“Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it.” (Hebrews 13:2)

Last month I shared with you the concept of “radical hospitality” highlighted in Bishop Schnase’s book, “Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations” and how it is a philosophy for living the Christian life. This month I want to look at the question, “What is radical hospitality?” and how can we better live it out before the community of Jacksonville.

So often in the church, we get caught up in doing church work that we forget about the work of the church. It is similar to the Mary and Martha syndrome we see in the Gospel of Luke. Martha was all about working in the kitchen and Mary was out entertaining and listening to Jesus. Not that either was wrong but far too often we put the emphasis on doing the busy work and forget to enjoy the relationships that are before us.

The Christian life is not only our relationship with God but also our relationship with others. Doing the work of the church is important but we do it not out of a work ethic but a love ethic. We are called to love people and when they enter GOD’S house of worship we are to be God’s servant in serving, welcoming and making their experience of fellowship in the church a wonderful, loving and accepting experience.

Bishop Schnase lists several questions we need to focus on as we explore radical hospitality in our church. Here are just a few of them:

• In what ways do we invite people outside the community of faith into the body of Christ and our fellowship?
• What are our strengths? Where do we need to improve?
• Does our church tend to do things the way they’ve always been done? How willing are we to embrace change and new ideas?
• What does it mean for a congregation to strive without ceasing to exceed expectations to accommodate and include others?
• How might we better anticipate newcomers’ needs and make them feel at home in our church and ministries?
• What could happen if every ministry of our church were to adopt an invitational posture and consider how to reach those not yet present?
• How welcoming are we as a congregation? As classes and groups? As individuals?

My friends as we practice new ways of reaching out to our community we need to take on a new approach of reaching out to people as found in this prayer from the “Five Practices”.

Please pray this prayer over the next few weeks and let God’s spirit enlighten you.

Gracious and loving God, you desire us to invite, welcome, receive, and care for those who are strangers so that they may find a spiritual home and discover for themselves the unending richness of life in Christ. You call us to go out of our way—even at the risk of a sense of awkwardness and inconvenience—to invite people into the life and ministry of the church. Help us to genuinely love others who are not yet part of the faith community—to reach out to those we do not yet know. And give us the willingness to change our attitudes and behaviors in order to meet the needs of newcomers and receive them into the life of our congregation. Amen.

Grace and Peace,
Pastor Mike Fender
pastor@jaxgrace.org


Address
Grace United Methodist Church
400 West Morgan Avenue
Jacksonville, Illinois 62650
Phone: (217)245-9521
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