this simple approach, share your stories with others. Encourage them to embrace the art of neighboring and to discover the transformative potential of genuine connection.

The Simplest Way to Change the World offers a powerful antidote to the overwhelming challenges we face. By focusing on the person in front of us, sharing a meal, and engaging in authentic conversation, we can begin to build stronger communities, foster greater understanding, and truly embody the love of Jesus in our everyday lives. The revolution doesn’t start with a grand announcement; it begins with a simple invitation to our table.

How to Have a Beautiful Day in Your Neighborhood

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Celebrating National Good Neighbor Day September 28

National Good Neighbor Day is an annual observance in the United States that encourages people to build stronger relationships with their neighbors and foster a sense of community. 

Here’s a brief overview of its history and background:

The day was created by Becky Mattson, a resident of Lakeside, Montana, who came up with the idea in the early 1970s. She believed that good neighbors were vital to the strength and well-being of communities and wanted to create a day that would recognize and encourage neighborly relationships.

Mattson began promoting the idea locally and then expanded her efforts to gain wider recognition. She successfully lobbied for the day to be recognized in her home state of Montana.

Encouraged by the state-level success, Mattson launched a campaign to have the day recognized nationally and her efforts caught the attention of members of Congress, who supported the idea.

In 1978, Mattson’s work culminated in success when President Jimmy Carter issued Proclamation 4601, officially designating the fourth Sunday in September as “National Good Neighbor Day.” In his proclamation, Carter stated, “Understanding, love, and respect build cohesive families and communities.”

In 2003, the observance was moved to a fixed date of September 28th each year. National Good Neighbor Day is sponsored and managed by The Hopeful Neighborhood Project.

Mattson’s grassroots effort to promote neighborliness and community spirit is a testament to how individual citizens can influence national observances. Her initiative has since inspired many communities across the United States to organize events and activities that foster better relationships between neighbors.

National Good Neighbor Day aims to promote kindness, consideration, and understanding between neighbors, recognizing the importance of strong community bonds.

As National Good Neighbor Day approaches, communities across the nation are gearing up to celebrate the spirit of neighborliness. This annual observance offers a perfect opportunity to strengthen bonds and create a more vibrant, connected neighborhood.

Here are some inspiring ways you can participate and make a difference in your community:

Bring the Neighborhood Together – Nothing fosters community spirit quite like sharing a meal. Consider organizing a block party, community potluck, or barbecue in your local park. These gatherings provide an excellent chance for neighbors to mingle, share stories, and create lasting connections.

Lend a Helping Hand – Good Neighbor Day is all about kindness. Why not offer to help an elderly neighbor with yard work or home maintenance? Baking treats to share or offering to pet-sit for a neighbor going on vacation are simple yet meaningful gestures that can brighten someone’s day.

Improve Your Surroundings – Take pride in your neighborhood by initiating community improvement projects. Organize a neighborhood clean-up, plant trees, or start a community garden. These activities not only beautify your area but also give neighbors a chance to work together towards a common goal.

Foster Social Connections – Launch a neighborhood watch program to enhance safety, or start a book club to bring together literature lovers. Setting up a community bulletin board can keep everyone informed about local news and events, fostering a sense of community.

Welcome New Faces – Make newcomers feel at home by creating a welcome committee. Greet new residents with welcome baskets filled with local goodies and information about the neighborhood. Offering a guided tour of the area can help them feel more connected to their new home.

Share Your Skills – Everyone has something to offer. Host workshops where neighbors can share their expertise, whether it’s cooking, home repair, or gardening. Consider setting up a tool-lending library to promote resource sharing within the community.

Celebrate Diversity – Organize multicultural potlucks or cultural performances to celebrate the diversity in your neighborhood. These events can foster understanding and appreciation for different cultures and traditions.

Give Back Together – Coordinate charitable activities like food or clothing drives for local charities. Volunteering as a group at local non-profits not only helps those in need but also strengthens neighborhood bonds.

Promote Health and Wellness – Organize group fitness activities like neighborhood walks or yoga in the park. Hosting health awareness seminars can also contribute to the overall well-being of your community.

Go Green – Initiate environmental projects such as coordinating neighborhood recycling efforts or organizing energy conservation challenges. These activities can bring neighbors together while making a positive impact on the environment.

Engage Youth – Set up mentoring programs or organize youth sports leagues to involve younger residents in community activities. This can help foster a sense of belonging and responsibility among the next generation.

