“Hospitality” is a word connected with the hotel industry, or reminiscent of dinner parties with aproned hostesses in the bygone past. Sad but true even in the church. It is easy to forget that it is also a requirement of one who desires leadership in a Christian gathering. How many times have you been to the home of an elder in the past month, year, even decade? You can probably count it on one hand. In an outreach team meeting, we came up with the idea of doing a “New to You” campaign at our new and larger church location. This meant we would simply introduce ourselves to someone at a service who we did not know. The suggestion that we could invite them to our homes for dinner was met with skeptical hesitation. I was surprised that this would be considered sketchy, and that a restaurant would be preferable. It would be understandable if it were someone who was brand new to the whole Christian scene, but these were people who had been going to the same church for years at three different services. Now with a new facility and fewer services there was opportunity to sit next to people they did not know. The reluctance was shocking to me.

I realized then that we have departed drastically from our parents’ social sensibilities when having ‘company’ was special. We are worlds away from Biblical norms in the Old Testament (and much current mideastern practice). The cultural trend towards more distanced interaction via texting and ‘social’ media widens the gap and makes it seem insurmountable for some to even consider opening their home to others. People are very concerned about getting things just right and not too well equipped for things getting awkward. There is much in the Scripture (but little from the pulpit) about practicing hospitality, one verse even exhorting us not to grumble about it. I guess it has always been a sacrifice. But the rewards so outweigh the exertion.

Consider the source. The God Who crafted the entire universe invites us to share ownership of it with Him. His Son was castigated for His numerous dinner parties with the unsavory types. The last thing He did with the disciples was have a dinner and tells them to sacralize it as a regular memorial to His death until He returns. What happens then? You guessed it – the marriage supper of the Lamb.

More than that, God did not stand aloof from our plight as sinners. He invited us into family relationship with Him. He opened His heart to our lonely neediness and welcomed us in. The Gospel is just that – hospitality on steroids! So as His people we should embrace our brethren and our neighbors with the same open heart, open arms, and yes – open homes. We call it Gospel Hospitality.

So this page will include articles and videos to promote and incite a radical return towards our neighbors. More than just telling truth, it is also living love. Good news dressed in good works. It is a high calling, my friend! Answer the call with the same hospitality you received from God. It is kingdom work.

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