Room at My Table: Preparing Heart and Home for Christian Hospitality

by Evelyn Bence

Overview

In this delightful collection of 52 devotions, Evelyn Bence reflects on gatherings at her table that have brought together friends, family, and neighbors. The anecdotal meditations ease the door ajar, gently inviting you to welcome others to your table. You see her planning a gathering, choosing recipes, thinking about how to make guests feel at ease.

For seasoned hosts, Bence provides encouragement and camaraderie. For novices, she offers gentle instruction laced with humor, realistic expectations, and recipes to try.

Many readers will remember Evelyn Bence as a frequent contributor to Daily Guideposts. Known for her warm, personal writing, she offers devotional gems and recipes in Room at My Table that will appeal to a wide range of Christian women. The book makes a thoughtful hostess gift.

Come along, Bence gracefully urges—you, too, can make room at your table for others to share a meal or even just a cup of coffee and dessert. Whether your table is humble or grand, you can reach out to others and enjoy offering hospitality.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780835813617
Publisher:	Upper Room Books
Publication date:	10/01/2014
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	128
Sales rank:	720,300
File size:	5 MB

About the Author

Evelyn Bence, an editor and writer, lives in Arlington, Virginia. She is the author of several books and a frequent contributor to Daily Guideposts annual devotional. Bence has also served as religion editor at Doubleday, managing editor for Today's Christian Woman magazine, and senior editor for Prison Fellowship Ministries. She is a graduate of Houghton College.

Table of Contents

Introduction 11

Prelude: Water with Ice, Please 13

Part 1 Setting the Scene

The Pressure of Perfect 17

Redding Up the House 19

Have I Got a Plan for You! 21

Served at My Table: Breakfast Muffins 23

Who Ought to Be Coming? 24

The Gift Too Wonderful 26

An Act of Hope 28

A Burden and a Pleasure: They've Grown Accustomed to My Ham 30

Served at My Table: Picnic Ham, Boiled and Baked 32

A Step beyond Stone Soup 33

Take It Outside 35

Dressing for Dinner 37

Part 2 Stirring the Pot

Consider the Possibilities 41

Served at My Table: More Than Potato Salad 43

Divulging Secrets? 44

Through the Mail Slot 46

A Storied Recipe Compared to the Living Waters 48

Served at My Table: Uncle Henry's Ham and Mustard 50

Let's Make a Contribution 51

Are You Protected? 53

The Prayer in My Work 55

Fruit Soup? 57

Stirring the Pot 59

Salt to Taste 61

The Root of It All 63

Part 3 Serving Up Soup

Gracious Me? Gracious Me! 67

Try It? I Think You'll Like It 69

Served at My Table: Walnut and Green Bean Pâté 71

All about Me? 72

Color Counts 74

Bread, Baked and Broken 76

"Martha, Martha" 78

My Dad Never Taught Me 80

Last Comforts 82

Serving Strangers 84

Reclamation Declaration 87

Served at My Table: Chicken-or Turkey-Corn Soup 89

Part 4 Sitting at Table

The Candle in the Corner 93

To Pray or Not to Pray? 95

Turning the Table 97

Table Talk 99

On My Mind: Augustine's Rhyme 101

An Opportunity for Renewal 103

My NIMBY Prayer 105

Treasure Old and New 107

Served at My Table: Wendy's Rice with Olives and Chiles 109

Show and Tell? 110

The Honor of Your Presence 112

Served at My Table: Fresh Cranberry Relish 114

A Guest's Gift 115

Part 5 Savoring the Taste

Peaceable Kingdom 119

The Letdown 121

Served at My Table: Mom's Pear Upside-Down Gingerbread 123

Mercy, Mercy 124

Risk Analysis 126

Thank You, Thank You 128

What's This? 130

For the Pleasure 132

Served at My Table: Swedish Apple Pie 134

A Medium Day? 135

Feed My Lambs 137

Epigraph Sources and Notes 139

About the Author 143