Embrace Technology – Create neighborhood social media groups or websites to improve communication. Organizing digital literacy classes for older residents can help bridge generational gaps and keep everyone connected.

National Good Neighbor Day reminds us that strong communities are built on simple acts of kindness and connection. By participating in these activities, you’re not just celebrating a day – you’re contributing to a more cohesive, supportive, and vibrant neighborhood all year round. So why wait? Reach out to a neighbor today and start planning how you’ll make this Good Neighbor Day on September 28 special for your community.

Hosting with Heart: Bringing Five-Star Hospitality to Your Living Room

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Will Guidara was twenty-six when he took the helm of Eleven Madison Park, a struggling two-star brasserie that had never quite lived up to its majestic room. Eleven years later, EMP was named the best restaurant in the world.

How did Guidara pull off this unprecedented transformation?

Radical reinvention, a true partnership between the kitchen and the dining room – and memorable, over-the-top, bespoke hospitality. Guidara’s team surprised a family who had never seen snow with a magical sledding trip to Central Park after their dinner; they filled a private dining room with sand, complete with mai-tais and beach chairs, to console a couple with a cancelled vacation. And his hospitality extended beyond those dining at the restaurant to his own team, who learned to deliver praise and criticism with intention; why the answer to some of the most pernicious business dilemmas is to give more – not less; and the magic that can happen when a busser starts thinking like an owner.

Today, every business can choose to be a hospitality business – and we can all transform ordinary transactions into extraordinary experiences. Featuring sparkling stories of his journey through restaurants, with the industry’s most famous players like Daniel Boulud and Danny Meyer, Guidara urges us all to find the magic in what we do—for ourselves, the people we work with, and the people we serve.

In the world of high-end restaurants and luxury hotels, the concept of “unreasonable hospitality” has gained traction, championed by industry leaders like Will Guidara. But what if we could bring this ethos into our own homes, transforming everyday gatherings into extraordinary experiences? Let’s explore how to apply these principles to create unforgettable moments for our guests, right in our own living rooms and dining tables.

At its core, unreasonable hospitality is about going above and beyond expectations, creating moments of delight and connection that surprise and touch our guests. In a home setting, this doesn’t mean spending lavishly or stressing ourselves out. Rather, it’s about thoughtfulness, attention to detail, and a genuine desire to make others feel special.

Start by truly knowing your guests. Pay attention to their preferences, interests, and needs. Did your friend mention loving a particular type of tea? Have it ready when they visit. Is your nephew obsessed with dinosaurs? Create a dinosaur-themed place setting just for him. These small gestures show that you listen and care, making your guests feel truly seen and appreciated.

Create a welcoming atmosphere from the moment your guests arrive. This goes beyond a clean house – think about the sensory experience. Perhaps it’s the aroma of freshly baked cookies wafting through the air, or a carefully curated playlist that sets the right mood. Consider personalizing the entrance, maybe with a chalkboard sign welcoming your guests by name.

During the visit, be present and attentive. Put away your phone and give your full attention to your guests. Anticipate their needs before they arise – have extra blankets ready for movie night, or offer a cool drink before they even realize they’re thirsty. It’s these proactive touches that elevate hospitality from good to exceptional.

Don’t be afraid to surprise and delight. If you’re having a dinner party, consider an unexpected intermission with a palate cleanser or a quick, fun activity. Or end the night with personalized goodie bags filled with each guest’s favorite treats. These unexpected moments of joy are what people will remember long after the event.

Flexibility is key in unreasonable hospitality. Be prepared to pivot if things don’t go as planned. If the weather ruins your backyard barbecue plans, quickly transform it into an indoor picnic adventure. Your ability to handle hiccups with grace and creativity will impress your guests more than a perfectly executed but rigid plan.

Remember, the goal is to create meaningful connections and memories. Sometimes, this means breaking from tradition or expectations. If your book club usually sticks to discussing the book, surprise them with a themed experience based on the novel’s setting. Transform your living room into a Parisian café or an English garden, depending on the book’s locale.

Lastly, extend your hospitality beyond the visit itself. Follow up with a thoughtful message or small gift that references a moment from their time with you. This shows that their visit made an impact on you too, deepening the connection.

