My favorite meal is the one that I don’t have to cook.

But seriously, my favorite meal is the one that is waiting for me when I walk through the door
after having been out of the house for 10+ hours, a long commute, especially on days when the weather is blustery. Those meals that all I have to do is drop my briefcase by the door, wash my hands and a steaming hot plate of food magically appears, dotingly cooked by my beloved. Those are the best.

Jesus was an expert in Holy Hospitality. This Scripture reading comes right after Jesus summons the twelve disciples – right near the beginning of his public ministry. Perhaps this suggests that hospitality should be one of the first reflexes that we cultivate in our communities.

How we welcome people explicitly and implicitly tells first-time guests and prospective visitors our values and whether or not they could ever be authentically welcome in our faith communities. For instance, we all want Gen Zers to join our churches. So how do we do that? According to the Barna Gen Z Study (https://www.whoisgenz.com/), “Gen Z can teach adults about the importance of loving those who are different from them.” Churches need to demonstrate how genuine Christian love is rooted in truth, charity and grace. Their need for community, security, compassion and connection creates a perfect opportunity for the church. Give Gen Zers a safe place to ask questions, express doubts and walk with them as they enter adulthood. Churches must invest now or miss this critical opportunity.”

In many New England towns and cities, our church’s radical hospitality is the best kept secret. Luckily for us, we have the best example and teacher of how we can fix that. Each time that we gather at the Communion table, we gather at a place where all can know safety rooted in Christ’s love. We experience safety in our bodies as we are nourished with food and drink that comes from God’s goodness in the earth, emotionally knowing that their entire authentic selves are welcome at this meal, spiritually knowing that God loves us exactly the way that we are right now. We experience (perhaps for the first time ever for some) a lack of barrier between us and a relationship with Jesus. Counterculturally to what we experience outside the walls of our churches we are saying to our guests, “We care about you.” When we offer a Gluten-Free option of bread we are saying that we care for your wellbeing. When we offer grape juice instead of wine we are saying that if you are on a journey toward sobriety, we care for your wellbeing. Even if we have never met you, we care about your wellbeing. That is Holy Hospitality.

There is someone in your town, city, even in your pews who thinks that God doesn’t love them. Maybe you are that pastor, that lay leader, that community to prove them wrong with your radical welcome and Holy Hospitality.