Postive Hospitality

We have a new message series approaching at Lord of Life. It is called Positive Energy. This is a three part message series. The titles of the messages are 1) Positive Words, 2) Positive Outlook, and 3) Positive Hospitality. We also have a Thanksgiving Eve Worship in the mix and will likely do something along the lines of Positive Thanksgiving.

There are so many people who are looking for a little positive energy in their lives. Everyday there are so many negative forces that are weighing people down. This negative vibe just sucks the wind out of all of us.

Take a close look at the negative symbol (-). What is it? It is a flat line. When you flat line - you know what that means - your dead!

Now take a close look at the positive symbol (+). What is it? It is a cross. As believers the cross means life and hope and joy - things you don't associate with death. It is in the cross and in Jesus that we find positive energy.

The third part of this message series is called Positive Hospitality. Hospitality has been on my mind much in the last few days. God has hit me over the head in a couple of different ways.

One of the things I am recognizing is that hospitality is found in the small things. I called it insignificant ministry. It's not that the ministry is insignificant, but the tasks of hospitality are often seemingly insignificant. It might be nothing more than saying hello or inviting someone to have a doughnut. God is so often seen so powerfully in the small stuff.

When we talk about negativity there are so many people in this world and especially in our community who are looking for a friend, someone who will accept them and love them for who they are.

My prayer for Lord of Life is that we are not a friendly church, but a welcoming church. I pray that when someone walks in the door for the first time that they recognize this is no ordinary place. This is a place where God lives and dwells, where he walks and talks through the words and actions of his people. My prayer is that we would take to heart the words of Jesus: "And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me." (Matthew 18:5) I pray that we would be accused as Jesus was accused that we welcome and eat with sinners (see Luke 15:2).

It seems that God is putting on my heart the importance of hospitality. As I was doing my devotion this morning, my mind wandered. I didn't think much about what I was reading. My mind kept coming back to hospitality, hospitality, hospitality.

We need to do a better job of hospitality at Lord of Life. Of course we can always do a better job. Hospitality is a positive thing. Hospitality builds momentum. Hospitality is a great thing for both the giver and the receiver.

Building hospitality is about building awareness. Here is a short list of some things that I believe to be important to hospitality. It is not a comprehensive list, but serves as a start.

The name
I would imagine there is nothing more important in the ministry of hospitality than the name. Our name is our unique identity. Our name is special. I am not a "hey you." It has got me thinking that we need to reemphasize the name tag at Lord of Life. Again it is something simple that is easily overlooked.

Food
It is without a doubt people love to eat. Food is something that we can all relate to. I might be in a strange environment, but the familiar taste and smell of chocolate chip cookies (my favorite - a great idea for Pastor Appreciation Month - maybe this is a test to see if anyone is reading this) has a way of setting me at ease.

Food also serves as an opportunity for me to be a servant. Not everyone is outgoing. Not everyone is comfortable. There are many people who can serve and offer hospitality in this way that may not be to the point of offering hospitality in other ways.

It was interesting that what put Jesus in association with sinners was not so much that he talked with them, but that he ate with them. Breaking bread with someone else is a show of acceptance that in unrivaled by many things.

Listen
I like to talk. I admit I am not always the best listener. There is a cliche that people don't care how much you know until they know how much you care. I believe this to be true. Hospitality is not so much about sharing your story as much as it is allowing others to share their story.

Thank you and appreciation
I was once told that for every one negative comment it takes ten positive comments to counteract it. I have a few people in my life that I admire greatly. When I think about it, one of the main reasons I admire these people so much is because they readily express their appreciation for me. There is just something about positive people that is attractive.

However, beware of flattery. Appreciation needs to be genuine and from the heart. Vain flattery does no one any good.

In the end, our ministy of hospitality is God's ministry of hospitality. We do not do this to draw people to us, but to draw people to Jesus. Our motivation is not ourselves, but those who are hurting, those who are looking for a friend, those who are wondering if anyone cares.

In 1 Timothy 3:2 one of the qualifications of a pastor is to be hospitable. I know that I will encounter a great number of people today. Wednesday is a busy day at Lord of Life. As I welcome each person, I will strive to welcome them with the love of Jesus.