Bringing unreasonable hospitality into our homes isn’t about perfection or grandeur. It’s about infusing love, thoughtfulness, and creativity into every interaction with our guests. By focusing on creating moments of surprise, comfort, and genuine connection, we can transform ordinary gatherings into extraordinary experiences that nurture our relationships and create lasting memories.

Beyond the Front Porch: Where Food Meets Friendship

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Within the South itself, no other form of cultural expression, not even music, is as distinctively characteristic of the region as the spreading of a feast of native food and during before a gathering of kin and friends. For as long as there has been a South, and people who think of themselves as Southerners, food has been central to the region’s image, its personality, and its character.

John Egerton, Southern Food

Southern Hospitality

Southern culture places a high value on hospitality, instilling it from an early age. Young girls are taught charm and etiquette, while boys learn the art of being gentlemen. This upbringing emphasizes the importance of making others feel comfortable and appreciated, often at the expense of personal comfort.

Southerners are known for going above and beyond in their hospitality. Thoughtful gestures like handwritten notes, hostess gifts, homemade meals, or simply offering refreshments are common expressions of warmth and kindness. These acts reflect deeply ingrained values passed down through generations.

In the South, food is intimately tied to hospitality and love. Culinary skills often become part of one’s identity. For example, a person might be known for their athletic prowess, but their reputation for making an exceptional pie crust could be equally important in social circles.

This focus on hospitality means many Southerners are always prepared to offer comfort or assistance. Whether it’s a new baby, a loss in the family, or an unexpected visitor, there’s often a homemade dish ready to be shared or the willingness to quickly prepare something.

The essence of Southern hospitality lies in prioritizing others’ needs. More often than not, this thoughtfulness is accompanied by offerings of food or drink, be it sweet tea, homemade desserts, or a full meal meant to be savored together. This readiness to welcome and care for others is a defining characteristic of Southern culture.

The Family Table

The family table in the South is more than just a place to eat—it’s a sanctuary. As you gather, you’re invited to shed your worries and bask in a nurturing environment that feeds both body and spirit.

Southern cuisine embodies love, comfort, and security, especially when shared among family. Every Southern get-together revolves around food, from leisurely Sunday meals to lively weeknight dinners. Picture glasses of sweet tea accompanying classic “meat and three” plates: crispy fried chicken, squash casserole, tangy fried green tomatoes, and golden onion rings, all capped off with a rich caramel cake. Even post-meal cleanup fosters a sense of unity and gratitude.

These culinary traditions become ingrained in the Southern soul. The weekly dinner invitation isn’t just a question—it’s a gentle reminder of life’s true priorities. Attendance is as much an expression of love as the cooking itself. For those less inclined to verbal affection, serving up homemade burgers and fries speaks volumes.

The family table offers a unique opportunity to truly connect with loved ones. Regular dinners allow for daily check-ins, making it easier to sense when someone needs extra support. It’s also a place for fun and learning. One family encourages their children to bring interesting facts to share, broadening everyone’s knowledge and sparking engaging conversations.

Some Southerners take their commitment to the family table even further. One family outfitted theirs with comfortable office chairs, perfect for lingering over long Sunday meals as aromas of slow-cooked dishes fill the air.

These moments—waiting for food to finish cooking or cleaning up together—create lasting memories and strengthen familial bonds. By intentionally maintaining this tradition, Southerners foster connection, offer comfort, and express love. Bringing multiple generations together over delicious food in a welcoming environment rejuvenates the spirit, instills hope, and builds resilience. It’s this dedication to togetherness that makes the family table such an integral part of Southern life.

Creating Authentic, Enduring Relationships

There’s no expiration date or deadline for forging authentic, enduring relationships. We are free to take it slowly. We live our lives trusting that the tiny moments will not be wasted.
There is no such thing as a trivial connection. You might never bake that peach coffee cake with the perfect crumb and serve it to her in your living room at 8:00 a.m. on a Thursday.
But it might happen that one day you’ll meet your son’s classmate’s mom. A few weeks later you might notice her driving by as you walk home. You’ll wave. She’ll wave back.
One day she’ll pull up to the curb and ask a question.
Eventually she’ll come inside and sit at your table, and you’ll swap stories of struggle and success.
After another year has passed she’ll invite you into her home. You’ll sit at her table and wrap your hands around her mug. She’ll spread your toast with butter and sprinkle it with cinnamon. You’ll talk about sorrow and motherhood until the tea grows cold.
You will have made an actual friend, slowly, over time.
(And you will tear up, retelling the story.)
None of this would have happened if you hadn’t decided to be the sort of person who looks people in the eye and says hello.

