Party for 6-9 hours

Yesterday, I went to another one of those dinner parties that last for hours and hours, like the kind my parents used to host when I was little. There was nothing to entertain us but us, and nowhere to go. There's something very healthy about such parties, and the church should have more of them. That's the kind of context and atmosphere where people can really get to know one another: in a home, over a meal, for hours and hours and hours. No easy escape, and no excuses for not socializing, and no ability to put on an act or any mask, because nobody can keep that up that long, with nothing but conversation and some drinks to keep you going.