Originally posted Nov. 10, 2010, at Marathon Angel. Republished with permission of the author.
After nearly two years in Hong Kong, and loads of experiences seeing the sights, dining out and meeting all kinds of people, one of our favorite things in life is still just sharing a meal — often, yes, served in pots and pans rather than making more dishes for our chief dishwasher (our youngest son).
In November we are anticipating a LOT of special meals.
Friday night we are having an outdoor Thanksgiving event on the lawn with about 35 people. (Thanksgiving Day itself will not be a holiday here in Hong Kong, of course, so we are celebrating early). I haven’t snagged the cans of pumpkin yet, though others have assured me they are to be found in Hong Kong, if you look hard enough and are willing to pay the big bucks!
On Saturday I will be celebrating Holy Communion at the prison.
It is the first time our ministry team is attempting this, and it will be a stretch in every way, such as:
- practically: I just got word today that we can only bring in “church-type white bread” — do you think I can get by with pita bread?
- linguisticly: half the group speaks Spanish
- theologically: these are NOT all Lutherans and have a wide variety of understandings of the Lord’s Supper
- pastorally: some may not be baptized, or not be ready to receive communion for a variety of reasons; and
- liturgically: how to best conduct the service in the cluttered, classroom-closet kind of space we have, filled with long benches. So we are anticipating a variety of meals in the coming few weeks. Stay tuned for the updates.
“Bread of heaven, bread of heaven, feed me now and evermore, feed me now and evermore” (“Guide Me Ever, Great Redeemer,” Evangelical Lutheran Worship 618).
Find a link to Christa von Zychlin’s blog Marathon Angel at Lutheran Blogs.
Post a comment