社群是… 款待
Caleb 到Joe 那里做工，原不是要找一个导师或朋友，他只不过是希望学习木工手艺而已，然而，他们之间的关系大大超越了雇主与雇员的关系。Joe 没有只把差事交给 Caleb 做，他问 Caleb希望从工作的过程中学到什么。从此他们便开始了一段历时多年、比单纯工作同事要深厚得多的友谊。Joe和Caleb一同分享美食和书籍；Joe告诉Caleb他出售房子的细节，让Caleb可以从中学习；Joe介绍Caleb认识他的朋友；Joe邀请Caleb进入他的生活中、以各种不同的途径让Caleb有份参与。
社群不单是表面上的关系，它需要你有接待人的心，而接待别人往往意味着要自己置身于冒险和容易受到伤害的境况中，它表示要邀请别人进入你的空间，来让他们有份参与到你正在经历的事情。
亚伯拉罕和撒拉邀请三个陌生人来歇息、洗脚、和吃饭，这样做看来似乎不算什么，然而这是一个邀请陌生人进入我们个人空间、好叫他们不再是陌生人的例子。亚伯拉罕和撒拉尽力款待，让这些陌生人感到受欢迎，他们因此得到极大的祝福。
重要的是，我们可以怎样在我们的社群中为别人预留出空间来。
父啊，当我们彼此付出时，求你帮助我们邀请别人进入我们的社群，又帮助我们，在陌生人身上和在我们的社群中看见你和服事你。阿们。
创世记 18:1-10
1耶和华在幔利橡树那里，向亚伯拉罕显现出来。那时正热，亚伯拉罕坐在帐篷门口，
2举目观看，见有三个人在对面站着。他一见，就从帐篷门口跑去迎接他们，俯伏在地，
3说：“我主，我若在你眼前蒙恩，求你不要离开仆人往前去。
4容我拿点水来，你们洗洗脚，在树下歇息歇息。
5我再拿一点饼来，你们可以加添心力，然后往前去。你们既到仆人这里来，理当如此。”他们说：“就照你说的行吧。”
6亚伯拉罕急忙进帐篷见撒拉，说：“你速速拿三细亚细面调和做饼。”
7亚伯拉罕又跑到牛群里，牵了一只又嫩又好的牛犊来，交给仆人，仆人急忙预备好了。
8亚伯拉罕又取了奶油和奶，并预备好的牛犊来，摆在他们面前，自己在树下站在旁边，他们就吃了。
9他们问亚伯拉罕说：“你妻子撒拉在哪里？”他说：“在帐篷里。”
10三人中有一位说：“到明年这时候，我必要回到你这里，你的妻子撒拉必生一个儿子。”撒拉在那人后边的帐篷门口也听见了这话。
Community Is . . . Hospitality
"Wash your feet and rest under this tree. Let me get you something to eat. . . ." - Genesis 18:3
Caleb wasn’t looking for a mentor or a friend when he went to work for Joe. He simply wanted to learn about woodworking. But the relationship became much more than that. Instead of assigning tasks, Joe asked Caleb what he wanted to learn through this experience. That set off a years-long friendship that went much farther than simply working together. Joe and Caleb shared meals and books together. Joe introduced Caleb to the details of selling his house so that Caleb could learn. Joe also introduced Caleb to his friends. Joe invited Caleb into his life and included him in all kinds of ways.
Community is about more than just a surface relationship. It calls for hospitality, and that often means putting oneself in a place of risk and vulnerability to include others. It means inviting others into your space to include them in what is going on.
Abraham and Sarah invited three strangers to rest, wash up, and eat. It might not seem like much, but this is an example of inviting strangers into our space so that they are not strangers anymore. Abraham and Sarah gave of themselves in order to make the strangers feel welcome, and they were blessed in amazing ways.
The ways we make room for others in our community is important.
Father, help us to invite others into our community as we invest in each other. Help us to see and serve you in the stranger and in our community. Amen.
诵读: 骆云秀
片头: 张妙阳
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