Hospitality

Hospitality

THE  INVITATION 

All good parties start with an invitation. Close your eyes and picture the prettiest invitation you have received. How does it feel? How does it make you feel? What are the details? Are you planning your outfit in your head or rearranging schedules to be there? 

When we receive an invitation, you typically immediately know the why- a wedding, birthday or graduation invite shout look at me. We then learn the who, what , where and when.

Today, as many invitations do, we will begin with the WHY.

WHY.

Matthew 20:26-28

Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.

What is the instruction here? What is the WHY?

Simply, the instruction is to serve. Why? Because He first served us. 

The back story of these verses is 2 of Jesus disciples, James & John, asked to sit on either side of him, to be in the prominent places of honor. (Mathew, their MOM asks for this honor for her sons and in Mark 10 they ask) Simply, Jesus tells them first- You don’t know what your asking for and then teaches them the true places of honor are for those who serve. 

Colossians 3:23-24

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

We serve others, His people, in order to serve Him. 

To grow in peace, patience, goodness, gentleness, self-control is to be more Christ-like. To grow in the abundance of Christ is to be filled with these gifts in order to pour them out to others  TO SERVE; To serve Christ by loving and leading people to Him. 

Now that we understand the WHY….let’s get back to that invitation and start from the top. 

Who? One another. 

1 Peter—Peter, a missionary of Jesus is speaking to the Jewish Christians who were scattered and facing persecution from the Romans, the Jews and their own families. Life was not easy at that time.

“Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins. Cheerfully share your home with those who need a meal or a place to stay. God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen.”

1 Peter 4:8-11 NLT

Serving is a sacrifice. It cost time, energy and resources. It requires you to put others before yourself.

WHO? Other Christians. Is that all?

Luke 6:35 NIV tells us…

But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.

WHO? Everyone else. I let you pray and wrestle with God what that looks like or you… as am I. 

Now we know WHY and WHOM …lets get to the details the WHAT? WHERE? WHEN?

WHAT? Now we talk about what hospitality actually looks like. Close your eyes again… now I want you to picture the party going on with that invite. 

Does it look like this?  Martha Stewart Table all set with silver and linen and fresh flowers from the garden and cost a gazillion dollars? 

I suggest that this is LOVELY and Yes, I would welcome that invite but THIS IS NOT the definition of hospitality. 

I’m a word girl so let’s look up the definition…

hos·pi·tal·i·ty

noun: hospitality

1. the friendly and generous reception and entertainment of guests, visitors, or strangers.

The great news is this doesn’t say scrub down every inch of your home, freak out at your family and plan a 5 course meal while accomplishing all your normal responsibilities of life. 

Actually it is not super specific and at the same time it is. 

Be friendly, be welcoming and entertain. 

This sounds a whole lot like LOVE YOUR NEIGHBORS to me. 

WHAT does that look like? It can be the big party but I propose it can be  more meaningful in the everyday touches. 

My favorite acts of hospitality/loving your neighbors—Start with small acts of kindness and move into other spaces….

Your list will look different but these are to get you thinking.  

Share a baked good with a neighbor or if you buy the 2 pack of bagels from Costco, share one of those. I once had a lady behind me in Costco eyeballing my 12 case of mangos and commenting how good they looked. I immediately offered up 2 and she was delighted. Small acts of hospitality go a long way. 

Going on a MILK run. Who else is always needing milk like you?

Invite a friend over or out for coffee/tea. Take the time to check in on friends or someone new you met. Slow down and listen. Do not monopolize the conversation or have an agenda. Just be present. 

Flowers…I love flowers. I am not good at growing them but I have my friend Trader Joe. Buy one, cut one.  Share a flower, even a single stem in a bud vase for next to the sink or in the powder room.

Meals…Every Sunday my Gram set the table with linens and china and cooked Sunday dinner; fresh rolls, a roast, veggie, potato and gravy. She would either preplan a guest from church or pick one up after the service. It was delightful and a treasured memory for me. 

If you love to cook and set a table, do that. If you don’t, don’t. So many places to order in from. You can order a full meal at Whole Foods and put it nice dishes or you can order a pizza. I am all for good food and pretty tables but it is not realistic for my schedule in certain seasons. 

A Cookie and cold drink: You could not walk into Grandma H’s home with an offer of a treat, usually a cookie or ice cream bar, and a cold drink. She lived on camp grounds and her door was always open and everyone called her Grandma. This simple offer and welcoming home was a small respite for homesick kids, tired volunteers, curious newcomers  as well as her MANY grandkids and great grandkids.

Even the nurses that came in weekly to help her in her old age commented how this was there favorite stop and it felt like a visit with a friend. 

THIS IS HOSPITALITY.

With the many many people that came through her door, I think about Hebrews 13:2

Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.

Hebrews 13:2 NIV

“Busy seasons” or “not a good time” are not valid  reasons to skip showing hospitality. Do Something! Even the smallest act can have impact and who knows, you may be entertaining angels!

Gather your guests and love them. Share, welcome them, slow down and listen. Hopefully you get some laughs in there.

BACK TO THE INVITATION;

WHERE?

Open up your home or yard. 

With all the beautiful homes and styling and Martha Stewarts out there, it is easy to get overwhelmed. Don’t. Yes, easier said than done so this will take practice. If I waited for my home to be clean or perfect before I invited my neighbor and dear friend over for the first time, it would be 18 years later and we would still be waiting. 

Instead, I set the expectation. I tell people my door is always open and I will have something to feed you, my house may or may not be clean.  That being said, to this day, I still struggle with unexpected guest and my house looking messy. Yesterday, I had dishes all over the counter and unexpected visitors arrived. UGH but I threw on a sweater and smiled and welcomed them in. This is hospitality. It was lovely to meet them. People remember how you make them feel. 

WHERE Else? Serve at church…school, community

In an official or unofficial way.  Yes, there are always volunteer spots that need to be filled. Go find them, fill them. 

Finally, we come to the end of our invitation…

What does is look like to serve others in church or anyplace every day? 

Lets go back to our definition of hospitality:

1. the friendly and generous reception and entertainment of guests, visitors, or strangers.

WHEN? THIS CAN BE ANYWHERE AT ALL TIMES. 

Our challenge is to be leaders in hospitality, everywhere, all the time. 

Yes there are days we we just CAN’T with life and my prayer is because you have cultivated hospitality around you, you will have someone to drop off soup when your sick or dinner because they know your week is hectic.

My prayer for each of you is that you grow in hospitality, not with pressure but with purpose. May we all love others well by opening up our doors, hands and heart. 

Romans 12:13

Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. 

Matthew 20:26-28

Mark 10:35-45

Colossians 3:23-24 

1 Peter 4:8-11 

Hebrews 13:12

1Timothy 5:10

1 Peter 4:9

Romans 12:13