4. Hospitality as Central to Mission
Presented at the 2024 Remnant Mission Retreat
Finally, I want to explain how hospitality is the central mode of mission. Biblical hospitality transcends ordinary hospitality, which often involves inviting friends for dinner. Instead, biblical hospitality entails warmly welcoming those who are not currently our friends and who may be different from us into the fabric of our lives and communities. As Jesus articulated in Luke 14:12-14, the invitation to give a feast should extend beyond friends and family to the poor, the maimed, the lame, and the blind, a radical act of welcome that anticipates the resurrection.
Regrettably, our churches often default to practicing ordinary hospitality, extending graciousness within our small, homogenous circles and being friendly to visitors who mirror ourselves. While friendliness is not inherently wrong, ordinary hospitality often operates on tribal lines, welcoming those within our familiar group.
However, the essence of the gospel is universal, breaking down the very barriers that separate humanity. Through faith in Jesus Christ, all individuals have the potential to become part of God’s people. Biblical hospitality, therefore, welcomes each person as a genuine or potential brother and sister in Christ.
In alignment with Remnant principles, biblical hospitality takes root within our church communities, mirroring the example of Jesus. As St. Paul exhorts in Romans 15:7, “Receive one another, just as Christ also received us, to the glory of God.” Paul addressed the tensions between Jewish and Gentile believers, groups with deeply ingrained cultural animosities. Yet, in Christ, they were made one. Just as Christ unconditionally received each group, so too were they called to receive one another within the unity of Christ. Therefore, biblical hospitality necessitates welcoming the individual within our church who is different from ourselves, extending the same grace we have received from Christ despite our own shortcomings.
Biblical hospitality does not negate accountability and correction, offered with genuine love. However, it prioritizes knowing individuals before rushing to judgment. Taking the time to understand others fosters greater compassion and cultivates relational trust, providing a foundation for speaking the truth in love effectively. We often form judgments superficially. Deeper understanding reveals the reasons behind actions, moving us from judgment to acceptance, distance to friendship, and talking about them to praying for and with them. This shift offers genuine encouragement, demonstrating Christ’s care for them through our hospitality.
The capacity to genuinely welcome others is deeply intertwined with spiritual maturity. To extend grace amidst the messiness of others, we must first experience God’s transformative grace within our own imperfections. Much behavior is projection; our internal experiences are projected outward. Unwillingness to accept God’s grace in our failures leads to disowning those parts and projecting self-loathing onto others.
Self-examination regarding those who bother us can reveal our own struggles. Spiritual formation is indispensable for a church to genuinely practice biblical hospitality, moving beyond superficial niceness driven by external perceptions to a heartfelt desire to share the experience of grace.
Biblical hospitality is fundamentally rooted in a genuine love for people in Christ. Many churches welcome visitors by attempting to sell them on the “church product.” However, biblical hospitality prioritizes the individual, seeking to understand who they are and how to serve them, regardless of membership. The framework of spiritual direction aids mission here by emphasizing listening to the visitor’s story. Genuine interest in people as God’s image often leads to their greater interest in our community. If the church produces caring people, visitors will want to know why.
This orientation towards welcoming naturally leads to the creation of “hospitality spaces”—environments for genuine connection. In our disconnected world, there’s a hunger for such spaces, growing organically from spiritual formation within a community. As Remnant communities deepen relationships, the natural inclination is to enjoy time together. The church dinner or social event is not a recruitment tool but an expression of the church enjoying life as the Body of Christ, mirroring the early church in Acts 2, where communal joy attracted others.
This communal joy extends into mission when our social spaces intentionally welcome visitors. It’s vital that these spaces don’t become inward-looking. As we enjoy our time, there must always be an open space for newcomers, with genuine interest shown in them. When considering social spaces, begin with your Remnant: “What do we genuinely enjoy doing together?” Do those things and invite others. Avoid unappealing, obligatory “church events.” Always begin gatherings with liturgical prayer, integrating our lives and prayer lives within community.
Biblical hospitality has challenged traditional church culture. The twentieth-century model often lacked genuine communal life and welcome to outsiders, often limited to a brief post-liturgy coffee. Seekers today desire something more profound. A group of college students who stayed for lunch after a long drive illustrated hospitality as mission, highlighting their desire for community.
In summary, Biblical hospitality
Welcomes people as Jesus welcomes us into communion, including the difficult;
Begins within the church, consciously reaching out to and accepting diverse members;
Prioritizes genuine interest in people and their needs, not just recruitment;
Requires attractive social spaces based on shared enjoyment, inviting others; and
Necessitates moving beyond perfunctory welcomes, offering our best, like welcoming guests at home.
Discussion Questions
What are your thoughts about the presentation? Go around the group and give everyone 1-2 minutes to answer.
Discuss the distinction between ordinary hospitality and biblical hospitality. How is the practice of biblical hospitality related to our own spiritual maturity?
Does your church typically take a real interest in visitors as people and not just as potential members? Discuss the challenges of welcoming the visitor.
What current social events does your church have? Do your people enjoy going to them?