Day 9: Hospitality  

Come as you are. Come sit and enjoy. Come be heard and seen and loved. 

Lush guest rooms. Fancy meals. That fancy and expensive sofa that's not as comfortable as it should be. We all too easily clutter up the possibilities for hospitality with obstacles God never intends for us. Jesus’ point is that hospitality is tested in the spontaneous need of our neighbor. When they are tired, sick, wounded, or stressed, are we willing to make room?

At its heart, Christian hospitality is simply making space for another, not having the nicest place settings, most impressive cheese board, or softest guest pillows. If we have willingness, time, and space, we can be hospitable. And if we are simply willing, we will find the time and the space. If that sounds small, it’s because it is.

Two Myths of Hospitality

The more I dug into Scripture, the more I realized I’d come to believe a couple of particularly harmful myths about this ancient practice. First, I’d come to believe that hospitality was a domestic virtue, mainly concerned with an impressive dinner spread, perfectly polished furniture, and exceedingly well-behaved children. This is miles from its biblical definition.

Second, being hospitable is NOT about us (the host). Uncoupling hospitality from a purely domestic sphere can actually free us to make our private spaces more available to God, because suddenly being hospitable is about God and another person, not about us.

Reflection/Discussion Questions

1. Courtney shares all the reasons she balks at offering hospitality: she and her husband both work, their house is often messy, her kids are “chaos incarnate,” people sometimes have needs she isn’t prepared to meet, and she’s an introvert. What are some reasons for you not to practice hospitality?
2. In what ways have you been tempted to believe the myth that hospitality is about you—your home, your cooking, your cleanliness, etc.? How does understanding that hospitality is about others free you from the pressures of “Pinterest perfection”?
3. Read Romans 12:13. What does it mean to practice hospitality?
4. What are some small ways God is calling you to reach out in love? Name a few of these others in your life.
5. In what ways do you have trouble accepting the hospitality of others? Is it easier for you to give or receive? What does giving teach us about God? What does receiving teach us?
6. How might you offer hospitality this week to someone who is struggling with their faith, fears, finances, or family?