Creating Spaces of Welcome

In this lesson we will hear from Kitti Murray, the founder of Refuge Coffee in Atlanta, GA. Refuge was created on the foundation of welcome. This is what Kitti has to say on the topic:

If welcome is an impulse or a skill, hospitality is all about the patterns we use to welcome others into our homes, our communities, and our cultures.  The word hospitality is the exact opposite of xenophobia (fear of the stranger). It has several roots often includes the concept of the stranger: Greek xenos: “guest, host, stranger.” Latin hostis: “a stranger.” Old English gæst: “chance comer, a stranger.”

Hospitality makes room for the stranger. The capacity of hospitality to soften what is hard, illuminate what is murky, and open what is closed is powerful. I’ve seen it in the rituals we create around it, in the risks we take to do it well, and the ultimate rewards—to individuals and communities—of consistent expressions of hospitality.

A ritual is “a series of actions performed according to a prescribed order.” Our rituals of hospitality are not limited to the way we entertain guests or the spaces in which we do so. Rituals are declarations of our intention to embody welcome. Life is full of rituals, from weddings to funerals, to traditional holiday celebrations with family and friends, and even more simply, morning and bedtime routines or family time at dinner. Reflecting on all of the rituals of welcome that make up a hospitable life, I wonder how hospitality has shown up for you? How have rituals fostered deeper connection?

In order to create this type of hospitable life we must risk feeling uncomfortable and being vulnerable. True hospitality means you offer others a part of yourself, a piece of your precious time and emotional capacity, and often a chunk out of your own bank account, your pantry, your closet, your garage. You might do so unwisely from time to time, and then you risk losing more than you calculated, while gaining wisdom for the next time.

All this hopefully leads to the rewards of hospitality. In a recent Barna study, Households of Faith, the findings pointed to a correlation between hospitality and having an enduring, vibrant faith. Families who practiced hospitality regularly prayed more and had more conversations about the Bible. And the children who grew up in that environment tended to have a more resilient and long-lasting faith experience. In other words, faith formation and hospitality go hand in hand.

We often talk about practicing hospitality in the local church. How can we start by welcoming others? Think about the three “R”s. How have traditions helped you connect with people? What risks are you willing to take in order to practice hospitality?

Is there a ritual you have as a family, maybe a weekly movie night or an activity you do during certain seasons of the year? Take a minute to review your Guide Map. Is there a family on your list you could invite to join you? Pray for the time together.