14.9 How to hospitality: a loosely-committed-To activity

So here’s a practical peek at my thought-process when it comes to choosing an activity.

Keep in mind that all the elements of hospitality serve one goal: to create a space of incarnate grace for the dear humans. What we consume, how long we’re together and where are means to this end. And so is what we choose to do. A loosely-committed-to activity only gives shape to our time.

Freedom is everything. GRACE (God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense) has been poured on me freely by the Lord who purchased and won me and included me in his kingdom. My enemies (sin, death and the devil) are defeated, and I live - unencumbered - free to be loved and to love. So there is no requirement in any of this. You don’t have to give your utmost best; you don’t have to prove your capabilities or worth by what activity shapes your time with someone.

So here’s a practical peek at my thought-process when it comes to choosing an activity:

“This person has asked for time to talk about something sensitive. We’re meeting at 10am on Saturday for two hours, and the weather is nice. 

I need something private and quiet but open so they don’t feel confined, something where we’re not right across from each other in case they need a minute to process an emotion. They’re pretty spry. Aha! Walking by the river where there are spots to get down to the edge and sit on rocks away from the main path.”

or 

“This person wants to be my friend, and I haven’t been able to welcome them to my new apartment yet. I know they like challenging their baking skills, and there’s that event coming up that we both intended to bake for anyway. Aha! I’ll invite her to my new place to try out making those macarons we’ve all been nervous to try!”

or

“This person has been part of my support system in this community, but now I’m moving away. Pizza and a couple hours packing my house up into boxes. That’s perfect.”