The Midwifing Power of Hospitality
Hello LaSalle –
We’ve made the turn into September and the weather is slowly shifting, fall advertising at stores is in full swing, and our new worship rhythms at church are starting this coming week! As we shift and move together into this next chapter, I’ve been reflecting on LaSalle’s identity and how it orients us well to greet change and when God is doing a new thing. Our identity - Expansive Faith, Generous Community, Invested in God’s Justice – is one that beckons us to grow and change and rely on God in many ways, and in this season I’m struck by how much the posture of hospitality grounds us for healthy, healing, and faithful change.
A huge part of LSC’s history is our generosity and hospitality. Whether it was choosing to keep the doors open in the heart of the city when other congregations followed white flight, or sacrificially giving to pay for the building or the restoration of the windows, or making room for new beliefs and new cultures and new people who joined after those who historically started/ran the church, or welcoming new innovative ideas for how church and community ministry could birth nonprofits in Cabrini Green and beyond, or welcoming those at all stages of faith and trust into the hospitality of the church, or giving church members hundreds of dollars to share generous welcome wherever God called them to give, or welcoming refugees because - of course, we’re Christians – generous hospitality marks the story of LaSalle! It’s in our DNA, it is part of what God uses to call people into this Body, and to call us in this Body to continually become more and more like God’s generous, welcoming, gracious nature.
My husband and I were grateful to celebrate our 24-year anniversary this past week and along with remembering how much fun our wedding was, and feeling so grateful for the life we get to build together, I was reminded that one of Peter’s top spiritual gifts has always been hospitality. He’s someone who loves gathering others, serving and seeing what others need, and making an environment that is both welcoming and intentional so you can come just as you are. He sees and senses what others need and enjoys freely sharing – a listening ear or laughter, parenting wisdom, or recent politics or science news, food from the grill or mixed drinks he’s crafted (he’s a gifted mixologist y’all) Because there is no fear that there won’t be enough, or if others receive he won’t also receive, he welcomes, shares, gives, and also receives from others with deep grace.
Generous hospitality is a biblical posture for those of us who know that in God we have more than enough! Even when we don’t know all the answers, or see everything up ahead, or feel in total control, hospitality lets us midwife, work with, and welcome in the change of new life! So we need not compare with others like the older son, we can welcome home the prodigal with the best coat and calf; we need not grumble when we get manna, we can welcome daily provision in times that are lean and trust in abundance for times up ahead that are full. The truth of knowing there is more enough in God is what lets us generously welcome others, give knowing we will also receive, and welcome faithful change that births new life! I am excited for us to keep living into this part of our story as we welcome new things this fall – we get to be hospitable to the movement and presence of the Holy Spirit blowing fresh in our midst; we get to be hospitable to those who may be returning to LaSalle after a time away, or are new to the church altogether; we get to be hospitable to new worship leaders, new music styles, new students and teachers and musicians and readers of all ages leading us up front; we get to welcome new liturgies, practices, and rhythms of gathering on Sunday mornings together.
Thank you church for the ways that you’re already embodied hospitality – as you welcome me and my fam, welcome this next chapter of change and growth and faithfulness as a church, and welcome people each week (in the sanctuary and online and in outreach ministries and around potluck tables.) And thanks be to God for the more than enough truth of hospitality and how it changes us – may we let the movement and midwifing work of hospitality birth a new thing in us, for us, through us, and for the world!
Gratefully – RevDoc Liz