Eat With Those Who Are Found (Day 4)

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"This is what the church is to be: a community of broken people finding family around a meal under the tree of Calvary." -Tim Chester

 For some of you this is a given and for some of you this will be difficult. As a rule people tend to have either a lot of Christian friends (people like them) or a lot of non-Christian friends (people unlike them).

Here's the thing, you need other Christians around you that you can be in deep relationship with. You need people to support and encourage you and be on mission with you.

If you've ever been hurt by the church or angered by other Christians this may be more difficult for you. I encourage you to extend radical grace to others who are imperfect just like you and be intentional about being in relationship with other Christians.

If you have lots of Christian friends I want you to pray today and think about how you can deepen those relationships. If you plan to live a life of intention centered around missional meals then you're going to need a strong community you can count on to join you on the journey.

On Monday we'll discuss why it's so important to eat with both the lost and found together.

In the month of October I'm writing a series on Missional Meals. I've linked up with The Nester and thousands of other bloggers who have chosen a topic to write on for 31 days. Visit here to start at the beginning of my series. 

Eat With Those Who Are Lost (Day 3)

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"Biblical hospitality is making space for the stranger."  -Jeff Vanderstelt

 Unfortunately for many American Christians all their friends are just like them. Among other things this means that most of them are also Christians. This is a huge problem for many reasons but especially if you plan to be obedient and follow Jesus' command to make disciples.

What's the best way I know to get to know new people, lost and found alike? Have a meal with them. What's the best way to have meaningful conversations about things that have lasting implications? Gather around the table and break bread.

So if you don't have a lot (or any) friends who aren't Christian I encourage you to sit down today and make a list of people unlike you that you would like to get to know better. Are they your coworkers? Is it your barista or hair dresser? Just write them down and begin thinking how you could deepen your relationship by sharing a meal.

If you're coming up blank because you don't even have any non-Christian acquaintances (yikes!) then I encourage you to read this post for some ideas about meeting more people outside of your current circle.

In the month of October I'm writing a series on Missional Meals. I've linked up with The Nester and thousands of other bloggers who have chosen a topic to write on for 31 days. Visit here to start at the beginning of my series. 

Plan a Dinner (Day 2)

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"Hospitality involves welcoming, creating space, listening, paying attention, and providing. Meals slow things down. Some of us don't like that. We like to get things done. But meals force you to be people oriented instead of task oriented. Sharing a meal is not the only way to build, relationships, but it is number one on that list." -Tim Chester

 In order to be intentional with your meals your going to need to do two things: plan a meal and invite others to join you. So today, I'd like you to pick a date and draw up a list of people to invite. Later in the week we'll talk more about how to be intentional with who you invite but for now just do some brainstorming.

Also consider the following details:

• What time of day will your meal be? I think dinner is ideal because people are more prone to linger and thus deeper conversations are more likely to develop. Brunch is also nice for the same reason but dinner is my favorite when it comes to being missional.
• Will your meal take place in your home or in a public place? I think both are good options depending on the crowd and culture of your area but in this case I'm going to recommend your home. Just trust me on this and we'll talk more in depth about it later in the month. 

So today get out your calendar and schedule your meal. That's it. I'll help you with recipes, simple techniques, and topics later. For today, just keep it simple and save that date. 

In the month of October I'm writing a series on Missional Meals. I've linked up with The Nester and thousands of other bloggers who have chosen a topic to write on for 31 days. Visit here to start at the beginning of my series.