Hospitality - Good Times With Other People

  The Bible talks about our being given to hospitality. But just what is hospitality? My original thoughts were that hospitality is making a nice dinner, putting out the best dishes, serving a fancy dessert and then having a cup of coffee to tea with the guest. Hospitality might include those things, but it certainly is not limited to them.
 
    Years ago, we invited a couple over for dinner. We were young and they were younger. I had the nice dishes on the table and the cloth napkins were folded up in a decorative way. The young woman who was our guest felt intimidated by all this. I guess, you never really know what a person thinks about your service unless they tell you!

   We learned something from a book on hospitality, that I will never forget. The phrase went something like this, or had this effect; Put out your everyday dishes for guests, and put out your china dishes for your family. I think the principle is cool. You want your guests to feel like family, and you also want your family to feel special. Of course, do not do this at the same meal! That would look strange to have your family's china dishes on the table along with the everyday dishes. That would be very confusing to everyone!

   Doing hospitality doesn't have to center around food though. Hospitality involves taking time to get to know someone, and to know them better. Sometimes, the food can get in the way. I have had people over and had not had the time I wanted to spend with them because I spend a lot of the time washing dishes and putting food away. Obviously, some of that has to be done, but, if a person is clever, they can do a lot of work ahead of time. So, a goal I am working on is to not spend too much time in the kitchen once the meal is over.

  One of my friends told me that she has a friend who has company over at times. The woman and her husband prepare everything ahead of time, and clean up all the cookware and kitchen, so they don't have to do that later. Another great idea to embrace.

   Even better though, is getting away from all the food, and zeroing in on a person, giving the guest as much attention as possible. That is what hospitality is about. Think of Mary and Martha. Their story is a good example of what hospitality consists of. There are so many details that have to be tended to, when cooking, and they take away from the intention of hospitality. Jesus was more impressed with Mary, than Martha, even though Martha did so much more work than Mary did. Mary was the one who was being hospitable though. She was the one who was learning and paying attention to their Guest.

  So, while we want to nourish people with good, wholesome food, which takes a lot of preparation, hospitality is the priority here. Spending quality time with people, learning from one another, encouraging others, helping those who struggle with their sins, helping people to be free from their bondages, praying for our guests, and other ways we minister to people in person, is what makes hospitality work.

   We can be hospitable on Facebook and other social networking media, however it doesn't have the same depth as it does when we are in person.

   I started to write this blog telling of my adventure in making homemade root beer, and it morphed into an article on hospitality. The making of the root beer ties in with hospitality because I was thinking of serving it to some guests we are going to have over soon. I love root beer and I know many other people do too. I want to get away from store bought soda, so I will make my own, with my own safe ingredients.

  I opened some of the bottles this morning and was surprised that the carbonation was powerful. I had root beer everywhere. On the second bottle, I put it in the sink and opened it up. Some ended up in the sink, but most went all over the counter. Definitely do not ever leave a drink that is fermenting, closed for several days! You might end up with soda everywhere if the bottles explode!

Homemade Root Beer. Watch out when your open the bottles!

  I want to serve the best, nourishing food I can, for my family. I am also leaning towards creating the best food for my guests, but I have to be careful to balance the time I use to prepare the food, and the time it takes to serve someone in conversation and relationship. So, I conclude that true hospitality can take a lot of time, but it is not a burden, because we love people. God puts it into our hearts to love others, and to serve them. The best way to serve them, is to get to know them. As we grow in our relationship with the Lord, we will be able to grow in our relationships with others in the body of Christ.

   So, if you come to my house for dinner or dessert, you might get a really tasty pudding, made without sugar. Or you might get homemade root beer. I could serve you the best, most healthful meal you will have ever had. But if I fail to get to know you better, I have failed on being hospitable to you. While I want your body to be well nourished (and I will see to that), what I really want is for your soul to be nourished and cared for. That is what hospitality is all about. And that is my goal for 'doing hospitality'!