Jesus…Lord of Hosts!

As some of you already know, I often rave about how awesome a hosts Jesus was. So it was a welcome reminder to me when Sarah Graves pointed out that Jesus is oft referred to as the Lord of Hosts! I know it MIGHT be meant in a different context, but I’m going to assume for the next few paragraphs that Jesus simply is the patron that all hosts should look to for inspiration. Lets try it on for size and see how he shapes up!

Whether Jesus actually existed, and whether he was a divine figure, is up for debate. Christians are 100% sure, historians debate it hotly, and lots of people don’t mind either way, so lets agree to believe what we believe, move past that and just look at the figure of Jesus and what he stood for.

The main things I would put out there are:

o   Giving is more satisfying than receiving. Is this not at the core of any host?

o   Do unto others, as you would have them do unto you. Every host knows how to make people comfortable. Put yourself in their shoes for a minute, and all will be revealed.

o   Turn the other cheek. Not everyone will like the fact that you have so much love inside you that its spills over. Just keep on loving. So many antagonists will come around in time; the rest will disengage if you don’t return their negative energy.

So lets hope that you don’t get crucified for being a good host… I’m thinking that as we live in a more permissive society and you are unlikely to be dubbed the King of the Jews you are not in too much danger. So lets have a look at some examples of Jesus being the Lord of Hosts that can give us ideas and guidance.

Water into Wine – The marriage at Cana

This event was Jesus first major miracle, and one of his coolest. His disciples royally screwed the catering – they ran out of booze! Jesus wasn’t phased. He got the water and turned it into wine without delay. Don’t miss the lesson here. Be prepared to work a miracle. It can be done. At my house you will always find: 2 bottles of vodka in the freezer, 2 bottles of lime cordial and lots of ice. If I run out of booze at a party I can mix these ingredients fast to follow in Jesus footsteps and make sure the party is liquored up til late!

Loaves & Fishes

The feeding of themultitude is another well known event – Once again Jesus’ disciples are under delivering (they make me so mad – all about the hype!) – the have Jesus rostered all day on healing miracle detail while they cruise around the local villages bragging to the ladies about how they are down with the new guy in town, and of course people are flocking from all around and lining up for miles, but the disciples have put the event on in a really hard to find spot and have screwed up the food catering (sound like any festivals or events you have been to?). 

So, after a full day of healing the sick, with 4000 hungry people getting “no food bad mood” all at once, Jesus gets up, and promptly turns 5 barley leaves and 2 fish into food for around 4000 people. So next time you are at a party that has under-catered the food, ask yourself: what would Jesus do?

Here’s some divine insight I’ve had over the years: #1: Know which maccas and KFCs are open 24/7. Seriously. Call in and order, drive there and pick up and you can be back at the party in 15 minutes with chips, nuggets, dips and drumsticks. I guarantee the moment you walk in the door someone will say “Thank God…”. #2: I have 4 cans of chick peas, fresh garlic and lemons in my pantry, tahina paste in the fridge and 10 loaves of flat bread in the freezer. Ingredients in the blender for 20 seconds, bread defrosting in the microwave for 2 minutes. I can plate dips for 20 people in less than 3 minutes. Sweet lord of mercy, that will buy me time to get to KFC and back.

The Last Supper

This event forms the basis of the Eucharist that is celebrated every week by Christians when they drink wine and eat bread at church. I find what he said at the start of the party really fits well with me as a host. To paraphrase: This is my body and my blood. Every time you gather with people you love, think of me. Jesus knew that this was the last party he would be able to host personally, so he asked his disciples to remember every time they threw a party to think about what he had taught them. It’s important to remember that people come to your party to create memories with people they love. People know the blood, sweat and tears that you put in to make the party happen. Put on miraculous parties and remember that those who love you never take what you do for granted.

Indulge me, please, as I want to dig a bit deeper into the Eucharist

Every week Christians the world around re-enact the last supper, with the holy spirit transforming wine and bread into the body and blood of Christ. Have a think about this – Jesus was such a powerful host that he has inspired people for over 2000 years to get together every single week to experience their place in a global community and to remind each other that giving is more satisfying than receiving, to do unto others as you would have them do unto you, and to turn the other cheek. 

So now you can see the big picture behind being a Host with the Most.

Miraculous hosts inspire others to do the same. If it wasn’t for my grandmother throwing insane parties all the time (she ran Australia’s first Sri Lankan catering outfit) I would never have been inspired to throw the 8732 parties that I have hosted in my life so far.

