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The Art of Hospitality

There is a wonderfully warm invitation in the 80’s hymn by Jim Manley that says, “Come in, come in and sit down, you are
a part of the family.” It’s one of those hymns that offers a welcome to worship for all of us, no matter what we happen to be going through, or where we are on our faith journey. The lyric uses familiar, easy language that is disarming and faith-filled all at the same time.

Most congregations will tell you that hospitality is all important, but few manage to practice it well. Speaking from my experience, Sunnybrook seems to fall in the latter category most often. The welcome here is not rehearsed and programmed into how we behave, but I feel it comes across as a genuine offering of kindness. I love to hear about congregants who randomly strike up conversations with folks they don’t know and soon discover connection and common ground.

In the ancient world, the art of hospitality was rooted in God’s relationship with the people. God’s love was, and still is, shown each time kindness and generosity is extended to others. We are meant to care for one another in ways that bring about genuine human connection. Sadly, in many ways our society has become very individualistic. We can easily become caught up in our own pursuits of making a living and creating a certain lifestyle for ourselves without too much concern
for our neighbours. Perhaps we have forgotten that we are all in this together.

Thankfully, most faith communities still remember our sacred story and continue to practice the art of hospitality. The invitation is still there to come in and be part of the family for awhile. Let’s remember that people come through our doors at Sunnybrook for many reasons and with many different expectations. Let’s hope they find a warm and kind welcome that is in fact, an expression of God’s love, alive and well in the world.

Peace and joy,
Nancy