I believe that one of the greatest strengths of Westside Community Church is the way we open our doors to the community and provide family-friendly and fun environments for all ages through our various “easy steps” and outreach opportunities. In fact, one of the reasons many of you have come to this church and stayed in this church is becasue of the relationships we have built with one another through such events and opportunities! On October 24, we are going to have another great chance and opportunity to reach into our community and show them how Christian hospitality works and its ramifications in our world! You already know what I am referring to … our Fall Family Festival from 4:00p.m. – 6:00 p.m. on the 24th!
In Hebrews 13:2 we find the following words, "Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares." Normally when you and I think about hospitality we think about opening up our home, resources, time, etc. to people we already know and already enjoy being around. Christian hospitality, however, is far more expansive than this and actually extends first to those whom we do not know - to the stranger. Or as Richard Kregcir has said, "Hospitality is a willingness to share, with discernment, what God has given us, including our family, home, finances, and food. It is an attitude of stewardship, where we do not own anything because we are merely the caretaker for the real owner, God. In the church, it is to be welcoming, regardless of how we may feel."
Perhaps you have wondered why Westside goes to such measures to reach this community and why we teach and seek to practice hospitality as a church. Let me take a moment and give you at least three reasons why I believe the Bible teaches and calls for the practice of hospitality from God's people and His Church - the importance, impact and implications of Christian Hospitality.
Let's first consider what I call the importance of Christian hospitality. While all hospitality is welcome by those who receive it, the Christian finds importance in our hospitality because it puts legs to the Great Commandment to love our God with all of our hearts and our neighbors as ourselves. Remember, neighbor in the Gospels and the New Testament has a wide berth of meaning. At times it refers to a family member, an acquaintance you know, someone you do not know and even an enemy of yours. So, when we show Christian hospitality to the stranger it illustrates, like little else in life, God's call for us to love our neighbor and defines for us what “brotherly love” looks like. When we host families next weekend on our campus, we will have an opportunity to make the stranger feel welcomed and accepted. In so doing, we will be practicing the horizontal aspect of the Great Commandment.
Secondly, Christian hospitality brings with it unexpected and exceptional impact! The Hebrews passage actually alludes to the fact that when we practice such hospitality we may, at times, be entertaining angels without even knowing it! While at first glance words like this may strike a notion of confusion in us, if we remember the words of Christ in Matthew 25, then this makes complete sense. In that passage Christ reminds us that when we feed the hungry, satisfy the longing of those who thirst, clothe the naked, visit the sick, bring solace to the prisoner, then we have actually ministered to Him! While our Fall Festival will not afford us, per se, the opportunity to visit the sick or imprisoned, what of the hungry, the searching, the thirsty, the needy? Certainly we can anticipate that God will bring them into our midst. Will we welcome them? If we do (and I know we will) and if we recieve them in the charity of Christian love our words and actions will have an impact into eternity. How awesome is that? Makes you think a little bit differently now about cooking the hotdogs, running the games, providing assitance and direction doesn't it?
Thirdly, there are vast implications that follow Christian hospitality. Allow me a moment to give you but a few of them. The implications hit us on a personal level as God allows us to minister in this profound way! If we look at the Fall Festival as a prime moment to extend hospitality, rather than an event or program just for ourselves, then we will be blessed above all people as Christ uses us to reach others for Him. Even now, we should be thinking of people to invite and bring with us so that they too can taste of this love and care! There are also great impications for us corporately. For one thing, we are given an opportunity as a church to show this community that we care about them at a core level enough to provide a safe and fun environment where their family can simply be a family together! So few do this and, unfortunately, those who do it often do not do it well. Doing it well is another opportunity this event affords! We, as God's people, should do all we can to provide this event with excellence. This provides a testimony to those who come that we take our mission seriously and that we care greatly about how we facilitate and participate in this mission!
The Fall Festival is not simply an event for us to attend. The Fall Festival is an opportunity for us to participate in the mission of Christ for our church and His community - to love them with the love of Christ and to reach them with the heart of his care, concern and hospitality!
Extending His Reach through Christian Love!
Biz
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