Stacy Lyn Harris, Love Language of the South

Stacy grew up watching her grandmother cook the same way other kids watched cartoons. The Love Language of the South is a memoir of southern culinary culture, regional traditions, and easy-to-follow recipes. 

More than eighty recipes and dozens of hospitality tips give entertaining tools for novice and experienced hosts alike. Featuring an index designed to help cooks with meal planning, and find content by course, this cookbook will make cooking fun and productive. Or you might go straight for the southern classics, like Hoppin John, Bacon Cheddar Biscuits, Pimiento Cheese, and Cornmeal Fried Okra. 

With southern food, it’s much more than keeping hunger pangs at bay. Learn the importance of gathering around the table to share food and bring comfort to those you love with The Love Language of the South!

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The Irresistible Lure of the American Front Porch

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Porch Revival: How an Architectural Classic Reclaimed Its Place in Modern Living

The porch, a quintessential element of American residential architecture, underwent significant transformations in the latter half of the 20th century and into the 21st century. Once a ubiquitous feature of homes across the country, the porch experienced a decline in popularity during the post-World War II era, only to experience a resurgence in recent decades.

The Mid-20th Century Decline

In the 1950s and 1960s, the rise of suburban living and the prevalence of air conditioning contributed to the diminishing role of porches. As families embraced a more private, indoor lifestyle, porches were often seen as unnecessary appendages or relics of a bygone era. Ranch-style homes, which were popular during this period, frequently lacked prominent porch spaces, favoring a sleek, minimalist aesthetic.

The Return of the Porch: 1970s-1990s

By the 1970s and 1980s, a renewed appreciation for traditional architectural styles and a growing interest in outdoor living began to revive the porch’s popularity. The resurgence of Victorian and Craftsman-style homes brought back the iconic wraparound porch, while contemporary designs incorporated more modest porch elements.

During this period, porches evolved to serve multiple functions beyond their traditional role as social gathering spaces. They became extensions of indoor living areas, offering additional seating and entertaining spaces for homeowners. The porch also emerged as a transitional zone between the home’s interior and the outdoors, blurring the boundaries between private and public spaces.

The Modern Porch: 2000-Present

In the 21st century, porches have continued to evolve, reflecting changing lifestyles and architectural trends. Here are some notable developments:

Outdoor Living Spaces: Porches have become integrated into larger outdoor living areas, featuring comfortable seating, outdoor kitchens, and entertainment systems. This trend has blurred the lines between indoor and outdoor spaces, creating seamless transitions between the two.

Sustainable Design: With an increased emphasis on environmental sustainability, porches have been designed to incorporate eco-friendly features such as natural ventilation, shading devices, and energy-efficient lighting. These elements contribute to the overall energy efficiency of the home while providing comfortable outdoor spaces.

Versatile Functionality: Contemporary porches often serve as multifunctional spaces, accommodating a variety of activities. From outdoor dining areas to home offices or exercise spaces, porches have become adaptable extensions of the home’s interior.

Aesthetic Diversity: While traditional porch styles like wraparounds and covered entries remain popular, architects and designers have also explored more modern interpretations. These include minimalist designs with clean lines, cantilevered structures, and the integration of innovative materials like glass and steel.

As societal values and architectural trends continue to evolve, the porch remains a beloved and adaptable element of American residential design. Its ability to seamlessly blend indoor and outdoor living, while reflecting changing lifestyles and sustainability goals, ensures its enduring relevance in the 21st century and beyond.

If you want to build community and attachment to where you live, scientists and neighbors agree: a front porch is just the ticket.

After more than a hundred years of inordinate fondness, Americans at the middle of the twentieth century discarded the porch as old-fashioned, obsolete, and valueless – until a blend of conservation and revival began to restore it to a place of honor and utility. The porch will never be what it once was, but neither will it vanish. Instead, after 150 years of yawing from ubiquity to rejection, the porch will hold its place as a standard element of domestic American architecture, and we will all be the better for that.

Michael Dolan

During the last decades of the Twentieth Century, outdoor life shifted away from the fronts of the houses. Before WW II, even fairly humble houses had front porches where people spent part of their free time. Upper-middle-class houses frequently had side porches. In the half-century after the war, family leisure gravitated to back yards,  which are now routinely equipped with decks or patios. In other words, private areas behind the houses have been upgraded, while public areas facing the streets and sidewalks have surrendered much of their social importance.

