Hos-pi-tal-it-y

Recently, I've been thinking quite a bit about hospitality. My conclusion? Hospitality is one of the--if not THE--most practical expressions of the Good News about Jesus.

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The other day, I was reflecting on the meaning of "Ecclesia" (the name of my church). For whatever reason, I was reflecting on this while listening to/singing the David Crowder song "Come and Listen." Here's the connection:

"Ecclesia" is the English spelling of the Greek word "ekklesia." Ekklesia is based on the root verb kaleo, which has several shades of meaning that all circle around to call. Ekklesia at its roots means called out but in the New Testament has taken on the meaning "assembly" or "gathering." Other words with the kaleo root mean to name, to invite, to summon or to choose.

So, there I was, thinking about kaleo while singing a call--and not just any call, but The Call to come the grace of the Cross:

Come and listen, come to the water's edge, all you who know and fear the Lord.
Come and listen, come to the water's edge all you who are thirsty, come.

Let me tell you what He has done for me.
Let me tell you what He has done for me,
He has done for you,
He has done for us.

Then it hit me: calling, inviting, crying out, summoning, choosing--these are words that God has stamped all over His letter to us. Beyond words, He has extended personally the gracious invitation to Life by becoming flesh, bearing death and defeating the same. And as those who have come, who have entered the grand Celebration, we have been given the significant work of inviting others to join us. What better way to go beyond the words of invitation ('Jesus loves you. Won't you trust Him?') than to actually identify the value of a person and open our doors to him? What better way to demonstrate Jesus' love to her than to extend the offer of participating in a real human-to-human relationship based on commitment, openness and trust?

This is the practicality of hospitality. This is the way that people can see the Author of the good news: when the preaching of the words of Life intersect with the 'inconvenience' of intentionally opening the barred doors of our homes and asking others to join us in that Life.

Is anyone thirsty? Come and drink—even if you have no money!
Come, take your choice of wine or milk—it’s all free!
Why spend your money on food that does not give you strength?
Why pay for food that does you no good?
Listen to me, and you will eat what is good. You will enjoy the finest food.
Come to me with your ears wide open. Listen, and you will find life.

-Isaiah 55:1-3