Practicing Hospitality: no room at the inn?

A conversation with Theophilus Mouse, semi-retired theologian and sometime contributor to this blog.

me: So what's the big deal about hospitality? Does this mean we have to have coffee and donuts Sunday mornings?

Theophilus: Maybe. Certainly we should be nice to visitors, and we are, but it is more than that.

Advent is a good time of year to be thinking of hospitality-- consider how Mary and Joseph must have felt, alone and afraid in a strange town, with no room at the inn.

Hospitality was very important in ancient cultures and in the early church-- there were obviously no Holiday Inns and Quicky Marts back then. The writer of Hebrews tells us "Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares," (Hebrews 13:2) referring to Abraham & Sarah and the strangers who told them they would have a son (Genesis 18:1-15).

Unfortunately we sometimes take hospitality for granted. Do we really welcome strangers in our midst? Are we an 'inviting' church? If we are, we will grow, both spiritually and in numbers.

me: There has been a lot of discussion in the United Methodist Church about 'Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors.' In The Faith-Sharing Congregation (Discipleship Resources 2006), Roger K. Swanson & Shirley F. Clement write:

"So many of us in the church have lost the ability to be objective. We have become 'church blind.' We are either preoccupied with our place or task in the congregation, or have simply been a member and active participant for so long that we assume our experience of the friendliness of the congregation is or ought to be everyone's experience. If it isn't, it is 'their' fault." (p. 17)

'They' being inactive members and our own children and youth, as well as visitors and prospective visitors.

Theophilus: We have to decide whether or not this describes us, and it is hard to admit if we have fallen short of the goal. That is what confession is for, of course, both as individuals and as a church, and God forgives.

Remember, there is always plenty of work for love to do. When it comes to hospitality, Welcoming Church Certification (see http://welcoming.rethinkchurch.org) might be a good place to start. No mention of coffee & donuts, but it includes a lot of the things we are already doing or which would be easy and inexpensive to implement to be more hospitable.

me: So the question is: Is there room at the inn today?

Theophilus: I am reminded of one of my favorite Christmas carols:

Thou didst leave thy throne and thy kingly crown,
When thou camest to earth for me;
But in Bethlehem's home there was found no room
For thy holy nativity.
O come to my heart, Lord Jesus,
There is room in my heart for thee.
     (Emily E. S. Elliott, 1836-1897)

Amazingly enough, when we make room for Jesus in our hearts we find that there is suddenly a whole lot more room than we thought-- more room for our family, our friends, and our neighbors, as well as the stranger and the sojourner.

me: Merry Christmas, Theophilus, and all the best for the New Year.

Theophilus: Thank you-- and to you and your readers.