Philip Langdon

We thought that the point of requiring porches on the fronts of houses was for environmental reasons – to cool the air doing into the house. We realized after the houses were up that everybody saw the social component of the porch – it status as the important in-between space separating the pubic realm from the private realm.

Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk

People like the image of a porch; it takes them back to simplicity, it conjures up the symbol of ‘I want to go there,’ and the porch takes them there.

Niedra North

For author Michael Dolan, if an American porch is really to be an American porch, it has to have some Americans on it. Latter-day porches often honor that principle in the breach. Instead of serving as community-oriented  centers of conviviality and welcome, these porches stand, with their perfectly-placed rockers and adroitly-arranged tchotchkes, as illustrations of the hospitality folks would extend if only they weren’t so busy being busy, and if only being sociable didn’t intrude so much on their private lives.

He believes that if more houses had porches more people will have the chance to sit on them.

It that were the case, he continued, in time, as it had been for him with his older neighbors when he moved to the neighborhood, the first names would come, and then the friendships – and if not friendship, then neighborhood cordiality, that pleasant state in which you and the guy next door know one another well enough to say hello from the porch or to invite one another up to sit in a rocker or the glider.

Bringing Hospitality Back to Your Porch

Simply put, the front porch is too good an idea to be allowed to slip away, even if the hospitality we display is more theoretical than real.

– Michael Dolan

The good ol’ American front porch seems to stand for positivity and openness; a platform from which to welcome or wave farewell; a place where things of significance could happen. 

– Dan Stevens

Make your front porch a part of your home, and it will make you a part of the world. 

– John Sarris

My porch represents what I want my house to be: sheltering and communal, private and welcoming, a quiet vantage point from which to greet the whole world.

– Melody Warnick

Inspired by these books:

The American Porch, by Michael Dolan

This Is Where You Belong, by Melody Warnick

A Better Place to Live, by Philip Langdon

Making the Table the Center of Your Home

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What’s becoming clearer and clearer to me is that the most sacred moments, the ones in which I feel God’s presence most profoundly, when I feel the goodness of the world most arrestingly, take place at the table. The particular alchemy of celebrations and food, of connecting people and serving what I’ve made with my own hands, comes together as more than the sum of their parts.

Shauna Niequist

Bread & Wine is a collection of essays about family relationships, friendships, and the meals that bring us together.

This mix of Anne Lamott and Barefoot Contessa is a funny, honest, and vulnerable spiritual memoir. 

Bread & Wine is a celebration of food shared, reminding readers of the joy found in a life around the table. It’s about the ways God teaches and nourishes people as they nourish the people around them. It’s about hunger, both physical and otherwise, and the connections between the two.

From the beginning of the Bible, food has played a central role in many pivotal stories and events – like the forbidden fruit from the Tree of Knowledge, Esau trading his birthright for a meal, the miraculous provision of manna in the wilderness, Jesus turning water into wine at a wedding, and the Last Supper becoming the basis for centuries of Christian tradition. Food matters deeply, both then and now. 

However, the church has drifted away from emphasizing the physical acts of eating and cooking, preferring to focus solely on the mind, heart and soul. Meanwhile, modern society has pushed people towards artificial, mass-produced, sterile foods consumed hastily without appreciation. Many no longer see significance in the meals we eat and the act of gathering around the table.

But we should reclaim the importance of food and dining. For many, sharing a meal can be life at its richest. Rediscovering the spiritual meaning in what we eat, how we eat it, who we eat with, and where we eat can provide new profundity to our daily lives. The dinner table offers an opportunity to reconnect with something we have lost along the way.

Reading Bread & Wine should move you to bring back the table to the center of your home. Shauna Niequist’s challenge is to do just that.

She urges you to express your love to someone by inviting them over for dinner at 6 p.m. Open your door wide and welcome your loved ones into the inevitable chaos with open arms and laughter. Turn on the stove, chop ingredients, stir and season with unbridled love. Start with an onion and olive oil, then let your creativity flow into one of a million possible dishes. 

