A Place at The Table
Faith, hope and hospitality
Jo Swinney author Miranda Harris author
Format:Paperback
Publisher:Hodder & Stoughton
Published:17th Aug '23
Should be back in stock very soon
This book redefines hospitality, emphasizing its importance in combating loneliness and fostering community. A Place at The Table invites readers to embrace simplicity and connection.
In A Place at The Table, the authors explore the essence of hospitality through the lens of personal experience and community involvement. Co-founders Miranda Harris and her daughter Jo Swinney delve into the story of A Rocha, a conservation organization that embodies the spirit of welcoming others. Their reflections highlight the importance of hospitality in a world where loneliness and isolation are increasingly prevalent. This book serves as a reminder that the practice of hospitality is not just a duty but a profound expression of love and kindness.
The authors challenge the notion that hospitality requires perfection or elaborate settings. Instead, they argue that true hospitality can be found in the simplicity of everyday acts, whether it's preparing a meal or welcoming a stranger into one's home. They emphasize that offering a place at the table is about connection, acceptance, and creating a sense of belonging amidst life's messiness. The journey of a meal, from planning to sharing, becomes a metaphor for building relationships and fostering community.
A Place at The Table invites readers to rethink their approach to hospitality. By drawing on biblical insights and personal anecdotes, the book encourages individuals to embrace imperfection and find joy in the act of sharing food and conversation. It is a heartfelt call to cultivate a culture of hospitality, reminding us that everyone deserves a place at the table, no matter their circumstances.
A Place at the Table is a transparent, insightful and intimate portrait of hospitality. Miranda's newly discovered manuscript, shaped into a finished form by her daughter Jo, records a written legacy of hospitality as it was written on every page of her life together with her husband Peter, their family and the wider A Rocha community all over the world. Miranda was luminous with God's light. This book reflects her light and it is a joy to see it on these pages, over and again. * Sandra McCracken Singer and songwriter *
The ideal book offers a compelling message that is vital at this cultural moment; it is crafted in a way that is in step with the content and is authored by someone who embodies the subject. This book reveals how hospitality diminishes relational fragmentation and it is written in such a way that feels as if you are around the table. The meal is made complete when you realise that the hosts are a mother and daughter who have lived as exemplars of generosity. * Rod Wilson Author, psychologist, President of Regent College, Vancouver 2000-2015 *
Beautifully written, thought provoking and at times poignant, this book weaves together one family's story of love and rootedness with the wisdom born of experience. Jo Swinney draws on biblical insights, practical examples from her own life and the writings of her mother Miranda Harris to explore how giving and receiving hospitality is at the heart of Christian faith. * Canon Dr Hilary Marlow Girton College, Cambridge *
I endorse this book as one who has been treated to Miranda's practice of hospitality. The lasting memory of fellowship over a meal in the garden of the Harris home will always live with me . . . The lifelong practice of hospitality shared here is authentic, of lasting impact and worthy of emulation. * Florence Muindi Founder, President and CEO of Life in Abundance International *
This is an emotionally rich and inspiring blend of reflection, story, and journal * Church Times *
ISBN: 9781529392067
Dimensions: 196mm x 126mm x 22mm
Weight: 160g
224 pages