Hospitality?
Jeremiah 2: 4-13/Hebrews 13:1-8,15-16/Luke14:1,7-14
14th Sunday of Pentecost/September 2, 2007/ Year C

"Do not neglect to show hospitality to the stranger," the author of Hebrews advises, "for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it."(Hebrews 13:2) This verse is but one out of many ethical instructions that close the letter to the Hebrews. To understand its full meaning, we need to know something about attitudes toward strangers in Bible times.

To many of us, strangers are the object of suspicion. What was the lesson our parents drummed into our heads, from early on? "Never talk to strangers!" That's a wise, a practical lesson to teach children in this uncertain world, but it's also the kind of message that can reverberate inside our heads well in adulthood. It's like the radio jingle we'd love to forget, but can't.

We protect our homes with dogs and deadbolt locks, post our roads with "No Hitchhiking!"; bar the way into our offices with receptionist desks, put up barriers on our borders, and metal detectors and x-ray machines stand guard at our airports and borders. Passing someone on a city sidewalk, most of us avoid making eye contact. And if the person coming toward us looks a little different- someone who's from another race or wears different clothes, or speaks another language- a cold stab of fear may enter our heart.

It's not the way it was in the ancient near East. Strangers were considered sources of blessing, not fear. Far from avoiding strangers, these cultures accorded them special privileges; most notably, hospitality. To turn a stranger away from your door was considered the depth of villainy.

To these societies, as stranger is more than merely someone we haven't met. A stranger just may be a messenger from God, and angel. That's what the Greek word, aggelos, or "angel" literally means: messenger. As stranger on the doorstep brings a blessing, for out of the sojourner's mouth may come divine words. And old Polish proverb puts it succinctly: "A guest in the house is God in the house.

It's only after the feast that the strangers deliver remarkable news that Abraham's wife, Sarah, advanced in age through she is, will bear a son. That son, Isaac, is the means by which God will maintain covenant with Israel. So Abraham's encounter with the three "strangers" is incredibly important, for the entire nation. It is no accident that right at the center of this pivotal event is a gracious act of hospitality.

There is a strong connection, in these ancient cultures, between strangers and God. When strangers walk into your life, they bring surprises intriguing possibilities of an encounter with the divine. You never know what lessons strangers may teach about matters weighty and eternal. So it is wise to entertain them, to greet visitors with the utmost respect and with all the hospitality of your home.

To the ancient Greeks, it was rude event to ask a strangers name until after the meal has been completed. That way, the hospitality remained pure, honest, and from the heart, free of any selfish desire to impress.

Our modest ideal of hospitality is poverty stricken, compared to these ancient cultures. Today we have a "hospitality industry"- hotel/motel chains, rental car agencies, fast-food restaurants-all calculated to provide the greatest efficiency and comfort to the business traveler. But we have little real hospitality.

And the church is no better. Fred Craddock, preacher and teacher, tells a parable about his first church in East Tennessee. When the federal government's research facility near Oak Ridge, Tennessee entered into a period of growth in the late 70's, Craddock encouraged the people of this little 112-year old church to call on the new comers, to invite them to the church. "They wouldn't fit in here!" was the reply.

Eventually, the conflict came to a head. Someone moved at a meeting that no one be admitted to membership in that church unless they owned property in the county. The motion passed overwhelmingly. It was realized among the natives, that most of the property these people lived on was federal property, and there for was not part of the public domain.

Years later, the Craddocks moved back to the area, and decided to drive by the old church one day. They we surprised to see that the parking lot was filled to overflowing on Sunday morning. Then they saw a large sign out front, "BARBEQUE-ALL YOU CAN EAT!"

The church was no longer a church. It had become a restaurant. The Craddocks stopped and went inside. Several of the old pews were over against a wall. Electric lights had been installed. The old organ had been pushed into a corner. And sitting around all the plastic and aluminum restaurant tables were all kinds of people. In Craddock's words, they were "Parthians, Medes, and Edomites, and residents of Mesopotamia, all kinds of people. I said to Nettie, "It's a good thing this place is not still a church, otherwise all these people couldn't be in here." As they ate they struck up a conversation with one of the waitresses. She said that they church had closed a few years back, for lack of membership. All the old folks had died leaving no one to continue the ministry. The church down the street from that Church had survived and now numbered in the hundreds. They had made the decision to reach out to the new people and invite them to come to church.

Statistics show us that more than 60% of new members say they visited the first time because of an invitation or because of knowing someone in the church. But only 4% said that knowing someone was the reason they stayed or came back. The invitation gets them there, but it is the welcome, the warmth and authenticity of the people, the personality, teaching and preaching of the pastor and worship bring visitors back to experience church life again. They say that they have found something that was missing in their lives, genuine relationships with people and with God. People's Faith is rooted in three things:

RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CHURCH MEMBERS
RELATIONSHIP WITH PEOPLE OUTSIDE THE CHURCH.

At the center of any act of hospitality is an encounter with people. It is precisely this sort of one-of-a-kind human interaction that the hospitality industry seeks to minimize. A turned down bed and a mint on the pillow are wonderful things, but they are no substitute for a heart to heart conversation or relationship with a friend. WE would do well to cultivate more of these hospitable encounters in life. So much of our culture conspires to prevent us from truly meeting our neighbors, from knowing each other's souls. Maybe life was simple back in biblical days; or maybe the people of that era simply had a stronger sense of how faith pervades all of life.

WE are called to share our faith. Sharing the mystery of God is a sacred gift contained in the practical sharing of our life together and with those around. We are called to show hospitality to the stranger, we never know when we may be entertaining angels without our knowing.

Reverend Westmoreland
September 2, 2007