In the meantime

  The Gospel Comes with a House Key: Practicing Radically Ordinary Hospitality in our Post-Christian World, by Rosaria Butterfield . (Crossway, 2018) I just finished reading this book and it is an excellent read, giving me much to mull over (which is why I’m writing this -- to help me process it all!) This book has drastically redefined my view of hospitality. This book is not what you might expect of a book on hospitality: there are no snippets of practical tips for making your time with your guests stress-free. Neither is there an appendix of tried and true recipes. This book is not a scholarly essay on Scripture’s usage of “hospitality“ and “the Gospel.” Instead, Butterfield compellingly weaves poignant personal examples throughout her book to delineate an earnest plea for the Body of Christ to practice radically ordinary hospitality. Butterfield defines radically ordinary hospitality as the manner of “using your Christian home in a daily way that seeks to make stran...

My personality does not default to being a meticulous housekeeper.  In fact, I only do laundry because I have to have clothes to wear, and dishes only get done because the counter gets full.  Our table collects clutter like a magnet and usually only gets totally cleared off when we know we’re having company.   And then when we do have company, I go into a cleaning frenzy.  (Amazing how much can get done when you find out you’re having company in 1/2 hour!) Since getting married, I’ve been learning about the importance of hospitality.  I used to equate “hospitality” with “a full-spread meal, perfectly cleaned house, and a pinterest-worthy bedroom and bathroom.”  My father-in-law once said “ in your marriage and in your ministry, you’ve got to show hospitality.  It is in the home where you get to know people and they get to know you.”   It really is true and has been a challenge to me! Thanks, Pa! The Bible has a lot to say about hospi...