For centuries convents and monasteries have provided inexpensive lodging and meals to travellers.  People are welcomed into the monastic life often with a simple room for the night and a home-cooked meal.

It was no different at Queen of Peace Monastery found on the back road of Squamish. This monastery is the home and place of work and worship for about a dozen Dominican nuns.  They live a cloistered existence but are warm and welcoming to the stranger.

During my years in Western Australia I frequently spent a few days at the New Norcia Benedictine Monastery found about 1 1/2 hours drive from Perth.  There, the traveller is also welcomed and well fed and invited to join in the monastic rountines.

The nuns and monks consider every person, themselves included, in the monastery to be a guest , since each person somehow has entered into the house of God, a dwelling place of God.  The rituals of hospitality just are the outworkings of this concept. The rhythm and life of the nuns and monks is to be respected and preserved.  Silences and adherence to the rules of the monastery are to be followed. 

To be able to enter into the sense of prayer and peace is wonderful. I am surprised that these places are not over-run with people trying to escape from a busy life. Perhaps the entry into such an unusual community is difficult for some. 

I would hope that more places for retreat are made available to the urbanite. It is a particular need in our times.

Hannes so happy to be able to share at Fount of Life Ministry in Perth, Australia this weekend.

Together again with like-minded friends.  A community founded on compassion, connections and building community. And our friendship with Eddie and Maria of course began with food!

A meal at Hans Cafe in Leederville began our commitment to partner with this vibrant group of people. The friendship continues today. We are with them as they plan to build on their land and take their special sense of 'family building' to another level. 

We bless their work and their community.  Food and hospitality continue to lay the foundations of this group.  Sunday service is always followed by a fine spread of food on the banquet table.  the staple food often being a fine Pastor Maria Biriyani!

Let the foundations be built and a place of worship and community grow up big and strong.

Urban Barn’s Rich Bohonis’ three best business tips are good and can be translated well into our life in the spirit.

1.       Be prepared to change.  No-one ever told me this one when I was exploring the gateway to my own faith. It was all language of faithfulness, steadfastness and perseverance. In reality we do have to be prepared to change our spiritual positions as we are enlightened and learn.

2.       Focus on the next purchase. Bohonis says ‘if the client is happy with the purchase, they are going to come back for something else’.  Translated for the evangelist in me – be nice. Be invitational not demanding and people might just hang around our places of worship. Back off.

3.       Employees show up on the expense side of the income statement , but they are an asset , not a liability. Bohonis has 500 employees in his Urban Barn flock. How much more should we love and care for those around us. Not seeing others as a threat or a burden but as ours, given to love – others given to enrich us. 

Coming soon ...maybe ...its just an idea

FRIDAY FRENZY

WE COOK|YOU SERVE|PARTNERS IN HOSPITALITY

SOULKITCHEN HELPING YOU BE THE BEST HOST YOU CAN BE

ANYTIME     |    ANYWHERE

PRACTICE HOSPITALITY

What was once know at 'radical hospitality' is now just having friends over for dinner. We have lowered the bar. What happened?  When did we forget that practicing hospitality, as strongly suggested by Paul in his letter to the Romans, is not only referring to the pot luck dinner at church or a community-kitchen style gathering but primarily to opening our hearts, our homes, our families to others on a regular basis. We got comfortable with the idea of group or community events as evidence of our outreach but have become increasingly less comfortable with the idea of inviting the stranger or even the good friend into our homes. 

Let's make the home great again!  Populate our homes with people rather than televisions and furnishings. Open the doors. Turn on the oven. Chill the wine.St the table.

When I was hungry you gave me lunch

When I asked for a dollar you gave me two

When I was thirsty you got me a glass of water

When I was unemployed you helped me find work

When I was feeling down you cheered me up

When I was being stupid you pretended you didnt see

When I was too tired to play you sat with me on the grass

You were Jesus to me - Surely it's not that difficult ? Matthew 25:35

Tonight I was present at an auspicious event.  I witnessed my 2 year old grand-daughter partake of a bowl of raspberry jelly. It was her first time to encounter the joys of jelly.  She said in her rather new language  – ‘it’s squishy’….  I said ‘it’s wobbly’…. thinking that was the more appropriate adjective.  She looked and tasted and relished the new food. She was practising the art of mindful eating!

