Friday, September 12, 2008
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Hospitality...like Martha Stewart?
I doubt Martha speaks Greek, but if she did she would tell you that the word hospitality is Philos (loving) + Xenos (the stranger). Today, however, the word hospitality conjures thoughts of carefully planned menus, perfectly set tables, down pillows and comforters, thirsty towels and impeccable service. Somehow the act of welcoming the stranger has been redrawn to include only the people we invite into our homes or those we pay so we can stay in their hotels.
It is true that an enticing meal and comfortable sleeping arrangements are signs of being a good host. But Christian Hospitality, as Jay Voorhees, pastor of the Antioch United Methodist Church, writes in his blog http://onlywonder.com/, is "to understand that everyone who walks through the door is Jesus Christ. ... To offer hospitality here is to celebrate when some new person is sitting in “your pew,” to ignore the mud that is being tracked in on the carpet, and to be willing to do new things so that our guests may better know the love of Christ."
What are some new things that we at St. Thomas can do so that our guests may better know the love of Christ?
For starters we can make ready our hearts for the arrival of newcomers. One simple example is of the newcomer who enters without taking a worship aid. He or she might not know that we use them rather than a missalette. Perhaps if we see someone without one, we can offer them ours and return to the Host-Greeter for a replacement. This act of kindness not only shows our willingness to meet one another where we are, but our willingness to pray together.
What else can we do?
It is true that an enticing meal and comfortable sleeping arrangements are signs of being a good host. But Christian Hospitality, as Jay Voorhees, pastor of the Antioch United Methodist Church, writes in his blog http://onlywonder.com/, is "to understand that everyone who walks through the door is Jesus Christ. ... To offer hospitality here is to celebrate when some new person is sitting in “your pew,” to ignore the mud that is being tracked in on the carpet, and to be willing to do new things so that our guests may better know the love of Christ."
What are some new things that we at St. Thomas can do so that our guests may better know the love of Christ?
For starters we can make ready our hearts for the arrival of newcomers. One simple example is of the newcomer who enters without taking a worship aid. He or she might not know that we use them rather than a missalette. Perhaps if we see someone without one, we can offer them ours and return to the Host-Greeter for a replacement. This act of kindness not only shows our willingness to meet one another where we are, but our willingness to pray together.
What else can we do?
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Benedictine Hospitality
The Benedictines are known for a profound practice of hospitality which we should all strive to emulate. The simplicity of welcoming the stranger necessitates an intrinsic understanding of who the stranger truly is, and by whose grace we extend our greeting.
The Rule of St. Benedict 53:1-2, 15
Let all guests who arrive be received like Christ, for he is going to say: I was a stranger and you welcomed me (Matt. 25:35). And to all let due honor be shown, especially to thouse who share our faith (Gal. 6:10) and to pilgrims. ...In the reception of the poor and pilgrims the greatest care and solicitude should be shown, because it is especially in them that Christ is received.
Learn more about the Benedictines.
The above image is a detail from a mural painted by Fra Angelico, located in the Monastery of San Marco, Florence where Fra lived between 1439 and 1445.
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