Potluck plenty

I grew up in a town of about 5,000 in northeast Iowa and the notion of homelessness was foreign to us. There were no overnight shelters and we didn't see any evidence that there was anyone (unlike Jesus) who had no place to lay his or her head. Except Lester. Lester was an older man who wandered our streets. He didn't appear to have the best hygiene and usually wore the same clothes. Apart from some youth in the community (and I fear I may have been one) who would tease him, our town simply got used to him. Like a streetlamp. Or an abandoned building. Lester, however, introduced me to ecumenism. That is, when it came to church potlucks, he had no religious preference. Lutheran, Presbyterian, Catholic, my own United Methodist Church. It didn't matter. He made his way in and made himself at home. To their credit, I think most churches welcomed him. They gave him a plate, offered him a seat, and encouraged him to stay. When we say there is room at the table at Urban Village, we mean that figuratively. From our first worship service a year ago and every Sunday since, we emphasize that all are welcome. We also mean that there is literally room at the table. We're having a potluck this Sunday after our worship service in Wicker Park. We want you to come. We want you to bring friends. We want you to invite the Lesters of our city. Because, friends, there is more than enough to offer to all.