Sometimes life throws us "curveballs" doesn't it? A year ago I was settled into ministry at Seminary UMC in Roanoke, IN thinking that my ministry there would last another 2-3 years and maybe more if the church continued to do well and was willing to make disciples for Jesus Christ. God had other ideas and working through the Cabinet of the Indiana Conference of the United Methodist Church, I accepted a position as senior pastor at Centerville UMC in Centerville, IN. Once again I find myself in the midst of a wonderful group of loving, faithfilled folks doing their best to follow Jesus' call to make disciples for His Kingdom. While this change has not been easy, I'm finding that this group of Jesus followers have opened their arms wide to welcome me and make sure that my transition into their community has been smooth and grace filled! Thank you Centerville UMC and the community of Centerville for your gracious and warm welcome.
My changes these past five months have been filled with massive amounts of support from my family, the church I left, the church I've gone to, the Indiana Conference structure, district superintendents, clergy friends, church friends, and the communities of Roanoke and Centerville. I am surrounded by support and love and count that as one of the many blessings in my life. There are so many people experiencing changes and disrution in their lives and many times during the changes they experience these folks do not have the kind of support, care, and love that I have been so priviledged to experience over the past 5 months.
That's where our call to the Christian faith journey must be willing to take us - to offer "Radical Hospitality" to those we encounter in life......in our communities, in our churches and in our homes. In the last 12 years of pastoral ministry I have found that most often when a new person or family comes to our churches on any given Sunday morning, there is a good chance that some sort of change has happened or is happening in their lives. These changes can be good changes like the birth of a new child, marriage, a promotion and move to a new community, or these changes could be difficult ones, like the death of a family member or friend, divorce, unemployment, ect. It is up to us to recognize that change is happening in their lives and offer the grace, love, and welcome that Christ would want us to offer to them.
Radical Hospitality, as defined by United Methodist Bishop Robert Schnase in his book "Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations", works when laity and pastors "take the initiative to invite, welcome, include, and support newcomers and help them grow in faith as they become part of the Body of Christ. (Church) members focus on those outside of their congregation with as much passion as they attend to the nurture and growth of those who already belong to the family of faith, and they apply their utmost creativity, energy, and effectiveness to the task, exceeding all expectations." (page 11)
Let us all be people of "Radical Hospitality" to the strangers in our midst!
In Christ's love, Kathy
Matthew 25:35 - 40
"For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me. The the righteous will answer him, "Lord when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and we gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visted you? And the king will answer them, "Truly I tell you, just as you did it to the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me."
