1
Sept. Luke
14:1, 7-14 - Radical Hospitality
There was a story circulating on Facebook this
summer about a Pastor who transformed himself into a homeless person and went
to the 10,000-member church where he was to be installed as the head pastor
that morning. After being ignored,
glared at, asked to move to the back of the church, offered food and asked to
leave, etc., he was introduced and raised the question of the meaning of
disciple, and of the definitions of charity and outreach.
How can we recognize and affirm that our
charitable acts of providing food, serving our homeless families, and gathering
money for our various ministries are absolutely necessary, but not sufficient?
How can we recognize, and affirm that "Outreach" revolves around those actions we take to acknowledge,
proclaim and internalize that all human beings – especially the poor, the
marginalized, the incarcerated – are children of God and members of one human
family? How can we choose discipleship
by responding to Jesus’ call to us who are privileged to place others in
positions of privilege; to stand in solidarity with those who our group culture
says are of no account ? How do we honor
all human beings, invite them in, welcome them, worship with them, and learn
from them?
