Food & Friends with Music (09/08/2025)

Yesterday afternoon, my husband and I ventured out to a friend's home for a special gathering of friends. We had a simple dinner of sandwiches, chips and desserts and as we ate we visited. Then a band with six musicians sang songs we all knew. We sat and listened and sang along and smiled and clapped. What could be better than a sunny September afternoon with friends, food and great music?

The hosts are new to our community. They wanted to invite those who had welcomed them. It was a truly amazing afternoon. The hosts provided all the food and music; all we had to do was show up with our chairs. My husband and I agreed that it had been ages since we had that much fun and heard those beloved songs. I found myself giving the LORD thanks not only for this wonderful couple who had moved to our area but for their generosity and their sense of community. We opened ourselves to them, this is true, but the reward for that openness exceeds expectations.

And as I pondered the day which you all know I do, I was struck by the theme of openness: the openness of the newcomers to our community; the openness of the community to the newcomers; the openness of the gathering that celebrated our newly forged friendship – out in the sunshine and breeze of a September afternoon. And my heart warmed up all over again with the notion of openness to what the LORD offers us daily. Don’t you just have to love the way the Spirit works?

The LORD sends us goodness daily. That has never been the issue. The issue most times involves our openness to that goodness. I know that at times I am not receptive to new and don’t even get me started on improved. And “different” doesn’t always conjure up the reception it should. But last night as I pondered, I realized the goodness I’d found in this couple who were new, who had new ideas, who were different because they had different histories than ours. And yet, look at the goodness to us individually and communally. I found myself promising the LORD I’d be more open.

As we continue our journeys of faith, buoyed by the hope of the LORD’s promises, and fueled by the LORD’s love that can transform us and those around us, let us commit to being open to those whom the LORD brings within our midst. Let us be welcoming to newcomers and new ideas remembering the Apostles, their travels, and their witness. And let us also commit to opening ourselves and our hearts to those who have been in our midst all along but on the edges. Perhaps if we practiced openness more often and more authentically we would find the rewards as rich as a September afternoon with food, friends and great music.

Until tomorrow, let us all love well.