Gather your loved ones around your table and nourish them with love, honesty and the flavors and aromas that evoke cherished memories and the best stories of your lives. Invest yourself fully in the sacred bonds of friendship – God’s greatest evidence of His presence on earth. More than anything, Niequist implores us to come to the table, literally and metaphorically.

We don’t come to the table to fight, prove points or stir up conflict. We come because our hunger draws us there. We come with needs and an admission of our human fragility. The table is a great equalizer, a level playing field many seek. It’s a place where we can stop striving, remove our masks, and allow ourselves to be nourished like children. 

In a world that prides self-sufficiency and powering through needs, the table offers a safe space to rest in our vulnerability. It’s where we can let others attend to our needs. If a home is a body, the table is the heart – the sustaining center of life and health. 

Come to the table.

Building Bridges, Not Fences: Embracing Jesus’ Radical Call to Neighborliness

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Somewhere along the way we drifted apart from our next-door neighbors, and now we’re not sure we can get back together again. We lack a clear vision for showing and sharing Jesus’ love with them and how his countercultural values might transform our neighborhoods, including us.

But just imagine. Imagine a neighborhood where people are connected rather than isolated, where wrongs are righted, where mercy brings fences down, and where we become agents in seeing God’s kingdom come.

Believing the beatitudes are Jesus’ invitation into neighborhood flourishing, Neighborhoods Reimagined envisions how these upside-down values can turn our corners right-side-up.

Chris and Elizabeth McKinney never set out to write a book on neighboring (much less two – they released Placed for a Purpose in 2020). They were fine hunkering down like everyone else – except they were’t fine.

Their neediness prompted them to consider connecting with those in proximity, moving them from side-by-side strangers to acquaintances Over time, those casual connections evolved into deeper friendships that could bear weightier conversations.

In time, both Chris and Elizabeth became convinced that the Beatitudes were a “roadway Jesus gives for our flourishing and for living as salt and light in our dark and flavorless world.”

At some juncture, our societal relationship with our immediate neighbors underwent a significant shift. It wasn’t a sudden or intentional breakup; rather, it seemed to occur gradually, almost inadvertently. We might characterize it as mutual, though it was never explicitly acknowledged. Our lives became increasingly busy, our work more demanding, and in the midst of it all, we simply drifted apart, ultimately losing touch for years.

This divergence in neighborly connections is not just a feeling; it’s substantiated by data. A study conducted by Georgetown University in 2005 revealed that nearly half of Americans were unfamiliar with their neighbors. Thirteen years later, in 2018, this figure rose to 68 percent, indicating a substantial decline in neighborly acquaintance. Undoubtedly, the events of the post-2020 era have further exacerbated this trend.

While we claim there’s no animosity, the reality suggests otherwise. There exists a level of mistrust that has developed as our social bonds weakened. This erosion of trust has reached a point where a knock at the door can induce panic. We’ve responded by installing larger peepholes, sophisticated doorbells equipped with cameras, and smart speakers for added security.

Research validates these emerging trust issues. Surveys indicate that less than half of us trust our neighbors, with the youngest demographic, aged 18-29, exhibiting an even higher rate of distrust at 61 percent. Without the buffer of introductions and established relationships, navigating the differences between urban and suburban life becomes awkward, leading us to retreat to our inner circles and online tribes.

The current political and social climate exacerbates these divisions. Our entrenched viewpoints make it exhausting to entertain alternative perspectives. Political discourse, once casual, now feels fraught with tension, prompting the erection of metaphorical fences that inhibit meaningful interaction. In essence, societal norms seem to suggest that maintaining distance and minding our own business is preferable to engaging with neighbors.

Though we may not label our neighbors as adversaries, our collective indifference speaks volumes. Jesus highlighted this tendency in his parable of the Good Samaritan, illustrating how even the most religious individuals can neglect those they don’t truly care for. So, what’s the solution?

Jesus offers a radical alternative through his teachings in the Sermon on the Mount, particularly in the Beatitudes. These statements outline the qualities and blessings bestowed upon those who embody his vision. While applicable to all aspects of life, in Neighborhoods Reimagined, the McKinneys explore how applying the Beatitudes to our neighborhoods could foster significant change.

How could the Beatitudes turn your neighborhood upside down?

Chris and Elizabeth McKinney

Jesus presents a counter-cultural perspective, challenging conventional wisdom with a vision for a renewed humanity rooted in love and compassion. Though seemingly impractical, his teachings offer a transformative pathway for neighborhoods to thrive.

