Dear Talmadge Hill Family,
I am filled with joy and gratitude for this time away, joining Beth and our children to celebrate our son's wedding. As I wrote last week, blending a family brings both beautiful complexities and rewarding challenges. This weekend's celebration reminded me that when one of our children gets married, our family circle expands. Their love ripples outward, drawing new people into relationship with us.
This joyful experience has me contemplating the parable of Lazarus and the rich man from Luke 16:19-31, which we will explore together this Sunday in a sermon titled "Between the Gate and the Table." While celebrating this wedding, I was struck by how the loving posture a family creates can offer a space of welcome. Yet, it doesn't automatically guarantee that everyone experiences true belonging. Love alone isn't sufficient to bind us together in our fractured world; it requires the intentional, sacred work of moving people from outside the gate to a cherished place at the table.
Grace Lee Boggs reminds us that "We never know how our small activities will affect others through the invisible fabric of our connectedness. In this exquisitely connected world, it's never a question of 'critical mass.' It's always about critical connections." The rich man in Jesus' parable possessed a critical mass of wealth, status, and abundance. Still, he lacked the vital connections that could have transformed Lazarus from a fixture by his gate into a beloved family member at his table.
As we navigate our own season of transition and growth at Talmadge Hill, what does it mean for us to move beyond 'welcome' to 'belonging'? How do we continue cultivating the critical connections that deepen our community—one where everyone feels valued, heard, and truly at home?
I look forward to seeing you on Sunday as we explore these questions together. Your insights and experiences enrich our collective understanding as we seek to deepen our practice of extravagant hospitality and belonging through vulnerability.
Mooi Loop,
Dries