Tea Shoes

"Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers." (Galatians 6:10)

It was last week that I wore my tea shoes, but the blogger was making repairs, so I could not share with you the pleasure of wearing them. I have fought through the drama of uploading a picture (current photo not my first choice...) and am now ready to begin.

About five years ago, our former place of ministry had struggled through a very difficult crisis. Close friends left the church, and I felt the need to develop deeper relationships with the wives of the others on the ministry staff. I had begun to learn about the art of serving tea, and decided to begin hosting "high teas" in my home for these women. These teas involved the preparation of a lot of food as well as decorating to make the table beautiful and inviting. Tea time was from 11:00 until 1:00 and included the enjoyment of all the food as well as a time of sharing and prayer for each other, our husbands, and the church.I sent out the invitations about 4 weeks before the day of the tea and waited to hear if anyone would come. All but one responded that they would come!The first tea was followed by many more and produced a closer bond between myself and the other wives.

Five years later, I no longer can provide "high teas" for the wives of ministry staff. If I did, that tea would include one person: me. What to do? How could I use the gift of tea in our new ministry? I had a thought: why not serve "high tea" for the women of this new body of believers? It was impossible to serve everyone at the same time, so I decided to break the women down into age groups, limiting the invitations to no more than ten at a time. In addition, I planned to hostess these teas every other month. So that no one would feel slighted, I placed a notice in our newsletter to let women know that if they were not invited the first time, they would be in the future.

Eagerly I planned the first tea menu of my new venture. The first course was fresh salad greens, the second included two different scones - currant and cheese. "Devonshire cream" was to be served with the scones as well as blackberry jam. Scones were followed by tea sandwiches: cucumber, chicken salad, and raisin bread with cream cheese. The dessert course featured a chocolate covered strawberry, raspberry tart, and chocolate truffle. Assorted teas were to be served throughout the time together. I looked forward to using my lace tablecloth and china teacups to help create the ambiance. The goal of all the preparation was to make the women coming into my home feel special. Without a spoken word I wanted to communicate, "You are my sisters and I value you."

As the women arrived and sat around the table, something beautiful began to happen. Everyone relaxed and began to converse with one another. We all had seen each other on Sunday mornings, but suddenly things were shared that would never have been shared in the Sunday church setting. A precious fellowship emerged and blossomed in my dining room.

That first tea ended with a time of prayer. Since then I have given a second tea with much the same result. Plans for the next tea are in the development stage. The women in the church are beginning to feel more connected and at ease with one another. It has been wonderful.

Dear Sisters, I share this story to encourage you to consider wearing tea shoes. You do not need to provide all the food that I have described here! How about simply serving tea and scones? Limit those you invite to how many can fit around your table. Use a cloth tablecloth and napkins. Bring out the candles and fresh flowers, even if the flowers are from a nearby field. Strive to make the women you invite feel special. "But, I don't even know what scones are!", you might say. No worry. I am including a recipe at the bottom of this post. The recipe is from a book entitled, "Simply Scones", by Leslie Weiner and Barbara Albright. You can make them!

If for some reason you have no desire to serve tea, I urge you to consider what you might like to serve in the intimacy of your dining room. Paul states it very succinctly in Romans 12:13b: "Practice hospitality".
Hospitality removes walls of protection and opens the doors to a sharing of hearts. Prayerfully seek how you can be used to open doors to new relationships.

Apricot,White Chocolate and Walnut Scones

2 cups flour  , 1/3 cup granulated sugar, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 cup unsalted butter (chilled), 1/2 cup heavy cream, 1 large egg, 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract, 6 oz. white chocolate, cut into 1/2 inch pieces, 1 cup coarsely broken walnuts, 1 cup finely chopped dried apricots

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut the butter into 1/2 inch cubes and distribute them over the flour mixture. With a pastry blender or two knives used scissors fashion, cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. In a small bowl, stir together cream, egg, and vanilla. Add the cream mixture to the flour mixture and knead until combined. Knead in the white chocolate, walnuts, and apricots.                 With slightly floured hands, pat the dough into a 9 inch diameter circle in the center of an ungreased baking sheet. With a serrated knife, cut circle into 8 wedges. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the top is lightly browned.     Remove the baking sheet to a wire rack and cool 5 minutes. Using a spatula, transfer the scones to the wire rack to cool. Recut into wedges, if necessary. Serve warm or cool completely and store in an airtight container.           Makes 8 scones. 

One last reminder: 1 Peter 4:9!