Christian Hospitality . . .

Our pastor blessed us with a series of classes regarding our Faith over the Wednesdays in July. We were happy to learn he is, again, offering some more classes during the month of September. Our pastor said he loves to teach and you can feel this in the way he presents the subject matter and gets excited over the fact that he is able to share the subject matter.

Although he covered a multitude of important facts and lessons in the last set of classes, the one that sticks with me the most was Christian Hospitality. He said the Church has a lot of rules, traditions, etc. but hospitility trumps them all. You do not hurt and embarrass another person in the name of Faith but welcome them with your show of Faith and Christian Hospitality leads the way.

The subject got started when several of our class remarked about an usher who insists on shaking each and every hand of the people processing up to Communion. This is not a time to meet and greet as we should be focusing on our folded hands as they lead us to the altar. Much to everyone's surprise, Father said, "You have to return the greeting." He went on to say that he was working at teaching the ushers the correct way of doing their job but, as Christian people, we cannot hurt a kindly usher who doesn't know any better. I know of a few people in the group who will continue snubbing the gentlemen which shows they have missed the whole point Father was trying to make.

Over the years, I have had seemingly nice people suddenly decide my family wasn't worthy of the friendship. No matter how you drape yourself in lace chapel veils and kneel on the stone floor in front of the congregation, kindness and Christian Hospitality weren't there.

The older I get, the more interesting I find people's perception or reactions to matters of Faith. One person refused to let me know when the funeral would take place for a relative of hers. She later said she felt embarrassed as the relative wasn't a nice person. Talk about putting misplaced feelings ahead of the welfare of a newly deceased soul. Christian Hospitality can extend beyond the grave!

Anyway, just thought I'd share that concept with you. I'm not a reformed person but do catch myself more often and try to be kind before I walk away from a person. And, you never know what a person is going through and what a kind word might mean to them.

Father said his next class is on exorcism, Satan, evil, sin, and confession! Seems like a good follow up. Let's just hope he doesn't randomly pick five out of the class and see what he can 'scare' out of them with a blessing!