Grace Lutheran in Hartford, CT.

Every friday night at 6:00 p.m. a gathering of people that look a lot like those Jesus gathers around the table meet for a meal and worship.

Several years ago Grace was a voting precinct for the 2008 elections. That day the neighborhood walked through the door, and Grace discovered an opportunity to be Jesus. This combined with an over abbundance of food following Christmas dinner one year, lead to the friday evening supper. What I found unique about this ministry is the flow. It's not dinner and worship and outreach. It's all one. People gather to pray, eat, and sing, and color with crayons, and receive communion, and discuss politics, life and death.

This is the kind of ministry we need to be doing in our churches. Radical hospitality!

Over time those attending this Grace Fest have been encouraged to take over the chores of cooking and serving and cleaning up. Yes! Amen! Is this church? Is this the body of Christ? Is this being who we claim to be? Another example of good stuff happening all around this synod.