HOSPITALITY, June 15 2008

Genesis 18:1-15
Matthew 9:35-10:23
The topic before us this morning is “HOSPITALITY”.
Abraham and Sarah thought they knew how to create space for guests.
They were given a year, to prepare a sacred space for the promise of God.
The disciples were sent out, as apostles, as guests in the House of Israel.
Take nothing, expect nothing, if you are received GOOD, if not move on.

We have come to believe that HOSPITALITY is the Martha Stewart:
“Art of decorating, cooking and entertaining”; that is NOT the point.
HOSPITALITY comes from the root word TO HOST, and the Latin word “HOST” is God.
If we recognize that All Creation belongs to God, this life is a gift, and every home a House of God. Our identity, as those in Covenant with God, those living in the Promise, is as standing in for the Host to welcome and honor guests until the true Host arrives.

In a Jewish Wedding, the couple stand beneath a Chuppa, a temporary dwelling place, as a symbol of their home, open on all sides, to greet and welcome all guests. One of my Seminary Professors was the Rabbi Abraham Heschel, who loved this passage, as means of suggesting that Everyone you meet must be greeted as if possibly an Angel in our midst.

Abraham saw three strangers/angels/The LORD, and entreated them, Abraham then began almost comically running about, trying to make ready to Host. He runs with a basin of water for them to sit and wash their feet; he runs to Sarah to have her grind grain and bake bread with no time for the leaven to rise; he runs to the herd, to sacrifice, cook, serve a meal. Abraham rushed about doing everything possible, everything HUMANLY POSSIBLE to HOST. Then the Strangers looked passed Abraham, HOSTING an offering of what was IMPOSSIBLE, as what was GOING TO BE.

How frequently we FORCE AMONG POSSIBLES, rather than awaiting WHAT MIGHT BE THAT SEEMS IMPOSSIBILITY. To recognize and know that we do not have to control, we do not have to make happen, we can trust God. Our responsibility as HOSTS is to create a sacred space for the SOUL to be WELCOMED.

We have Created Intentional Spaces for THE INTELLECT, we call them SCHOOLS, COLLEGES and UNIVERSITIES.
We have Intentional Spaces for EMOTIONS we call it COUNSELING and THERAPY, and thankfully we are coming to understand that these are for preserving what is normal, rather than trying to cure abnormality. We have created Intentional Places for the WILL, we call these COMMITTEES, TASK FORCES and NEW VENTURES.
To Create a Sacred Space for the SOUL we must know that the soul is FREE, as Wild as Nature, SHY and Elusive. We so fill every moment of life, we distort reality allowing no space for the Impossible, no space for the Soul.

HOSPITALITY is the sacred balance between COMMUNITY and SOLITUDE. Solitude does NOT necessarily mean living apart from others, for often when we are alone, we bring others with us, in memories and conversations with whom we argue. SOLITUDE MEANS NOT BEING ALONE, WITH YOURSELF, being fully present and accepting with who we are.
COMMUNITY is not necessarily living side by side with neighbors we rarely speak to, but rather recognizing and taking responsibility for RELATIONSHIPS with everything around us. The Theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer warned: “Let the person who cannot be alone, beware community. Let the person avoiding community beware of being alone.”

The responsibilities of HOSPITALITY belong as much to us as GUESTS as to the HOST, for as we said, all of us are GUESTS in the House of God. Jesus sent out the Twelve, as APOSTLES locally. Here he did not send them to TEACH, but rather to HEAL and to PREACH, Teaching requires Knowing and Understanding; HEALING & PREACHING are Experiences of allowing God to use you. So often we imagine MISSION as a far away journey, Evangelizing a Heathen People. The more difficult task is healing those inside our lives, our loved ones and ourselves.

Throughout the last Century Mainline Christians, like us, have had a hard time with the idea of EVANGELISM. The Word has had identification with Televangelists, and Mormons knocking on doors, bursting in our our guilts. “Evangel” is simply the word for WITNESS, to SALUTE and RECORD for others that there is more here than what we thought possible.

As APOSTLES and EVANGELISTS we are to be sent, NOT to CONVERT others to be like us, but rather to be those WHO HELP YOU GROW TOWARD YOUR TRUE SELF. When I think of the ones who have helped me most grow toward my true self, I think of those like my Father and our Children. They never pressed me toward Goals of their making, but SAW IN ME POSSIBILITY I had NEVER IMAGINED. There is a very fine line here, which separate the AMATEUR PSYCHOTHERAPY groups, from the RELATIONSHIPS that allow us to claim and affirm what we might be. What we are describing as HOSPITALITY deals with RESPECT, HONOR and INTEGRITY.

There was a man named HANK, who was a WOODSHOP TEACHER. Hank was old school, still wearing a brushcut and smelling of AquaVelva, he never came to school without wearing a white shirt, dress slacks and leather shoes. For years, Hank and the Principal had argued about his going for Continuing Education to learn the latest tools and techniques. Hank would say, I've been teaching all my life, I was teaching when those instructors went to school. I have forgotten more than they will ever learn.
THEN a new Principal began, rather than telling Hank to go, putting brochures under his nose, this Principal sought out Hank to ask guidance about care of their school building. FINALLY, Hank described, “I was always afraid of going to those conferences, because I figured they would tell me I was wrong. They would tell me that everything I had been doing wasn't good enough, and I wouldn't be able to learn a new way.” The two sat together looking at the floor for quite a while. Then the Principal said, “HANK, I am scared too. Let's go together.”