Cornbread and Beans

In conversation it came up about some who feel that where they worship is not inviting and maybe even cliquish.  I will not disagree but it happens at schools, service organizations, and other assemblies of people. And I have left places in a very angry or irritated mood.  “Why can’t we just get along?”

I was thinking about this last week before Christmas after we went to a party of a Sunday school class that for a number of years we were actively involved until we moved away.  When we decided to attend the class again after settling in there were some changes but for those that knew us it was picking up where we left off.  Now observation was that we were kind of invading and had not done our just dues to move to an “elevated” yuk it up.

That really became obvious when we are at the party and when I could see this was not going quite like it should I did some things that were reminiscent of the old days. This little ole introvert, you ask?  Yep.  There were some side comments as to who was this guy and how would or could he do this?  Did change the mood of the party for the better now that people understood how the activity was to move along. (I really miss that triple dipped apple though, that really got things going, but…)

I had been at my first duty station for a few weeks when I made contact with a church and a couple would pick me up.  But that was not working out.  It was obviously I had a certain someone on my mind and the husband would respond “but that was back when we were in love” when she asked why she didn’t get flowers for Valentine’s Day. But that is for a different post.  So with that I called another congregation and was able to attend a church in Parker, FL. 

The pastor after church asked if I wanted to stay for dinner.  Not knowing I had someone special and he had a daughter (no that was not the reason but I like throwing it in for effects) he invited me to Sunday dinner.  Oh boy the wife was upset and I heard the “conversation” not unlike the other “conversation” about the only thing they had to offer was a plate of cornbread and beans. 

Cornbread and beans.  Now that was a meal and a half.  I never thought I would miss some home cooking like that and later on the bride and I would have single airmen and others over for a meal that sometimes was cornbread and beans.  We for a time even had that after church in Okinawa with the families and such just as a way to just get together.  Tried it in Texas but you just can’t have cornbread and beans without some good ole Joe Allen type of Texas BBQ. Mouthwatering brisket with a big baked potato and …  You know in California there is this stuff called Santa Maria BBQ that makes a grown man drool like a teething baby.

Where was I going with this? Oh yeah, it is about fitting in.  Breaking bread together and enjoying each other.  We are a scattering of introverts, extroverts, shy, boisterous, broken, fearful, someone is sitting in my seat, and some crazy humans. 

Now I failed at Dale Carnegie’s making friends and influencing people.  Well, it is not failure if you do not bother trying, ah, anyway. 

How do we create that cornbread and bean dinner?  How do we bring people in without the expectation of paying their dues or fitting in?  

Just something to think about.