The pastor of the church in Pittsburgh is spending several weeks teaching about spiritual gifts. On Super Bowl Sunday, my assignment is to speak on hospitality. As I was praying and thinking over the topic, the Lord gave me inspiration. My two main scripture references will be Isaiah 62:10 (about removing impediments and distractions to worship) and Luke 14:12-24 (the Parable of the Great Banquet). In the banquet passage, Jesus tells the story of a king who sent out his servant and invited people to the prince's wedding feast. When the time had come, and everything was ready, those who were invited began to make excuses not to attend. Jesus went on to tell the rest of the story:
[21] "The servant came back and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and ordered his servant, 'Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.'[22] " 'Sir,' the servant said, 'what you ordered has been done, but there is still room.'[23] "Then the master told his servant, 'Go out to the roads and country lanes and make them come in, so that my house will be full. [24] I tell you, not one of those men who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.' "As Christians, we are called to invite our community to the celebrations we host each week. The problem is: we also get excuses from family and friends who would rather do something else on a Sunday morning (or Saturday night). As Christ followers and church leaders, it will be productive to ask ourselves these questions: Is the event we are inviting our community to worth attending? Is it relevant to the needs of those invited? I want to submit an acrostic which, I feel, contains a very basic checklist to help create a "banquet" that just might become the talk of the town.
As in every banquet I've attended, the main activity is to eat. The word E.A.T. contains the three beginning letters of the acrostic.
E: Our celebrations must be designed and executed with excellence. It is a learned skill. Excellence requires creativity, time, hard work, focus and money. The pursuit of it is not for the timid, lazy, or the faint of heart. The results will arguably be the best calling card for future guests.
A: Our celebrations must portray authenticity. They must be real, full of heart, humanity, and set in an atmosphere of grace and forgiveness. There may seem to be a conflict between excellence and authenticity, but I think that both can successfully co-exist. It will require a prayerful effort on the host's behalf to bring this about. Again, a great experience will bring people back for more.
T: Our celebrations must be timeless. Most burgeoning Christian communities are filled with various age groups. Focusing on one style of music, or a particular form of preaching or teaching, can be limiting. What is cool today may someday become uncool and/or obsolete. It's impossible to please every person all the time, but finding a solid middle ground will be challenging yet rewarding when those on the outer boundary learn to be supportive. Maybe the music is a little loud, or the songs are not the preferred style, but when people are coming to Jesus, and are growing in their faith, it is wise to give full support.
Building bridges to our community involves knowing the needs of our neighbors. The "people flow" that traverses through the calendar year (Christmas, Easter, new births, life changes, etc.) can be creatively harnessed to lead people right to our door! We can learn to be a beacon of hope in the midst of the marketplace and the highways and byways. People will come when they are loved, fed and encouraged.
Be excellent, authentic and timeless. Good EATing!
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