what is
Take a minute and think about someone you know who embodies the gift of hospitality. If you’d asked me this question
when I was younger my answer would have been Martha
Stewart. In my mind hospitality was hosting someone in a
clean, well decorated home and serving them a delicious
meal. The more upscale the home, decorations and meal are
the more hospitable you are. According to that definition Martha Stewart should be everyone’s first choice. My confusion
is understandable when you consider that the hotel/restaurant business is considered part of the hospitality industry
and at some universities you can get a degree in hospitality
which would qualify you for a job at a resort or hotel. In society the word hospitality is associated with providing others
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with premium accommodations. I can cook an adequate
macaroni and cheese from a box which makes me better at
cooking than I am at cleaning or decorating so by my definition I am woefully underqualified to practice hospitality. My
understanding of hospitality has grown over the years as I
have grown in my faith but I don’t think I really understood
hospitality until God called Calvary to actively grow in this
ministry. I’ve had to wrestle with how I prioritize and facilitate
hospitality in the middle school ministry at Calvary as well as
how I practice hospitality in my personal life. As I’ve meditated on this, God has evolved my thinking and I’ve developed a
few key concepts that I’d like to share with you.