By embracing Jesus’ upside-down kingdom and embodying the Beatitudes, we can cultivate a renewed sense of community and neighborliness. Imperfect though we may be, the transformative power of Jesus’ teachings can reshape our neighborhoods, one relationship at a time.

I first met and talked with the McKinneys after the publication of their first book. Later we had additional conversations as they expanded their network and began a podcast. When I learned they were working on this book, I could not wait to dive into it – and it has surpassed my expectations! With a warm, personable writing style, Chris and Elizabeth invite the reader to pull up a chair and join them on their journey of living out the Beatitudes in their neighborhood, warts and all. I found the end of chapter Reflection and Discussion sections helpful to really let the content sink in and work out how I might apply it in my own neighboring journey. If you are ready to have your neighborhood turned upside down, by all means let Chris and Elizabeth come alongside of you through Neighborhoods Reimagined.

A Field Guide to Methodist Fresh Expressions

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Jesus is Lord of Neighborhoods and Networks

We need vintage forms of church to engage our neighborhoods and fresh forms of church to engage the networks all around us. Further, one professional clergy person growing his or her flock is a bankrupt concept. The new missional frontier requires the whole people of God, the “priesthood of all believers.” Every Christian may invite others in their relational sphere to live under the Lordship of Jesus.

Michael Adam Beck and Jorge Acevedo

As consultants who work nationwide and as innovative pastors, authors Michael Adam Beck and Jorge Acevedo awaken congregational leaders and ministry teams to a distinctive Wesleyan approach for the Fresh Expressions movement. In A Field Guide to Methodist Fresh Expressions, they show congregations how to cultivate and customize fresh expressions that fit their local context. They motivate ministry teams to take risks, experiment, and when necessary, fail well.

According to authors Beck and Acevedo, in the emerging Industrial Revolution of the eighteenth century, John Wesley was leveraging the power of first, second, and third places (home, work, and public places). Not only did he understand the importance of embodying the gospel in the places where people lived, he also had the contextual intelligence to adapt to the rhythms of their lives.

Through relationships with real people in the “nodes” (physical places) we spread the Christian faith like a good virus in the entry points that spreads through the “flows” (digital channels of connectivity).

The authors encourage us to prayerfully seek what and where the Spirit is leading us. Ask what the Spirit is up to in the places where people do life. What are the rhythms of people’s lives in our contexts? How are we engaging the neighborhoods of our communities? How are we engaging the complex system of networks? In what ways are we utilizing the flow that connect people across geographies?

Fresh Expressions epitomize a form of church suited to our evolving culture:

1. Missional: Inspired by the Spirit to reach those who aren’t yet part of the Christian community.

2. Contextual: Tailored to fit the needs and characteristics of the local community.

3. Formational: Centered on the formation of disciples.

4. Ecclesial: A complete expression of “church” rather than a transitional phase leading to an established congregation.

There’s no idealized past to return to. The existing system falls short in reaching the majority of people. We’ve transitioned beyond the information age into an era of globalization, where interconnectedness prevails. For individuals under 30, online communities are integral to daily life, blurring the lines between virtual and physical reality. Shared interests, not geographic proximity, unite people. The prevalent wound of our time is isolation.

The Fresh Expressions movement mirrors the early Methodist reliance on the Holy Spirit’s guidance. To adapt to the new reality, we must be missional in engaging people in their spaces—be it home, work, school, or communal settings like cafes, pubs, or parks. Traditional methods like door-to-door evangelism are ineffective. Instead, we should gather with others in places where they naturally congregate, identifying potential “Holy Spirit Hot Spots.”

Disruption isn’t about creating a product but a process aimed at reaching marginalized segments of society. Examples from companies like Netflix and Amazon illustrate this approach. Failure is to be anticipated, and a bold vision is necessary to engage those who wouldn’t typically step foot in a church. The church must transition from passive observers in seats to active participants in the streets.

People bond over shared interests and activities. Establishing new expressions of the church within these communities can transform practices profoundly. It goes beyond merely mimicking church rituals in trendy locations; God’s grace works through these interactions with non-Christians.

The Methodist Revival, spearheaded by John Wesley, arose amidst immense societal challenges, including high child mortality rates and rampant exploitation in cities like London. Wesley deliberately engaged with the marginalized and suffering, claiming to experience God’s presence amid their struggles.

