Gathering at the Welcome Table- Day 3

For those following along, yesterday’s answer is B: Salem, North Carolina was founded in 1776.

We started our adventure for the day at 7 am on the road to Haywood Street Church. Pastor Katelyn told us about what made Haywood Street so different than other Methodist churches and talked about their twice weekly meal, the Welcome Table- a sit-down, order what you want breakfast at small tables with fresh flowers.  We got to be companions for the morning- helping with serving, cleaning and sharing in community with our neighbors.  They don’t use the term volunteer- since there’s a reciprocal nature to our presence among them.  We then were assigned to different tasks apart from helping the food service run, some were waiters, bussers, food prep helpers, and overall helping to serve the community and care for our neighbors. Haywood Street’s motto is “Relationship above all else,” which it certainly tries to follow.

Between 350 and 500 people came through for breakfast in the 2.5 hours we were there. It was truly what Haywood St. proclaims on their sign: Holy Chaos.  Abundant Grace.  Welcome Table. 

On the wall, they posted their covenant to each other and everyone who comes:

·      Food speaks the language of love.

·      There’s always enough, and more.

·      Grace is on the menu.

·      The answer is yes.

·      Families eat together.

·      Jesus shows up hungry.

We also got a tour of the facility- including the EMT office, the Barbershop, and many other services offered at the church. We also saw their beautiful fresco depicting the hope found in the love of Jesus and felt among the community and around the table. At the top there are hands reaching- a reflection of the reciprocal nature of service.

This fresco was the backdrop of the worship space, where we went after breakfast. The Sunday service focused on connecting to its members, especially with Seth the Minister of Congregational Care and Missions. Seth’s sermon focused on God as the Messiah forgiving us for our sins and helping us through hardships. At the end of the service, they had a young woman do a repeat and call with the members of the church that repeated three times. “Who’s children are we? We are God’s Children!”

After service, we got back into the vans and arrived at the cabin site, Lutheridge Camp, and Conference Center. When arriving there we went to have lunch in a dining hall. After the food, and lack of sleep we decided half of us were going to take a nap while others played board games together.

Later in the afternoon, a part of the group decided to go grocery shopping for the rest of the week as we were going to stay there for the next couple of days. After coming back and putting the food away, a team then prepared the food.

Following dinner, we discussed what we learned, what surprised us, something that challenged us, and where we say God today. Late in the evening, we cleaned up the kitchen and played soccer, table tennis, and other games until we were ready to take showers and go to bed.

Pastor Laura: And we gathered for Evening Prayer, using the texts and prayers the Moravian Church chooses for each day.  And because God is remarkably beautiful, today’s prayer said, “Divine Companion” (echoing our work as companions this morning at Haywood) “we are shaped by the company we keep.  We need your company” and we might add, we also need the company of our neighbors so different from us, so that we might understand the grace of relationship.

Asheville was labeled an outpost in what year?

A: 1797

B: 1792

C: 1784