Hospitality
God's people are called to mirror God's generous hospitality by offering welcome to all. Biblical hospitality covers more than merely providing safety for travelers. The experience and practice of hospitality go back to the ancient virtue and sacred duty of providing food, lodging, and protection to travelers and lie at the very core of what it means to be a Christian. The roots of hospitality are woven into the foundation of Judaism and Christianity. It's an obligation that we have to all those with whom we come in contact, including strangers and those who make us feel uncomfortable.
In chapter 18 of Genesis, Abraham and Sarah provide hospitality to three strangers who appear at their tent. The strangers turn out to be Yahweh (God) in human form and two angels. Although Sarah and Abraham do not know the true identity of their visitors, they choose to treat them as honored guests without expecting anything in return. We, too, are called to practice the generous hospitality of Abraham and Sarah.
The New Testament also contains many examples of God's generous hospitality-it's a frequent theme in Jesus' ministry. Jesus talks about hospitality in the parables of the good Samaritan (Luke 10:29-37) and the wedding banquet (Luke 14:7-14). He models hospitality when he has dinner with Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1-10) and when he washes the disciples' feet in the upper room (John 13:1-20). As in the Hebrew Bible, the focus isn't on the worthiness of the recipient, but rather on the faithfulness of the one who offers the hospitality.
"I simply want to go to church—my home church—in the neighborhood where I choose to live. I want to participate in that church as the full member I already am, equally and without hesitation. I want to be fully welcomed in the church that I love so much, where I have given so much of my time and service."
Our call to practice generous hospitality is a compelling reason why many United Methodists work for the full inclusion of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people and their families in the life of the church. The Bible urges the broad practice of hospitality-the recognition of Christ in all those we encounter. Hospitality is often denied to LGBT people and their families and friends. When hospitality is offered to LGBT people, it can be received as a generous gift.
How will we respond to the biblical call to practice generous hospitality-specifically hospitality toward LGBT people and their families? Generous hospitality is something that we can make part of our daily lives and also part of the daily life of our church community.
What could I do in each of these situations to practice generous welcome and hospitality?
- A new person who just moved into the neighborhood with a same-sex partner and two children visits the church for the first time and is inquiring about Sunday School for the children.
- At a fellowship supper at church, you sit next to an older person who has been a member of the congregation for many years. For almost as many years, this person has shared a house with another person of the same sex who recently died. Although it was never openly talked about, the two had been life-partners.
- In the hallway at church one Sunday, you encounter a youth who has recently started coming to youth group with a friend who's a church member. Today, the youth, who has spiky purple hair and many piercings, is wearing a T-shirt printed with a rainbow flag and the phrase "There is no choice in being yourself!"
☑ Take the quiz: "How Welcoming Is My Congregation?"
"When we moved to a new town, we visited several churches. We were married before I transitioned from male to female, so we have the same last name. We'd write "(not sisters)" after our names in the church guest book—our only response was an occasional raised eyebrow. No one spoke to us. Finally, one congregation welcomed us warmly; many people talked to us during the passing of the peace and at coffee hour. We were home! When my spouse's cancer recurred, church members reached out to us with prayers, visits, and home-cooked meals. Their hospitality and care meant so much to us."
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