From the General Secretary’s desk

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Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it. (Hebrews 13: 2)

Be hospitable to one another without complaining. Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received. (1 Peter 4: 9 – 10)

One of the gifts that I experience in my ministry is the gift of hospitality. In the last three months alone I have experienced the hospitality of our churches in Switzerland, Ghana, Australia, Vanuatu, the Solomon Islands, Germany, USA and the United Kingdom. As I visit our member churches, I learn what their challenges are and the ways in which they faithfully respond to God’s mission in their contexts. I am convinced that in all these places, our churches are faithfully responding to the call to be hospitable to one another.

At the General Assemblies, Synods, and conferences of our member churches which I have attended, hospitality is often at its best, as churches in their busiest event of the year (or of a two, three or four-year cycle) welcome representatives of their partner churches and organizations. It is wonderful to note the hospitality that exists within the Reformed family and within the ecumenical family in general.

As immigrant churches continue to grow in North America and Europe, some are experiencing hospitality from our member churches whose sanctuaries have served as “homes” for the immigrant churches. Such hospitality is at its best when the host church is not simply a landlord whose premises constitute the facility rented by the immigrant community for use when the host congregation does not need it. Hospitality is expressed most profoundly when there is a real partnership in which host and immigrant church make the effort to bless one another and to learn from one another. It is also expressed when Christians dare to take stances vis-à-vis national policies that welcome strangers and immigrants – especially in countries in which welcoming attitudes to immigrants can be politically emotionally charged.

In all these, the hospitality is a blessing to both those who offer it and those who receive it. As we approach Christmas 2009, many families and congregations will have an opportunity to show the love of Christ through being hospitable. It is my prayer that we will go beyond our families and friends to seek out those who will not be receiving any hospitality simply because of their financial situation or because they are disadvantaged by societal structures.

In a few months, the World Communion of Reformed Churches will become reality. As we reflect on the word Communion in the name, I hope we can make every effort to deepen our relationships so that the sense of hospitality that is offered leads to our feeling that we have a solid communion.

We are grateful to God for how our North American member churches, their congregations, and the North American Arrangements Committee are leaving no stone unturned to offer great hospitality to all participants to the June 2010 Uniting General Council. We thank God for the resources and time that have been committed to such hospitality. The process of uniting itself has been an expression of hospitality on the part of WARC and REC to each another.

As we celebrate Christmas and as we enter into our Uniting General Council year, I want to pause and extend gratitude to all who show hospitality within the family as well as to strangers. Let us take the opportunity to renew our commitment to God and our desire to express hospitality especially to strangers. Let us take the opportunity to live out our communion by deepening the hospitality we offer one another.

Hospitality is God’s gift for us, and the gifts we have received ought to be instruments of practicing hospitality. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, God has invited us into the divine family – now that is hospitality! This is the basis of our communion. We belong together because God has brought us into communion first with God and then with one another.

Let us ask for grace to deepen our practice of hospitality within the communion and to strangers.