Hospitality
On Sunday we began a series on generosity, entitled Generous – we’re looking at how we live out the compassionate community of Christ, right here, right now where we are. And as I said, it’s important to recognize that we, Canonsburg UP Church, are generous. It’s something that’s in our DNA as a community, something we live out on a regular basis. I highlighted a few ways that speak to our generosity, like sharing our facilities with the community (and not hoarding them to ourselves). There’s of course more ways than what I listed Sunday, and I’ll keep pointing to them as we continue the series. And on the flip side, we are seeking to grow… which also means we’re seeking to grow in generosity.
And that starts with our mindset, our lens, the way we look at the people around us – as image-bearers of God, as equal partners on this journey. This isn’t something I came up with, or even something unique to our church, it’s the way that for 250 years, we’ve been following a generous God, whose generosity goes all the way back to the beginning. It was lived out in creation, it was shown in Jesus, and as we looked at from Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, it was preached by one of the first enemies of Jesus, who after encountering him, turned his life around completely.
Personally, I’m still discovering just how high, wide, long & deep is God’s love. I’m still wrapping my mind around that generosity, which is more than I’m really comfortable with. But my own discomfort isn’t the rule to live by – the rule is Jesus.
So the one question I’m bringing to this conversation, is how can I grow and become more… hospitable? For me, it’s that word hospitality, that sums up a generous spirit. It’s that generous spirit that welcomes others in, that sets aside judgment (and boy, can I judge!) that seems to be at the growing edge for me. I know I need to be rooted in God’s love, to continue to discover just how deep it is, and just how fully I am loved… and out of that, to extend that love in practical ways.
I’m asking myself today, how can I be more hospitable?
I invite you to join me in asking that question, and taking a chance… to act on it!
Welcoming You to Grow in Jesus,
Pastor Don