hospitality

Yesterday I attended a seminar on hospitality. Among many thoughts that were helpful was this one: there is a difference between hospitality and fellowship. Fellowship is about me hanging with my buds, while hospitality is about all of us helping strangers become new friends. Fellowship connects me with mine, hospitality connects me with new folks.

Fellowship means that old friends share time together and enjoy each other's company. Hospitality means that I make sacrifices for someone new. We show hospitality by giving gifts. The best parking places, the best seats in the sanctuary [at the concert the best seat is the first row, in church the best seats are in the back.] Giving the gift of our time is another way that we show hospitality.

I think we have an awesome church, but I am continually running into people who are having trouble getting connected. Yes, they need to reach out and get involved, but we need to do everything that we can to show hospitality. Lots of people are looking for a church during the holiday season, lets be sure to show them a warm welcome, especially to those who have the "deer in the headlights, I am lost around here look."

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.