Humble Hospitality

Jeremiah 2: 4-13
Hebrews: 13: 1-8, 15-16
Luke 14: 1-14

I had the honor and privilege of preaching today.

I was sitting with my friend Kelly, who along with Lisa invited me to attend
St. David's 6 years ago. Kelly too was speaking today during announcements for our "ministy minute". I turned to Kelly and said, "This is where it all began for you and I...at the 10:45 service." I smiled to myself thinking here we both were in row #2! We use to sit in the last row, 6 years ago and here we both were today at the lecturn. God works.

I didn't think about posting my sermon until a faithful, loving parishioner, who I respect so much said. "You are going to post that,aren't you? I check your blog once a week." Well, this is for him, for his encouragement and in honor of the loving way both he and his wife serve God.

So, here goes.

Good Morning.
I’d like to tell you a story. A true story. I love Thanksgiving. I love everything about it: the planning, the shopping, the preparation, the feast , the clean up and the left overs. A few years ago I was out shopping . I was having, what I refer to as “ My Martha Moment”. I was busy, busy busy. I was busy with preparations, looking for that perfect napkin holder, table cloth and candles.
I was SO BUSY that I didn’t notice the women watching me, until she said “ You seem to be getting ready for quite a holiday”. I answered her and we both got to talking about Thanksgiving, family,friends, traditions and who we invite. When I asked her what she was doing, she said she
wasn’t sure. You see she shared that she was new to the area and was just getting settled and she was alone. Well, I told her she couldn’t be alone for Thanksgiving, no one should be alone and she had to come to my home . She hesitated looked at me strangely. She asked me if I was serious. I said yes. She hesitated. I insisted. We exchanged phone numbers. I paid for my purchases and off I went.

When I arrived home I couldn’t wait to tell my family about our newest guest. What is one more when you have 40 coming for dinner, right? When I shared what had happened on my shopping trip my family responded with:

You did what? You don’t even know her!
You really invited a stranger to Thanksgiving dinner?
You gave her our phone number? Our address?
What if she robs us?
My favorite is: Mom, what if she is a murderer?....true story

They weren’t happy , they questioned my judgement. I was in a bit of trouble with my family but true to form, I forged on knowing this was the right thing to do.. I continued as planned. Thanksgiving came and I set a place for our guest, our other guests arrived and I waited. I waited. After a certain amount of time we began dinner but I couldn’t remove the place setting just in case
she came. I didn’t want her to feel awkward if she arrived late. I put this place setting among my family and friends, knowing to the right was someone who would take care of her, making her feel welcome and to the left of her was someone who would engage her in conversation.My guest never arrived . Every year this story comes up, the kids tease me and then the conversation always gets serious , they always ask, who do you think she was? Mom, why did you do that? Every year I say
the same thing, I did that because the loving thing is always the right thing to do. I don’t know who she was, maybe she was someone who needed to talk that day, maybe she was someone who needed an invitation to feel included…..or maybe she was an angel.

In today’s readings Jesus teaches us not to be exclusive about whom we invite to our home. God opens His Kingdom to everyone, teaching us to be hospitable despite any rule or social convention, even if it gets you into trouble.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus gets himself into a bit of trouble. First, he heals on the Sabbath, then he rejects protocol. You see, ancient meals were social ceremonies. People noticed and knew where one ate, with whom one ate ,where one sat. All of these determined one’s social position.
Historically, the Pharisees were not the bad guys. They were devoutly committed to keeping God’s law. The man with dropsy was not in immediate danger ,if his life was at stake healing on the Sabbath would have been acceptable. For Jesus to heal him was disrespectful to the standards of the time.

What was Jesus doing? Jesus was shaking things up, as he always does. He was redefining social order, protesting discriminatory meal practices and placing priority on the needs of a fellow human being no matter what. For Jesus, meals were for celebration and fellowship. He was redefining the standards by which one gains honor in God’s eyes. The Glory that only God can give.

Jesus was teaching our obligation to one another when we are in need and always.

Jesus flips the social order to the ways of God. The first shall be last and the last, first. He also tells “For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted”

We also see this reversal way back in Luke’s gospel, in the Magnificat, Mary says:
" he scatters the proud imagination of their hearts, brings the powerful down from their thrones, and lifts up the lowly, who fills the hungry with good things, and send the rich away empty.”

Jesus urges us to practice generous, loving hospitality to everyone regardless of social status, Hospitality that does not worry about getting invited in return…or getting anything in return Remember His words in today’s reading from Hebrew’s:, “Do not neglect to do good, and share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.”

We share a sacred trust with God. We make a commitment to Him when we renew our
Baptismal Covenant. We promise to continue in the Apostle’s teaching AND fellowship, AND in the breaking of bread…..

We promise. In doing so, we have made a personal Covenant with God.

So maybe this hospitality that Jesus talks about is for our neighbors ,just because. . Maybe it is for your friend. Maybe it is hosting an exchange student, Maybe it is helping a local family in need, or the elderly among us, or the family you helped at REACH, or a young girl at the Bromley School, or a young
boy in El Hogar. Jesus tells us in today's Hebrew lesson “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels with our knowing it’.

Are there people here among us today, in our covenant community who we could share a
meal with? Someone who possibly can’t put one on their own table tonight? Someone who is lonely? Someone who is imprisoned in the wrong job, a bad or abusive marriage, depression or chronic illness. When we cultivate heartfelt loving, humble hospitality we are living God’s dream, in God’s way.

Oh, the blessings will come – not from other people, even though that does happen from time to time.
The blessings always come from God.

So, as we listen each week to our Ministry Minute during announcements in preparation for our Celebration of Ministries Service and Fair,let us really live the Gospel and invite those we don’t know or those who make us uncomfortable into our circle, our ministries,
and our church home, to share in the most sacred meal of the Eucharist? Everyone
is welcome at His table.

When Jesus says, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind, most of the time that sounds an awful lot like us, doesn't it? Poor in knowledge and faith, crippled by our own poverty, wealth, or addictions or blindly struggling…

We have resources and we have one another. These are our blessings. The blessing and good news for everyone is that God is real, God is love, God lives in us. He is with us now. He is in every corner of the world , in every bit of creation and God’s will for everyone is life ….. abundant life.


We can share our abundance. It is not diminished by even the most extravagant
wastefulness…so give it out freely, without any expectation of anything in return. Risk it on the ungrateful, waste it on lost causes, spend it on everyone you come across. God’s love is a fountain that turns deserts into streams of living water.

It doesn’t belong to us so that we can hoard it, we’re just stewards of it, until we take our own place at the great banquet table, alongside all the other poor , crippled, blind and lame ,who like us, could never repay our host for this invitation.

So, until that time,"together,let us not forget to do good and to share what we have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God."

Nameste,
Maureen