Hospitality
10th July 2022
HOSPITALITY (1 Peter 4.8-10; Leviticus 19.33-34)
STARTER: What is your understanding of the word HOSPITALITY?
READ 1 Peter 4.8-10. As Christians we are all called to show hospitality, and it should not be an option for us as Christians. Some people are far more hospitable than others – why do you think this is so? Is there such a thing as a “gift of hospitality”? Do we diligently seek out opportunities to show hospitality and, if so, how might this work out? How might we show hospitality (a) to new church members, (b) to the wider community? Is the way we as Christians should show hospitality any different from the way non-Christians show hospitality?
READ Romans 12.9-13. We are called here to PRACTISE hospitality = to seek after earnestly. How might this show itself in our lives?
READ Leviticus 19.33-34. How might we show hospitality to strangers? Can you give any examples, either from personal experience, or from what you have heard or read?
READ Hebrews 13.2. Is this a really good reason to be hospitable? How would you feel if you realized you had missed the opportunity to entertain an angel!
Where do you see hospitality shown in the life of our church? How could we “do better”?
READ Luke 10.38-42. “Here is a story about how to welcome guests, and about how not to welcome guests.” (Francis and Atkins). Work your way through the story and look at the different responses shown by Mary and Martha. Do you see yourself more as a Mary or a Martha? Is one more important than the other?
Think about the fact that your guests will have their own requirements, needs and expectations.
One commentator has suggested that this story is really about how to manage conflict in the early days of the church. Martha seems more concerned with a socially engaged church; Mary with a contemplative church. Can these two aspects be reconciled? Can both be present in the life of a local church? Or is it a question of tolerating those who see “church” differently?
What might a socially engaged church look like?
And a contemplative church?
PRAYER
Time for reflection:
How hospitable am I? Our housegroup? Our church? Is there a way we could, as a group, be more hospitable?
Some extra comments, principally for leaders:
STARTER: Hospitality has been described as: “The friendly reception and treatment of guests, or strangers, in a warm and generous way.” (Random House Dictionary)
Traditions may vary from culture to culture, but showing hospitality is nearly always seen as an important principle.
Being hospitable is about obedience to God. As a result people will be encouraged and uplifted. Hospitality warms the heart of those it touches.
You don’t need a spotless home, a perfectly set table, mouthwatering food and flickering candles to be hospitable.
Luke 10.38-42
We suggest you spend quite a significant amount of time working through this little story.
Martha certainly knew how to make a guest feel at home, seeing the importance of guests receiving a warm welcome with stunning conversation. She knew the importance of a fine meal, well prepared and set out in an appropriate way. She wanted guests to be welcomed into a well organized setting where the meal was ready on time.
Mary, on the other hand, felt that guests would be refreshed by a quick welcome and then given space to be themselves. The conversation was far more important than the environment. She wanted her guests to be free from the tyranny of routine and fixed times. What did it matter if the meal was an hour late! What did it matter if the dishes were not collected, washed and put away!
A socially-engaged church: Big focus on hospitality. Strangers are welcomed; the hungry are fed; the poor are clothed; the kingdom of God is revealed through material concerns. Did not Jesus set such an example when he fed the 5,000?
A contemplative church: Big focus on quiet reflection. Strangers are invite to “sit at the feet” of the teacher (not in a servient way, but to enable spiritual growth). Minds of all (rich and poor) are enriched; the kingdom of God is made present through spiritual concerns. Did not Jesus set such an example with his teaching on the Sermon on the Mount?
“For Jesus there remained room for Martha’s church and for Mary’s church to continue to grow side by side.”
Is there really room in our church for people of different traditions, different styles of worship, different ways of approaching God, to grow side by side?