As we begin to move into the chapters of Bass's book that detail some of the qualities that make for a thriving church, here's a short essay by the renowned Barbara Brown Taylor, author of Leaving Church.
I think it's a good way to begin to see what hospitality means as followers of Jesus. Here's an excerpt:
"When I listen to the most devoted followers of Jesus, they tell me what it costs to love unconditionally, to forgive 70-times-seven, to offer hospitality to strangers, and to show compassion for the poor. These are essential hallmarks of Jesus' ministry, which no followers of his can ignore. At the same time, they are acts of divine mercy that disciples can feel good about, while helping others feel better too. Those who follow Jesus' lead in these areas tend to be honored in their communities, at least as long as they are judicious about whom they choose to love without condition and as long as they stop short of political activity on behalf of the strange or the poor.
"What I hear less about from Jesus' followers is what it costs to oppose the traditions of the elders, to upset pious expectations of what a child of God should say or do, to subvert religious certainty, and to make people responsible for their own lives. Yet all of these are present in his example too."
Read it all here.
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Sunday 4/22: LA Times front-page article "Bell tolls for Germany's churches." Great article on the decline of the village church in Germany. Very relevant to our discussions and the book.
You can access the LA Times article Rose refers to here.
I read the article in the Times as attached. This issue hit home with me during our Pilgrimage experience last summer. We attended services at several churches while in England and Scotland, one of the most notable being St. Mary's Cathedral in Edinburgh (Glasgow Cathedral being the other).
This was a beautiful cathedral church built eons before St. Paul's and not even in same league, dripping with history and evoking the dedicated people who built this enormous tribute to God. There were about 15 of us worshiping on a Sunday morning. What a sad sight! Somehow we need to inspire others to return to church and find there a place that boosts them and inspires them.
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