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06/08/09
hospitality
Filed under: Ron's Reflections
Posted by: site admin @ 8:17 am

I spent last week at our Church’s Annual Conference.  We, all the United Methodists south of I-80 in Illinois, meet in Peoria to set budgets, hear reports, approve or disapprove various pieces of legislation and to worship.  The theme of the Conference was hospitality. 

I had never really thought much about this topic and I was not prepared for the depth of the subject.  Hospitality is much more than simply opening our homes up to an evening meal with friends.  It is much more and much more difficult than I had previously thought.  To offer hospitality to ‘strangers’ who may be different than ‘us’ takes God’s Spirit guiding and directing. 

No matter how challenging, God calls us to be people who offer hospitality to those who need it.  In my life it takes God’s help for me to be open to those who are different in ways that make me feel uncomfortable.  Not only is that difficult but giving time in the midst of being so busy requires creativity that God only God can give. 

          God is a hospitable God.  I like that thought.

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