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Practising hospitality

Offering hospitality is part of being human – it happens across all cultures and all religions. We are social creatures by nature. It’s one reason why the covid lockdowns were so difficult for so many people – we were cut off from gathering and meeting with family, friends and work colleagues – and despite the technical marvel of programs like Zoom, it just doesn’t provide the same experience as being in the same physical space with others.

Middle Eastern culture places a particularly high importance on hospitality, which is one reason why Jesus seems to spend so much time sharing meals with others. He was even maligned as being a glutton and a drunkard (Luke 7:34). As followers of Jesus, Christians are called to practise hospitality, for who knows – we may be entertaining angels unawares, as Abraham did (see Genesis 18). But Jesus suggests a few tweaks on normal social etiquette – such as inviting the poor, lame and crippled and not just your friends and family – and not expecting an invitation in return.

As a country we have much to learn about hospitality. Our treatment of refugees and asylum seekers over the last 20 years, for instance, is nothing short of shameful. Yet even when we locked up these people as prisoners for years, despite the fact that they have committed no crime, their desire to offer hospitality to visitors was amazing. They offered the one thing possible – making us endless cups of green tea in the visitor’s centre.

The great blessing – as well as the great danger – of offering hospitality is the possibility that we will be changed, that our understanding of life will be broadened, that our compassion and empathy for others will be deepened as we listen to the stories of our guests. May we learn afresh the joys of offering hospitality, despite the ongoing need to be careful to do so in a covid safe way.

From the Minister,

Journeys of faith

Every one of us is on a journey called life. It had a beginning point, has many twists and turns along the way and will one day reach an end. Older people in particular, may be well aware that their journey of life is drawing to a close and may look back over their life with a mix of gratitude, fulfilment and regret.

Our journey of faith also traces out a path, although we may not be conscious of when it really started – whether in the womb (as suggested by Psalm 139), or gradually as we discovered more about the world or at a definite point in time. Along the way our journey of faith may involve cul-de-sacs, brick walls, exhilarating mountain top experiences, routine and habit. Hopefully for all of us there is a growing edge to our faith, whatever stage of life we are up to.

In this week’s challenging reading from Hebrews two journeys of faith are contrasted. The first is the journey of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt to Mt Sinai where Moses receives the Ten Commandments and many other laws. The description of the scene at Mt Sinai is intended to convey awe and wonder – as Yahweh descends on the mountain in storm and fire. The earth shakes and the people are terrified. It’s as if the writer is telling later generations how awesome and powerful the presence of God is and therefore how they must obey God’s every command as though their very life depends on it.

This journey of faith is contrasted with a Christian’s journey of faith that will culminate in God’s glorious presence in heaven, surrounded by angels and all the saints who have gone before. Amidst all the struggles and challenges of life on earth, only two things are truly dependable and solid, namely God and the kingdom Jesus is building. So the message in this case seems to be to endure whatever hardships life may throw at you because your journey will end in the glorious presence of God.

Two journeys of faith towards two apparently quite different destinations. Yet the journey is towards the same God in each case. So it is with each of us. Our journey of faith is unique to us yet it has a common end point – the presence of God. So the author seems to be saying that however difficult or routine or amazing our journey of faith is – and it may be all this and more over our lifetime – keep your eyes fixed on the final destination of the journey and the hope of enduring life in God’s presence.

From the Minister

Faithfulness and focus

Faith is a many splendoured experience that comes in various forms. Sometimes faith is knowing something deep inside that you just know to be true. Sometimes faith is more like a hunch or an intuition. Sometimes faith is borne from past experience, such as knowing that the light will come on if I turn the switch. Sometimes (often in fact) faith is a form of trust, such as following a course of medication or having a vaccine because we trust the medical science.

Spiritual faith is trusting in the goodness and loving kindness of God even when our situation or circumstances may suggest that we are all alone in the world, forgotten by God. In the ‘Hall of faith’ chapter in Hebrews 11, there is a list of famous people of faith from the Scriptures placed alongside another list of unnamed people of faith who suffer misery and persecution. All are commended for their faith, which suggests that having faith is no guarantee that life will be easy and, conversely, that suffering is not caused by a lack of faith.

The passage then encourages us to persevere in our own ‘race’ of faith in the light of this multitude of both ‘successful’ and ‘suffering’ forms of faith. In this race we are encouraged to persevere through the hard times that will inevitably come our way at some stage or other, focusing especially on the example of Jesus who is the beginning and end of our life of faith, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith (Heb 12:2). As we know, Jesus endured great shame and agony on the cross, but then experienced joy. We can expect to experience similar challenges – and joys – as we follow in the footsteps of Jesus, who is the source and inspiration of our faith.

From the Minister

Living with faith

When I was a young adult I admired people of faith. I wondered how they could be so certain about the big questions of life when to me everything seemed quite uncertain. I think I made the common mistake of contrasting faith with doubt, assuming that a person with faith must have no doubts.

These days I would call myself a person of faith – but that doesn’t mean that I have everything figured out. Rather, it seems to me that faith is having the courage to trust what you can’t fully grasp, despite the uncertainty, as suggested by the above quote from Brene Brown. The book of Hebrews states it this way: faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see (Heb 11:1).

So when I look at the world I see plenty of reasons for doom and gloom and many situations that seem impossible to resolve, such as the ongoing war in Ukraine or the climate emergency that we seem no closer to solving. But faith is trusting in God and God’s promises in spite of the difficulties and struggles that surround us every day. It is having the courage to trust that following the way of Jesus will make a positive contribution to the world and the people around us.

From the Minister,