“Taste this.”

Marci Crockett pokes a fork full of colorful shredded vegetables under Josh’s nose while he absorbs a passage from My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers.

Josh responds automatically to this imperative by opening his mouth. The concoction slides in as Marci impatiently awaits the verdict.

“What does it need?”

“I think it’s delicious the way it is.”

“No, I think it needs something.”

Marci moves away deep in thought with an empty spoon pointing her way back to the kitchen. Josh follows her movement with his eyes, shakes his head when she disappears from visibility into the kitchen, then returns to his reading.

Once again, Josh’s attention is redirected from this exegesis on 2 Corinthians 5:17 with a friendly rapping on the front door.

“I believe some of our guests have arrived,” Josh closes the book laying it aside to rise and answer the door.

“Could you take care of it, please?” resonates from the kitchen.

Josh opens the door and as he suspects the first couple to arrive is the Palatos. Paul considers arriving less than ten minutes before scheduled to be late.

“Marci is in the kitchen, Amy. She’s creating and may possibly benefit from your sophisticated palate,” Josh politely waves Amy toward the kitchen while he and Paul head to the living room.

“Here,” Josh picks up the discarded book and quickly returns it to its designated place on the bookshelf, “let me put this away.”

Paul relaxes in the space where he usually does every week for these Bible studies.

“What were you reading about?”

“Prejudice according to Chambers referencing 2 Corinthians 5:17.”

Paul Palato, a lawyer continues his interrogation, “What does 2 Corinthians 5:17 say?”

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”

Before Paul can comment or ask another question, the doorbell rings. Josh smiles knowing that the only member of this small group who rings the doorbell is Mark Mikleson.

Standing on the outside of the doorway are Mark Mikleson and Don Hunter. Mark and Don barely enter the foyer of the Crockett house when Warren and Celia Sharpton pull up in front of the cul-de-sac home.

Marci and Amy carrying a couple of trays of hors d’oeuvres and snacks greet Don and Mark and invite them to follow them into the living room while Josh stands at the open front door to greet Warren and Celia.

Paul Palato reaches out to shake Don Hunter’s hand. The two lawyers begin immediately to debate political issues. Mark, a high school marching band director at one of the high schools asks Amy about her middle school daughter’s instrumental music progress. Marci heads back to the kitchen.

“Celia, I see you are now teaching at Xavier Middle School,” Marci says as Warren and Celia enter the foyer.

Marci and Celia discuss Celia’s new opportunity as they head back to the kitchen to collect coffee and iced tea and cups and glasses.

“I apologize for wearing my uniform, but I returned a little late from my deliveries today,” Warren, a postal worker tells Josh as they join the others in the living room.

Amy excuses herself from her and Mark’s conversation to join Marci and Celia in the kitchen.

“Celia is teaching Ally’s history class this year,” Amy informs as she enters the kitchen.

Celia and Amy embrace while Marci arranges two more trays. Marci excuses herself to go answer a second knock at the door.

“The men must be engaged in some deep discussion,” Marci jests as she leaves the kitchen, “that they cannot even answer the door.”

Marci greets Yama and Saku Kohoshi. She invites Yama to go ahead and join the men in the living room and Saku to come with her where the women are.

Warren is the first to speak as Yama walks into the living room, “C’mon in and fill your plate, my brother.”

The men are filling plates and bowls with healthy fare while they talk of sports, news and weather.

The kitchen fills with the clatter of cups and glasses, the music of giggles and laughter and the voicing of complaints and compliments about work and motherhood.

After a few moments of female bonding, Amy offers to take the tray with a thermos of coffee and cups. Celia insists on handling the other, a pitcher of tea and glasses.

The four women join the men and after a few minutes of enjoying food, beverages and each other’s company, everyone settles into the comfy furniture of free choice.

Josh, whose turn it is to facilitate, patiently waits for last second chats to conclude. He finds the week’s scriptural reading assignment on his iPad, reads it quietly to himself and smiles. He chuckles as he peruses the small group gathered in his living room.

“Saku, could you read aloud for us 1 Corinthians 12:25-26?”

Categories: Faithwriters Challenge Contest Runner Up Sample writing

Douglas Knight

I have the rich life full of a sinner wounded by misunderstanding and punishment but blessed by mercy and forgiveness.