A Beautiful Tradition

This summer I am helping to lead a Bible study on the topic of hospitality.  We are hosting a "Supper Club" and gathering together to plan a meal, prepare it, and fellowship around the table while we enjoy the blessing of delicious food.  I am basing the study around the book Making Room, Recovering Hospitality as a Christin Tradition by Christine D. Pohl.  I am sitting at Barnes and Noble feasting on the authors words as she describes the beauty of the call to hospitality.  She describes how hospitality combines the practice of bearing God's image, helping to dignify that image in other people, as well as being reminded of the gospel as we welcome the needy and broken.  What a gift and blessing to practice this in our lives.  I thought I would give you a taste into what the author describes.  I am really looking forward to continuing to put this study together and then discussing this with other sisters in Christ.


"God's guest list includes a disconcerting number of poor and broken people, those who appear to bring little to any gathering except their need.  The distinctive quality of Christian hospitality is that it offers a generous welcome to the "least," without concern for advantage or benefit to the host.  Such hospitality reflects God's greater hospitality that welcomes the undeserving, provides the lonely with a home, and sets a banquet table for the hungry."

Praise God that because of Christ, we as broken, needy, and poor can now dine at his banquet table.  My prayer is that I learn more this summer how to respond to this grace that I have received, and bless others with this same love.

-Lindsey

Painting: Supper at Emmaus (Caravaggio), Milan