If I throw in the tea towel at 20,000 parties my grand daughter might miss her calling and a chance to experience a life that satisfies her soul daily as it nourishes the bodies and hearts of those around her – her family, friends, work mates and her wider community at all levels.

Father as Host?

So my wife is pregnant at the moment so I’m thinking about fatherly duties from the point of view of a host.

 

We met our new friend for the first time today on an ultrasound, and it made me very thoughtful about how the future will change for my wife and I and also how much I will learn about being a great host. A young person is the ultimate guest – fully expressed and themselves at all times, without much care for their effects on others, and so for me is a great personal study in my ability top be a great host, right there in the moment for the changing needs of both my partner and my new friend.

This is just a thought that being a father / partner during pregnancy is a really cool type of hosting because you are always the indirect helper not the centre of attention, which for me exemplifies the role of the host – always there but never the focus, and always present in the moment ready to help out but never fussing around and insisting people feel or behave a certain way.

Ive been thinking as I make Sarah cheese on toast for the 3^rd time of an afternoon or as I say goodnight to the little person in her belly, how much of a host a father really is – always present and providing but just supporting and guiding, never insisting things be done a certain way, but rather running alongside and responding to and cushioning the changes that life throws our way for the rest of the team.

 I guess I will learn as I go, like any diligent father and any compulsive host!

How do I Figure Out Where to Go When Im with a Group of Friends that Have Differing Tastes?

This is a very frequently asked question by people of all ages and persuasions.

Whether you are the ring leader for a group of mates going out for a drink, a busy parent trying to figure out where your group of friends should go after your monthly dinner before the babysitters finish, or organizing the after party plans for your 21st birthday, this is a perennial issue.

Here are a few tips from my experience:

Start the conversation early

Even if people can’t decide it helps people brainstorm and also get used to the fact that they might not get to go exactly where they want. Find the form of communication that your group usually uses – this could be SMS, Facebook, a group email, or even on the good old fashioned telephone! Whatever the medium, get the conversation going and ask people what they want to do after suggestion a few options which you think could be a good compromise. A pro tip: Use collaborative mediums that allow everyone to participate in a single discussion – Facebook, group emails or forums are good for this!

Shoot first for a meeting place not a final destination

Trying to get everyone to agree where to spend the whole time is a fools game. What you usually want is for everyone to be together in a place. Go for that first and work from there. If half the group wants to go to a pub and the other half a club, arrange to meet at a funky bar half way in between for pre drinks. Once your crew has a set starting place then the event is officially on. From there you can work on clarifying the details of how the night should progress from there.

Plan multiple location stops to keep multiple people happy

If you have two or 3 main places that the people in your group have suggested then suggest a crawl. This serves 2 purposes:

1.      If some of the people are definitely keen on their location they will agree to the crawl so they get to do their thing.

2.      If some people aren’t that keen on their location they will thumbs down the crawl saying “It’s too much effort”. This shows you that they are saying they REALLY need to do (whatever), but in reality they are just being stubborn or they have something else going on in the background that they are not comfortable to bring up with the group. You know you can proceed without their location and they will probably come anyway.

Create a “mission” for the get together

If you can create a mission that is in alignment with the needs of multiple members then location becomes less important. If everyone in your group wants to go shopping for clothes but they cant decide which shopping centre, create a mission that excites as many people in your group as possible – maybe “Let’s see who can get the coolest hat for less than $20”. Steeling everyone around a fun or important mission makes people less concerned about the location.

“Hook up a sweet deal” for the group

If the group is split between two choices find out what the offering is at each and come back to the group. If your dinner group is split over 2 restaurants then informing your group hat one of the two restaurants has offered to sit you on the balcony overlooking the water will be a tie breaker allowing everyone to settle on the location that has gone the extra mile to win their custom.

Don’t invite people who didn’t show up, made a fuss during organization or made a fool of themselves at the last get together.

This can be a hard one, especially if that person is a close friend, but its worth stating. Many groups can be unable to reach a resolution because of the lack of integrity or selfishness of one of its members. Knowing who in your group is the odd one out when it comes to going out in a group will make your life as a host a lot easier. Make the time to go out with this person one on one and talk to them about your reluctance to invite them out in the group so they know how their behavior is making your role in the group very difficult. In my experience one of three things happen at this outing:

1.      They sheepishly inform you that they don’t like hanging out with the group for some reason, or

2.      They apologize and vow to do better

3.      They get upset and need some time to process and then they do either 1 or 2 above.

These are just some things I’ve learned through assisting thousands of people get groups together to party over the years.

I’m sure there are many more good tips – please post them up so we can feast on your hosting knowledge!