I have noticed the term ‘Mindful Eating’ lately and have thought that somehow this could have some sort of significance for our SoulKitchen. Mindfulness in our eating habits means using as many of our senses as possible whilst eating. We should notice the texture and the feel of the food as well as the smell and the taste. We might consider really taking our time to enjoy that first bite. To savour the feel of the food in our mouth.  Mindfulness means we should take time to notice. To pay attention to what we are eating.

I like this idea and I do think it is a practice that we can promote in our work.  We want to find ways to encourage our guests to really take time to enjoy the food on their plate.  Especially those who may have experienced decades of eating only what is put in front of them or given out at food banks or food lines. When you are always on the scrounge for a meal – anything – the joy of eating is actually reduced to its most basic place.  Instead we want to teach others to learn to celebrate not only the procurement of food but the experience of eating. Those volunteers who assist us with the purchase and preparation of the meals begin to use more of their senses when eating. They are more appreciative of the process and the results.

We can introduce these new habits of mindful eating when we sit around a table and enjoy, not only the company of others and a discussion about the food on our plate, but also develop a culture of gratitude for the provision.  We can savour our time to eat together and the sensation of eating good and healthy food.

Some general tips for the practice of mindful eating:

1.       Tune yourself to understand hunger and notice it

2.       Spend time on the first bite

3.       Limit distractions whilst eating

4.       Learn to separate your thoughts between exercise and food

5.       Consider leaving a morsel on your plate

6.       Be grateful for the food and where it has come from and the hands that have made it

A garden provides one of those 'more than food' opportunities in the middle of the concrete canvas of downtown. We are always on the look out to add value to our work - to be more than a provider of meals but to go after that immeasurable add-on - the soul part of kitchen. How can we set the table with more than just the consumables?

Our partnership ith More Than A Roof provides so much as our work continually dove-tails. They also want to be more than housing providers - they, too, seek the 'more'. 

The garden under the caring 'gloves' of Nellie is one such project. The housing piece is decorated and made more like a home in the city with the garden on the back porch. It is with a special sense of provision that the greens hit the buffet table. This is now the season again. The run of warm days spelling an early start to summer harvests.

Must be more creative...must be more creative....

Today I pray for a creative spirit to grow bigger in me. I don't want to be dumbed over and numbed down to the real and exquisite beauty that is all around me.  I need your help , O holy spirit, for my eyes have grown accustomed to the gray and my feet are used to treading along the well-worn path.  Lead me down a new road and let me be inspired by beauty.

If 'He has made everything beautiful in its time', then I am on a treasure hunt to find the moment when I can witness the unveiling.  Eccles 3, 11

I take my neighbourhood to mean about a 2 block radius – back, front, left and right.  Like a small square box that defines my part of the city.  These are my people.  My neighbours.  I feel at home as I round the corner past the Salvation Army Thrift shop, past the Gas Station, around the roundabout and then into ‘Kits Yard’ which is home.

Our street changed this last month.  Really changed.  The City of Vancouver striving forward with its plans to create a greener, friendlier landscape, blocked off the top and the bottom of our few blocks so that it is a true cycle-way. The street remains driveable but is harder to access from the two main arterial roads. It creates a quieter, more cyclist and pedestrian friendly zone. More exclusive.  The City has determined that the automobile is not really wanted here – or at least is a ‘second-class’ form of transport.

Our efforts to create safety and a clean environment can come at a communal price. You can’t smoke here. You can’t drive here. You can’t rent this space out. You can’t have pets here. You can’t park here. You can’t cross the street here. You can’t cycle here. You can’t drink alcohol here. You can’t sell anything here.  We are so used to rules.  Defining our behaviour.  Regulations.  In fact, we seem to be creating more and more rules – for the common good?

Our rather quick movement towards a knowledge led society rather than a values or morally led society make these changes something that everyone HAS to know – more that parents will teach their children.  “But why can’t we just knock that wall out and make a bigger play room, Dad?”

Pity those who don’t know. Those who have limited access to knowledge networks and information channels.  “Didn’t you know after this week you won’t be able to use a single ticket to get onto a train – you must have a Compass Card.” How will they find out especially those for whom English is a second language or just don’t connect with media services. 

In some ways education becomes more important now – or at least a basic level in order to learn the rules – and to keep up with the changes.

A neighbour can be someone who distributes information to those around. Not a know-it-all – but someone who connects with others and discusses what is going on around us.  We can’t lose touch with each other or many will be left out of the loop.

-             CONNECT WITH SOMEONE ON YOUR BLOCK THIS WEEK     -