Hospitality = Mission
By Caitlin I heard a a sermon back in October about hospitality. I had always thought previously that sermons on hospitality were aimed primarily at people like my parents, who have a house and can make space to let people stay the night and have a meal or two. It wasn’t until I heard this particular sermon that I realized how much broader the definition of hospitality is, and that in order to truly live it out, a change had to happen in my heart.
In different phases of my life thus far, God has asked me to sacrifice something to Him in order that He may teach me to depend completely on Him as provider. I never had a problem giving away my time until high school, when I became involved in ministry, and I was faced with the choice of which activities I would devote my time to. I reluctantly chose to do things that would glorify God more, and His blessings overwhelmed me through it. My first year of college, the issue was money. I tried to do things my own way, to become self-sufficient so I wouldn’t have to keep asking my parents for more money, but in the end, God asked me to give it up to Him. He taught me humility and thankfulness through it, and still provided for all of my financial needs. Right now, the focus is rest. I only have so much energy, and God is teaching me that He will provide the energy I need through resting.
In order to be hospitable, I must give any or all of these things to God in order to live out His mission. It can be as simple as bringing someone coffee when they're studying for a big test. And in order to be on His mission, I must keep in mind that everyone I come in contact with has the potential to be a glorious creature in the Kingdom. As C.S. Lewis puts it in The Weight of Glory, “There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal… But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub, and exploit– immortal horrors or everlasting splendors.” I am convinced that with this perspective, I can learn to be more hospitable with my time, money, and energy. In doing so, I may participate in the Kingdom which is now and is yet to come.
Would You Like to Come Over for Dinner?
Ever since entering this class, I have been wondering what it looks like to do mission. After hearing four pastors talk about what it is like to live missionally in their neighborhoods, I noticed a common thread: hospitality.
After listening to Russ Davis New Community, Ryan Miller Branches, Justin Bryeans Kaleo, and Steve Hart Vintage Faith, I know that I can use hospitality (among other things) to live missionally wherever I may be living in the future.
Hospitality as Resistance (a re-post)
One person has stated that hospitality is resistance. In a world that caters to the rich, uber gifted and best looking, true Biblical hospitality is a prophetic voice. When the larger empire disregards and dishonors certain persons, small acts of respect and welcome are powerful gestures of a greater Kingdom! The apostle Paul commanded the Christian as part of what it means to “offer our bodies a living sacrifice…” to “…practice hospitality.” This is not an option. That really is what is amazingly attractive about Jesus for me. He was not a respecter of persons. I find myself in this dual processing battle daily on how to mete out my “precious” time, but Jesus seemed to sashay through the daily with an ease and acceptance of the moment…that each person he met held the same value and importance as the next and he stopped and ate. He broke bread and drank (Luke 5:30) with people who probably could or would never repay him. Counter-culturalism at its finest.
Luke 14:12-14 (The Message) – Then he turned to the host. "The next time you put on a dinner, don't just invite your friends and family and rich neighbors, the kind of people who will return the favor. Invite some people who never get invited out, the misfits from the wrong side of the tracks. You'll be—and experience—a blessing. They won't be able to return the favor, but the favor will be returned—oh, how it will be returned!—at the resurrection of God's people."