"Sibling Rivalry"

Here's an instant replay of what happened in worship:

We thought about people who are "Marha Stewart" types - making all kinds of homemade food and decorations. While we sometimes make fun of those people, we also realize that the things they do for us make us feel special.
We heard about the original Martha - busy cooking in the kitchen while her sister Mary sat around listening to Jesus - Luke 10:38-42. Some commentators have made Martha out to be a bad person, someone who made Jesus unhappy. But we remembered that Martha was the home-owner. She was the host who welcomed Jesus into her home. This was one of the few places Jesus could relax and be himself - already a wonderful gift to him. Plus, as the host, Martha was expected to feed her guest.
We wondered if maybe the problem wasn't that Martha was doing the wrong thing, but that she allowed herself to become distracted by what her sister was doing. If Martha had a spiritual gift of hospitality, she should have served Jesus with joy. Instead, she allowed thoughts of unfairness to rob her of her joy.
We heard how some commentators suggest that the body language of the story speaks volumes. Jesus is sitting in a chair. Mary is sitting at his feet, listening to Jesus. Martha, however, stands over Jesus, speaking to him, telling him what to do. Which position do we find ourselves in when we pray to Jesus?
We prayed that we could learn from the best practices of Mary and Martha, how to serve with joy and listen in love.
We shared communion with Jesus at his table.