Wednesday, June 5, 2013

hospitality, knitting, and market bags

Not having had a knitting project in my hands for some time and, therefore, not being able to be a part of Ginny's Yarnalong, it was with great delight that I perchance ran across this pattern for a cotton market bag recently, and with summer time lull (who am I kidding?) wrapping me in its grips, I promptly ran upstairs to my stash and gathered several balls of cotton yarn and began knitting one right then and there! Especially welcomed along with the sweet arrival of local farmers markets now dotting grassy lawns, street corners and paved parking lots throughout the town.

this is the bottom of the bag, decreasing having begun

The subject of Christian hospitality and its practice in our society has stirred a deep desire within me to  to learn more about what this imperative and necessary mandate truly means. What were the writers in the New Testament teaching when they told the early Christians to practice hospitality? Somehow I believe my ideas fall short of its original meaning in Scripture. As a part of the body of Jesus Christ, His Church, I am challenged to rethink and search out the historical roots of this fundamental custom. 

                      "Recovering hospitality as a vital aspect
                               of Christian life will be more complex 
                               than simply resurrecting an old-fashioned practice".



A close-up of the artwork on the front cover, a mosaic entitled, Abraham and the Angels,
wonderfully appropriate.


3 comments:

Karen @ Pieces of Contentment said...

Food for thought and thought for food....

no spring chicken said...

I have a friend who when I first met her actually astounded me. Her home was never 'perfect' (often far from) yet she NEVER hesitated to offer it for anything. One year she invited everyone to gather at her house to take off for a 10 day mission trip (she wasn't going). She met us in her robe and slippers, sat and chatted and laughed with us and sent us out the door with home-made muffins and thermos' of coffee. I've learned so much from her...

I followed the link for your market bag. Great pattern, of course I knew it had to be since you have GREAT taste!

Blessings, Debbie

GretchenJoanna said...

Your market bag idea is inspiring. I always feel that I can't have too many of this sort of bag - and it would make a nice gift, too! I hope you will post a photo when you're done.
I loved I Capture the Castle! It's probably perfect summertime reading. Do you think so?

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