Hospitality

In biblical times, hospitality referred to and required offering overnight lodging and meals to travelers who appeared on one's doorstep unannounced. Today, "hospitality" usually implies something less ambitious, even just an invitation to share a meal. Yet as simple as such an act is (e.g., the picture below), it is nonetheless a profound vehicle of love and witness. It can be an expression of what Jesus did--welcoming and embracing the stranger. And scripture reveals that in the early church, "breaking bread together in their homes" was a signature practice. Gracious hospitality is both a fruit of the gospel and a conduit for the gospel.

At RCC we designate the third week (Sunday) of every month to be "Hospitality Sunday" and we encourage people to invite (or accept) someone to share a meal sometime that week. We include hospitality as a commitment on our annual pledge forms. We read it in scripture, preach it from the pulpit, herald it in small group Bible study. Whether you are a newcomer or longtimer at RCC, we hope and pray that you will be blessed by invitations to share food with brothers and sisters here at RCC--and make hospitality your own habit too.

Think about it:

You may quickly forget the name of someone whose hand you shook last Sunday, but you'll never forget their name if you eat a meal with them!

Ideas:

House a mess? You think you're not the "hosting" type? Offer to bring dinner to their place. Or perhaps take them out to eat. Or how about just splitting a hoagie together after church?