Exploring Hospitality and Humility in the Scriptures
Delve into the concept of hospitality and humility as exemplified in the Scriptures, focusing on encountering Jesus as the ultimate host. Reflect on Philippians 2:1-12 to understand Jesus's selfless nature and how we can emulate his actions in our interactions with others.
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Meeting Jesus with Hospitality Encountering Jesus as the host March 2023 Tending the Vine
Welcome You will need something to write on and with Please make sure your name on screen is correct, and if you can, please add where you are from either to your name or in the chat. A reminder that our spring Gathering Day is this month! Saturday March 25, 9:50-3:30. All Saints, Richland; St. David s, Spokane; St, James, Pullman; St Luke s, Wenatchee. A reminder that there was congregational homework to report!
Goals for our time together To explore the hospitality of God through Scripture To explore about how hospitality is expressed To reflect on our own experiences of deep hospitality To learn and use a tool for reflecting on our congregation s hospitality To go back to our congregations with tools to use to evaluate our congregation s hospitality
Meeting Jesus the host through Scripture Lord Jesus, as I read and listen to these beloved sacred texts, open my mind and heart to see you more clearly and come to know you more deeply, that I may love and adore you more and more, and follow where you lead me and walk with me each day. Amen
Philippians 2.1-12 Jesus empties himself for all In his letter to the Christians in the Greek city of Philippi, Paul calls these followers of Jesus to live out of the spirit of love, and then writes a breathtaking summary about Jesus as the Son of God who gives himself away completely and does not grasp at power. Let these words sink in about who Jesus is. If then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy, make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death even death on a cross. Therefore God also highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Therefore, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed me, not only in my presence, but much more now in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
Take a few minutes to let this text sink into your heart and mind. Consider one or both of these questions How does Jesus empty himself, and how does God fill that empty space? What is it like for you to empty yourself completely for others? What barriers get in the way of giving yourself away? How do you hear and respond to this call to follow the way of Jesus? Paul s words are for a community of faith, together. Where do you see your congregation, together, living according to this way of Jesus? Where might you be falling short? Where might you ask for God s help in following Jesus in this way, together? What might need to be taught, modeled, opened as opportunity?
What does this say to us about hospitality? What is hospitality? What does that word mean to you in your own life and in the life of your congregation? How do we recognize hospitality? When we offer it? When we receive?
The hospitality of God All human life begins with God s act of hospitality, with God making a place for us, God making space for us. Hospitality is treating outsiders like insiders What does hosting require of Jesus? Jesus emptied himself, making space for us, living with us on our own terms.
Our response to the example of Jesus What does hosting require of us? The action of Jesus is our model for our encounter with others to make space for and live with the other on their own terms, not ours. Hospitality must adapt to the experience of the outsider. We owe the other the same obligations we owe the family. Hospitality will cost us (if there is no cost, it is not true hospitality)
An Exercise As you begin, thank God for the hospitality that God gives us and for the chance to give and receive hospitality, especially to those who are strangers and guests. Invite God into this time of reflection and listening. When did you experience being hosted in the best possible way? When did you experience being host when you were at your best as a host? What are the common themes in about those experiences of host and guest? How are they similar to, and different from, the way we talk about how God hosts us?
A second exercise our bulletin as a tool of hospitality How does our bulletin show God s hospitality and help the stranger feel that they belong? What does the first page tell you about the community, if anything? Does it include the music and the words? Does it include all the words or just some? Does it use full words or abbreviations (ie TH and BCP vs The Hymnal and Book of Common Prayer), does it provide ways to know what abbreviations mean? How many resources to people need to access to go along with the bulletin? Is there clear guidance for communion such as is there gluten free available, that you may come for a blessing if you don t want to take communion, that we use wine, who is invited, etc. Is there anything written about our pew aerobics? Is permission given for differences?
Tools to take home Experience of hospitality reflection Hospitality questions Hospitality Examen
Following Jesus What are we doing that Jesus would recognize and love? Where are we looking for and seeing Jesus?
Closing prayer Lord Jesus Christ, you said, I am the vine, you are the branches, help us each day to see you more clearly, follow you more nearly, and love you more dearly, that we may be grafted more and more into your divine life and bear your good fruit, for the transformation of this hurting world. AMEN.
