02.01.08
Posted in Hospitality, Joyful Work at 1:35 pm by trisha
The unexpected visit, we have all had them.
I am not a spontaneous person. I tend to not exude a “laid back-sure-drop-by-anytime” attitude about guests. I schedule and plan any guests that are in my home. Whether it is a meal or a meeting with dessert and coffee, I plan. I plan the menu for dinner. Before they come, I freshen up the house, the kids, and light candles. I like having things prepared. If someone drops by, I am surprised, unprepared, you would probably catch me without make-up, and dishes in the sink! I put myself in Martha’s shoes and wonder if she was scrambling with out make-up and dishes all over her kitchen and no food made ahead of time for the surprise visit from GOD! I can imagine myself sweating, nervous, and very naturally succumbing to my “fear of man” –make a great impression here- self-induced pressure!
Worship is far from my heart when a visit is unplanned. My default is certainly shame. Shame for not having had imagined the possibility of a visit, kept my house perfect at all times, and a smile to boot! That shame is not from God. It is from my own heart, a heart full of fear of man, and Pride.
Having an attitude of worship unto Jesus when the unexpected visitor arrives (I think) might look like this:
- prepared in my heart to put others first
- preparing my heart by praying for an open heart and open home
- having systems and schedules for time management (my favorite)
- waking up early to have time to pray and prepare mind, heart, and body to serve
- having essentials for hospitality always on hand, already made, frozen baked goods, ingredients for a quick snack, breakfast, lunch, or dinner, fun drinks, fresh flowers
- one area of the house ready for conversation (picked up and clean)
Having a worshipful heart when serving others in my home- means I am selfless. I offer my heart, compentancies, and most important my ATTENTION to those who are in my home.
Reminders of Grace: God is not primarily concerned about how I prepare for expected or unexpected visitors. He cares about my heart in it. Am I worshipping Christ or myself as I serve? Thankfully, His grace abounds.
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01.25.08
Posted in Hospitality, Joyful Work at 3:58 pm by admin
An easy attempt at change is to change one’s behavior. But, God is after HEART change. So, the following does speak to the changes that a repentant Martha can work on. Distracted Martha’s heart can start to focus her energy and thoughts towards worship as she becomes a better planner and organizer. Purely, by God’s grace, Martha heart will start dwelling on Christ in her as she: serves Him and others in her presence.
It is a matter of prayer and dependence on Christ that Martha can practically apply these changes in hospitality. Again, no behavior change cheaters! God sees our hearts. When people are in my home, my desire is to see them as a gift from God, to enjoy them, to treasure their words, to allow Christ to minister to them.
Part 1 is to talk about hospitality in the home where it is EXPECTED, not a suprise drop by. But, a planned dinner or meeting to host a friend or a stranger.
Scenario 1:
The meal is not prepared. You have in mind what you are making, yet all the preparations are undone. You wait until the guests arrive to start preparing. Immediately, the guests start asking how they can help you and they are hungry. The attention goes on you because you are the one with the plan. The attention doesn’t go on your guests, because now they are here to help you prepare- their meal. You are haried but trying to put out a calm vibe but it feels awkward. Dinner is served, later than anyone’s tummy wanted. Your guests ask you a few questions about your day. You answer. You are distracted now about cleaning up. Everyone is done eating, it was delicious! Everyone helps you clean up and you try to insert a few questions, because you know it is the “right thing to do”. You remind yourself that “good hosts” engage their guests. After cleaning up you may go to the living room for coffee and dessert and you find yourself looking at the toys on the floor and the hand smears on the window behind your guests head. With little eye contact, you try to enjoy conversation, yet you are distracted with much. Your guests leave. What was their experience? Did they feel- loved, engaged, pursued, served? Did your guests experience the love of Jesus? Was the experience worshipful? Did hearts resemble selfless service to Christ?
Scenario 2:
You have the meal ready, the house is clean and any tasks that would lure you are done ahead of time- so that your eyes and heart are glued to the friends in your home. The mess from dinner stays on the table and counter. The conversations are priority. You listen and pursue with questions and affections. They aren’t there to be impressed by you and your hosting and cooking abilities. Your guests are there to be served, loved, and pursued. But, even more, they are there for you to glean something from. If you view your guests as partners in the Gospel,your desire is to learn from them, not to impress them. This is a huge shift from entertaining in the home, verses true biblical hospitality. As Martha hosted Christ in her home, she had an opportunity to lay aside busy preparations, but to give herself, her attention to him. She missed it!
Oviously, no one fits squarely in either scenerio, but you get the point. In Scenario 1, the host is concerned with self, distracted, confused, and misses the gift of Christ. In Scenario 2, the host is tenderly available to the guest, open to the riches of Christ- offered up in conversation and an opportunity to serve others.
Both scenarios involve sinners- yet scenario two chooses the “good portion.”
My husband I and I often pray before people arrive that our conversations would glorify Jesus and that He would help us know how to love them well. When people leave and kids are in bed, my husband and I enjoy conversation with one another while we clean up from the evening. My heart is glad at the opportunity to serve the people in my home and it that, my heart is full of worship.
Do we see the guests being like Jesus in our home and cheerfully set at their feet, learning, serving, and enjoying them?
Do we worship Christ as we serve others in our home?
In some sense the most benevolent, generous person in the world seeks his own happiness in doing good to others, because he places his happiness in their good. His mind is so enlarged as to take them, as it were, into himself. Thus when they are happy, he feels it; he partakes with them, and is happy in their happiness.”
-Jonathan Edwards
Worshipping Christ in Hospitality:
-Loving others- equipped with divine grace
-Experiencing Christ in serving others
-Experiencing Christ through the gift of others
-Dependence on Christ
-Glory to Christ
Love is the overflow and expansion of joy in God, which gladly meets the needs of others. Love is not merely the passive overflow, but the agressive extension and expansion and completion of JOY IN GOD, reaching any.
-John Piper
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