The Radical Hospitality of Baptism

Confession 1:  As a self-proclaimed hospitalitarian, I look for (and usually find!), hospitality everywhere and in everything. 

Confession 2: It's about to get really Lutheran up in here...  

In Luther’s explanation of baptism in the Small Catechism he quotes from the book of Titus, chapter 3:  “By the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost, which shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ, our Savior, that, being justified by His grace, we should be made heir according to the hope of eternal life” (Titus 3: 5-7). Who knew Titus was such a gem!  It clearly does not get the credit it deserves.  Anyway, this explanation of baptism is a beautiful articulation of Lutheran theology- renewal, grace, hope of eternal life.  But in those words, I also see the radical hospitality of God.  Through baptism we are welcomed anew both because of and in spite of who we are, surrounded “with abundance” the presence of the Holy Spirit, and given the hope of eternal life.  God lavishly pours out God’s love and grace- and in that, “we are marked with the cross of Christ forever”.  And for those of us who have ever had a guest over stay their welcome, we understand what how radically hospitable a “forever” invitation is!  But it doesn't stop there.  In the act of baptism, we as the community in Christ, following God’s example, offer hospitality to the newly baptized.  We stand and welcome them into the Body of Christ and recognize them as a fellow worker in the kingdom of God.  Not guest, but fellow member equal in love, grace and gift.  And then we slide over and make room for one more person at the table.

Hos-pi-tal-i-tar-i-an

After my initial post, I received a few questions about the title.  So let me back up a few steps.  The term is Hospitalitarian (Hos-pi-tal-i-tar-i-an).  It is a term somewhat commonly used in the restaurant and hospitality industries.  In fact, I first heard it used by my supervisor to describe all of us who work on staff at my catering company.  At first I thought the title was sort of ridiculous- we are service staff pouring drinks, setting tables, and bussing dirty dishes- stop trying to make it sound glamorous.  But the more I thought about it, the more I realized it was true.  We aren’t just serving food, we are creating an experience.  If you have ever planned and hosted a party, you understand.  The placement of bar, the type of food, the way it is served, the music, the décor- all of it is planned to set a specific mood, to help the guest have the experience we are intending them to have. 

Often when talking about the importance of Christian hospitality, we quote from Hebrews:  “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angles without knowing it” (Hebrews 13:2).    But what does that actually mean?  What does “showing hospitality” actually look like?  I did a quick Google search of “hospitality” and I stumbled upon a blog from a top restaurateur who distinguished the difference between service and hospitality in the restaurant business:   “Customer service entails getting the right food to the right person at the right time. Hospitality is the degree to which your customers feel that your staff is on their side” (Danny Meyer, read entire blog here). 

What a different experience that could create it we moved that concept beyond the restaurant.  How different would our conversations be if we entered them intentionally on the side of the other person?  How different would our churches look if we didn’t just give the courteous welcome to visitors, but were intentionally invested in their experience?  I think that is what hospitality is really about- not only creating an experience, but being intentionally invested in the people involved; treating each other as if we actually were angels…

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Acts 6

In the sixth chapter of Acts, it is brought to the attention of the disciples that some of their responsibilities are falling through the cracks-the widows are being neglected in daily distribution of food.    In order that they may focus on “prayer and the ministry of the word”, they set apart seven disciples to “wait on tables”.  This story is often referenced when discussing the roots of the Diaconate- which is convenient since I actually enjoy waiting on tables.  But it wasn’t until a few days ago that the depth and meaning of that story came to life for me.

It was Day 1 of the Theological Conference.  In my role as the Diaconal Ministry Intern at the Office of the Bishop, I had one week to help my supervisor move the entire conference from a flooded Estes Park to the suburbs of Denver.  With a little bit of luck and a LOT of help and generosity from a local congregation, it had come together and we were moving through the schedule of events.  As the event began, I found myself looking forward to meeting and connecting with pastors and other leaders from around our synod.  But while some were attending a pre-session gathering and others were trickling in to register, I was in the kitchen setting up for the Welcome Reception.   While they were meeting in their conferences, I was working with the caterer to prepare for dinner.  And as they headed into opening worship, I was working with the wonderful volunteers to clean-up from dinner. 

And then as I was pushing the cart filled with dirty coffee cups, the light bulb came.  It was less of an “ah ha”, and more of a “Holy sh*t” sort of impact- I was stopped in my tracks.  The words from the story in Acts 6 came rushing over me “let us set apart…whom we may appoint to this task”.  It was more than just making sure the coffee was full (though now I am a percolator expert!), it was about creating an experience for those who came to retreat, it was about developing relationships with those behind the scenes, and it was about the conversations with the volunteer who recognized the challenges of the Church, with the teenage girl who had a passion for ministry, and with the young man who was dreaming big.  It was about recognizing my call to something different- my call to Diaconal Ministry.