As I started 2013, I reflected on how I wanted the year ahead to be shaped. My words for the year were serve & connect. This has manifested in letter writing, having meals with friends more regularly, and caring for members of our church and community. However, the more I thought of serving others, the more I wanted to better understand how the concept of hospitality comes into play. For the month of October, I will be linking up with The Nester talking about ideas that have been percolating and how the Bible talks about both hospitality and service.
Can hospitality be holy?
What does God say about hospitality?
God calls us to serve our neighbors, what does that look like?
What are some conventional and even unconventional ways that we can serve our neighbors?
Are hospitality and service one in the same? Can they be separated?
What does hospitality look like from a distance? Or outside your home?
How can you be hospitable when you aren't able to be a host?
What does hospitality look like in community?
I began with a very practical list of to-dos to help your neighbor, but the more I drafted a guide list, the more I was drawn to God's plan for serving others. This series will be a mix of the two, some days leaning towards the more practical, other days trying to better understand God's word.
One of my favorite things I've learned about service and hospitality is summed up in this quote:
ReplyDelete"God does notice us, and he watches over us. But it is usually through another person that he meets our needs. Therefore, it is vital that we serve each other in the kingdom..." (It comes from this article: http://www.lds.org/ensign/1974/12/small-acts-of-service?lang=eng)
Anyway, I just really like the idea that when we help others we're doing God's work. It's a really honest, transparent motivation.
I am BEYOND excited about this. Can't wait to follow along!
ReplyDeleteI'm super excited for this series, Shannon!
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