Two Years of The Sublime Soiree: A Reflection and An Invitation

“Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unaware.” – Hebrews 13:2

Here at The Sublime Soiree, Hebrews 13:2 is a favorite verse. We love how it so sincerely captures the heart of everything we personally are pursuing and encouraging others to do, too. But we also love it because it encapsulates our experiences since we launched this ministry on January 1, 2021. From the moment we threw our virtual New Year’s Party at Sue’s dining room table, we have received generous hospitality from viewers who watched us, subscribers who committed to us, expert guests who joined and inspired us and social media audiences who have followed us. And we must pay tribute to our husbands, families and friends who have so generously supported us. We truly couldn’t do this without you!

We really do feel so honored and blessed by everyone’s care over these two years, but if there’s one thing, we want to be certain you know about us it’s that none of this is about us. Everything we do is about one Person and One only – Jesus. Colossians 3:23 is another favorite verse of ours because it describes the attitude we carry into everything we do:

“Whatever you do, work heartily as for the Lord and not for men.”

Don’t read that we don’t care about you! We do! But God cares for you more than any of us can fathom. And He has set our hearts on fire with a desire to tell you about it. That’s what The Sublime Soiree is all about. Day by day, week by week, and now year by year, we keep pursuing our mission to celebrate Biblical truth, seek expert advice and sample soiree secrets in order to help all of us deeply know the God who has been inviting us into extraordinary fellowship with Him since the beginning of time.

As we get ready to embark on our 3^rd year at The Sublime Soiree we pause to look back at the past year and are reminded of the “Why” once again. We shared with you our favorite quotes, pictures and books from the last year, and now we reflect on some key takeaways.  A Soiree is an intimate gathering or party in a home or a place where conversation and fellowship is forged; a meal, dessert, and memento are given; and an opportunity to encourage takes place. We are reminded that God doesn’t just present an element of surprise at His Soiree; no, the soiree itself IS the surprise, because of who and how He invites. There is nothing we can do to earn a spot at God’s table. He freely and lovingly invites us through two words: trust and believe. Trust that Jesus, the Son of God and God the Son, died to pay the penalty for every one of our sins – past, present and future – and believe that Jesus rose from the dead, conquering death once and for all. He gave us the ultimate invitation; so, we accept and want to pass it on.

We read in Ephesians 2:1-7: As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, ² in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. ³ All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh^[a] and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. ⁴ But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, ⁵ made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. ⁶ And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, ⁷ in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.

And God saves not just once and for all, but in thousands of little ways throughout our earthly lives. Social media manager Ari sums it up like this:

I am so blown away by how the Lord has shown up over the last year. Given the hard circumstances and pain (we all have experienced), He always shows up. He always is in the lead of The Sublime Soiree and at work, and I can’t wait to see what He does next year. Each year the organic growth is tremendous. He is reaching new people and His truth is going out to everyone.

What we started on January 1, 2021, we have been continuing through today. We have been exploring God’s invitations and the beautiful gifts of His Sublime Soiree. We have studied and taken a deep dive into some of the elements that make for a sublime soiree.

• We studied lighting and what it looks like to shine our lights.
• We looked at food and how our heavenly Father longs to lavish us with wonderful things, including food and divine desserts. Pastor Tim Storey says, “The incredible pleasure bears witness both that God is and that He is good.” The Bible emphasizes that point even more in Acts 14:17 (NIV), which says, “Yet he has not left himself without testimony: He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your heart with joy.”
• We learned that God is in the thoughtful details and His ways are not always ours but are good. His infinite patience is behind everything He does- in our rescue, in giving us life, in using us to accomplish His work, in sticking with us for the long haul, and in being our great provision. Man’s chief end is to glorify God and enjoy him forever.

Oh friends, our mission has not changed. Even amidst life’s toughest trials a Savior-focused life is sublime because of Jesus. We don’t live this life perfectly – certainly not here at The Sublime Soiree — but we keep working at throwing off anything that hinders us and the sin that entangles us so that we can keep running the race that God has marked out for us.

We will keep writing and sharing in 2023. As we launch into our 3^rd year together, we pray that what we share encourages you to live free above the fray of life.  Friend, we want to live like someone who has joy set before them! We have a place card with your name on it so please join us. As Ari concludes, “The Sublime Soiree is truly for everyone. There is something for everyone to glean and . . . there is a message for each person and walk of life.” Let’s keep celebrating, seeking and sampling together in 2023!

— The Sublime Soiree © December 31, 2022