Any talk about incarnating the gospel, living missional, or building community eventually takes the conversation out of the church building, out into the neighborhood and eventually into the home. In the early church the home was a catalyst for an incredible missional movement; the nitty gritty of everyday life and the context of oikos – the extended family unit.

So naturally as we seek to contextualize the principles we see in the lives of the early church, we reflect upon their Temple life when we think about our church gatherings, but we also start considering what it means for the home. Your home, my home. It’s a great opportunity get beyond the pleasantries you only have time for at church.

The home is an opportunity to get to know people as people, and hopefully become friends. The home is a place where discipleship comes alive, because those you disciple get to see and encounter how you do life, not just what you say about it in your meaningfully crafted church gathering. And it’s an opportunity as we engage in a missional vision to be a kingdom outpost, to be the church in the community. Your home is a chance to invite your people of peace into your world and life, especially those who find formal church settings alienating. So it’s amazing. Brilliant. Fantastic.

Except…

…what happens when you, like me, are not especially hospitable? I’m friendly, so I’m not meaning in the social-skills- be- a – nice- person sense. I mean in the hospitality- is- totally- not- your- gift, sense: the welcoming people into your home part, the hosting informal gatherings, missional in your home, the inviting people over for meals and more part, the ready to offer shelter for guests part . What if you just can’t do it?

Its not that you’re uncommitted.You’re active in church. You serve, you give. Then your church went all missional on you and church and home started getting blurred in the name of Jesus. It’s awkward. You secretly wish the missional conversation would just. stop. talking. On a bad day, if you’re honest, you’re a little resentful. Because inviting people in your home is not an expression your passionately missional heart or your strategic vision. It’s the thing that’s most likely to drag your insecurities and anxieties to the surface, and make you want to pray your kids get a 24hour bug just in time….

“Sorry we have to cancel. She’s got a temperature of 103.”

And to make sure everyone really stays away you add solemnly

“I think it might be strep… ”

Your mission (al): accomplished.

Now, many of you never feel like this at all, and that’s great. But if you relate to what I’m saying, firstly I know your pain. I really do. Yes, I wished I could escape too. And yes, I tried too. However, I’ve learned a few things, experienced a lot of things and grown in a heap of things that have changed my way of thinking and feeling about it all. When Sally Breen is discipling leaders about hospitality and its potential for incarnational discipleship and missional living, she gets them (both men and women) to process the following questions

• Is your heart ready?
• Is your home ready?
• Are your family ready?

So this week, seeking to answer the 3 questions Sally poses, welcome to my little series: How to offer hospitality when it’s totally NOT your gift. And remember, I’m not sharing from an ivory tower, but as a sister with a life in the trenches. Because when you realize that you’re not gifted in this area, and you realize you can’t hide, you’ve got to find yourselves some tools. Quickly.

How do you feel about the role of hospitality in missional living?

• Happy?
• Horrified?