Superhosts
As many of you know, Lisa and I were out of town last week on a much needed vacation. When we travel, we will often go the Airbnb route, opting for local flavor over corporate cleanliness. Of course, not all Airbnbs are created equal. Some are little more than crash pads in not such great areas. One of the things that we have learned when booking is to pay attention to the ratings and look for those dubbed "Superhosts". We have yet to be disappointed with a Superhost. They have the art of hospitality down. Every time you think, "Oh, I wish they had _____", you look, and there it is. They do the little things, like suggesting local restaurants, easily accessible electronics charging, extra blankets scattered around, cold water in the fridge, etc... They go the extra mile by providing local goodies, bottles of wine, packages of tea, freshly baked cookies. They want to make you feel welcome, because they want you to come back and stay again, and tell others about their place!
It got me thinking, churches should strive to be Superhosts as well. Naturally, I started thinking about Christ Church. I suspect that there are many areas that we do wonderfully when it comes to hospitality. I frequently hear how friendly and welcoming Christ Church is. How are we doing in the little things: watching out for the elderly in the crowded lobby, picking up after ourselves when we use an area, allowing others to go first in buffet lines and ensuring there is food for all, etc...? What about going above and beyond: opening our homes to visitors, seeking out those who seem lonely or unattached, inviting folks to sit with us, or giving up our seat on a crowded morning, even if we got there early and deserved that seat? Hospitality matters for Airbnbs and for churches.
I have two more thoughts before rounding off this week's letter. First, I realize this is not a perfect analogy. A church is far more than simply an Airbnb where the owners are focused on one thing only, hospitality. It is a place of education and growth where we come to work on growth, not simply rest. It is a family where things get left on the floor and broken. Speaking of broken, it is a hospital for the wounded and broken. Each week there are those in our midst for whom it is a triumph just to get to church, let alone thinking of serving others. Secondly, we serve because we have been served. I think of those famous words in Isaiah 55:1 “Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price." Did you hear that? You have nothing, Jesus gives you everything; without money, without price! Jesus is the SuperSuperHost whose capital "H" Hospitality begets our hospitality.