To engage non-Christians, the unaffiliated, or those disenchanted with organized religion, questions about scripture can serve as entry points for meaningful conversations. Objects with symbolic significance within the church can also spark dialogue with those outside the faith.

inspired and adapted from A Field Guide to Methodist Fresh Expressions, by Michael Adam Beck and Jorge Acevedo

God Next Door

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Spirituality & Mission in the Neighborhood

Look again at your neighborhood, not just as the place you happen to live but as an important context for spirituality and mission.

Simon Carey Holt

What if God lived next door? Would you recognize him? Would you talk to him at the fence or avoid catching his eye? Would you love him as you love yourself?

Simon Carey Holt listened to the experiences of numerous men and women of faith – people who live in neighborhoods of all shapes and sizes – and concluded that though they are a largely forgotten resource when it comes to matters of faith, neighborhoods are places rich with the most inspiring stories and exciting possibilities for mission.

According to author Simon Carey Holt, we all live in neighborhoods. Yours may be as different to mine as the proverbial chalk is to cheese. Your closest neighbor may be far away, hidden behind a high wooden fence, or close enough to hear as she walks overhead. Every neighborhood is unique. Yours will have a look and feel of its own; they all do. No matter where it’s located or how old it is, each neighborhood has its own history, atmosphere and personality; each one its distinctive blend of housing types, commercial and community facilities, and public places. Yet every neighborhood – from the trendy city highrise to the ever expanding housing developments on the urban fringe and anything else in between – is a variation on the same basic principle: people living in close proximity to other people.

And yet increasingly, some of us struggle to simply name those who live next door, let alone know the details of their lives.

At the heart of the Christian story lie the two commands Jesus identified as the essence of living, the heart of spirituality: ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all of your heart, soul, mind and strength;’ and ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’ As I struggle with these two directives and how to make them alive in my everyday experience, there are some questions that beg for answers, questions like these:

  • What does it mean to love God where I live?
  • What does the command, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself’ mean for the people who live next door?
  • How do the realities of contemporary urban and suburban life impact upon my experience of faith and community?
  • What has my spirituality got to do with the neighbors?

The desire to close the door on the world and create a haven of self-sufficiency, identity and security is strong.

But Holt believes the neighborhood remains a fundamentally important context of life and deserves to be taken more seriously by those who live in one. He believes that in ignoring the health and wellbeing of our local neighborhood, we’re ignoring the glue that binds the wider city together and makes it a genuinely human environment. And perhaps most importantly, he believes a spirituality that does not nurture our connections with the daily places of life fails to reflect the life-transforming nature of the Christian faith.

Inspired and adapted from God Next Door: Spirituality & Mission in the Neighborhood by Simon Carey Holt

Happy Hour

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Etiquette and Advice on Holy Merriment

Party develops and sustains the communal life of the community and it is the foundation of spiritual movement. If people find friends, great conversations, a safe place to be themselves and to bring others to, then you have the makings of a kingdom movement. If someone finds you through the party, then finding God will be much easier for them because they will already have a community of people to walk with.

Hugh Halter

All good missionaries know the power of social engagement.

Whether you are called to Spain, Italy, Iceland, or Portland, Oregon, we now live in a pure mission field, and people won’t move spiritually until they are connected socially. In other words, the Gospel will not be heard until our front doors open, our tables are set, and we practice the art of hospitality, celebration, and party.

Why has this ancient art of party been lost?

Because the church has defined holiness as “exclusion” from the world, abstinence from food and drink and separation from real people. In Jesus, we get to be holy as He was holy. Our inward commitments to Him remain intact while at th same time we are deeply entrenched in the life and customs of those around us.

Party is sacrament and we must relearn and reorient our lives around friends, food, and celebration if we are going to have any influence upon the culture right next door.

In Happy Hour, Hugh will unpack the theology of party as well as give you practical etiquette and ideas for making merriment a way of life and a way of mission.

According to author Hugh Halter, the one skill every believer must develop is the discipleship skill of throwing a great party.

No, it’s not just about outreach to lost friends. It’s really about our discipleship after Jesus. If He did it, and we claim to follow Him, then we must stretch past church attendance and Bible studies to learn how to be great human beings like He was.

Happy Hour is a book for missionaries in a missionary context.

Which is all believers.

inspired and adapted from Happy Hour: Etiquette and Advice on Holy Merriment, by Hugh Halter