More On the Hospitality Commands

I finally finished the book last week and wanted to share just a few more portions of this little gem by Alexander Strauch.    It was a great book and it inspired me to be more consistent about opening our home.    I have probably had weekend supper company at least once or twice a month for a very long time–  but upon completing this book, I  felt an unction to step it up.

This past Sunday, we had  a couple over  who have been members of our church for about a year and a half.  (The menu was tuna fish, chips, guacamole and a brownie cake that my 15 year old made from a mix–  just to let you know that I’m keeping it simple!!!)  We shared a very nice time of fellowship and spiritual conversation and the whole time we were eating, I kept wishing I had had them over sooner!   As they were leaving, they thanked us and told us that we were the only people from our church who had invited them over for a meal.

Alright–  enough from me.  Here’s what Strauch has to say:

If we love our Christian brothers and sisters, we will want to invite them into our homes.  We will want them to fill our homes.  The presence of Christian brothers and sisters in our homes is a foretaste of our glorious, heavenly dwelling place that will be filled with people, angels, and the perfect host–  our Lord Jesus Christ.

Despite the joy of Christian hospitality, it is easy to neglect hospitality during times of spiritual stress and apathy.  Neglect, however, is a sure sign of slacking love.  Hospitality may be costly and intrusive, but that is what Christian brotherly and sisterly love demands.  Thus the Spirit of God warns us not to neglect the practice of hospitality.

When most Christians hear about their responsibility to practice hospitality, they can think up an amazing number of creative excuses to explain why they can’t be hospitable.  Yes Christians are commanded to practice hospitality.

Alright–so to whom should we extend hospitality?  Here’s a list I came up with:
1–  New church members
2–  Long time church members
3–  Hurting church members
4–  Widows  (This would especially fall under a deacon’s ministry responsibility– although we should all take care of our widows!)
5–  Visitors
6–  Lost people whom we are trying to evangelize

Here’s to opening our homes.  As we continue on this journey of hospitality, I’ll let you know how it goes!

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Cooking for Seven

Somehow, I figured out a while back that I save a lot of money and time if I only go grocery shopping once a month.  Well, major grocery shopping that is.  I still have to run to the store at least once a week for milk, produce, juice, and other assorted miscellaneous items.  Sometime around the first of the month, I sit down with the calendar and try to plan a 30 day menu around scheduled activities.  Then I post the menu on the refrigerator and go from there.  Of course, life happens, and sometimes we have to deviate from the plan.  But this is just one of those tricks in life that helps me cope with, as my sister puts it, the acquired chaos.  🙂  (Oh, when you’re over there, check out her “Pull-Apart Chicken.”  It’s great– and I have grafted it into our monthly repitoire, only I’ve renamed it “Chicken Joes.”)

Though I make my menus a month at a time,   it was too long to post the whole month in one post, so here’s an example of a 7 day menu:

MENU FOR FEB 25 – MARCH 4

Sunday February 25

Company for lunch

Lunch-

Tuna Fish

Chips & Guacemole

Peach Salad

 

Supper-

Taquitos & Sour Cream

 

Monday February
26

Discipleship at 7:00

Chili & Cinnamon Rolls

Fritos & Cheese

 

Tuesday February
27

Homeschool Co-op & Piano Lessons

Beans & Rice & Cornbread

 

 

Wednesday
February 28

AWANA

Mexican Cornbread w/ Sausage

Beans

 

Thursday, March 1

Kids have a skating party

Sloppy Joes

Black Eyed Peas

 

Friday, March 2

Couples Bible Study

Italian Porkchops
Salad
Rolls

Saturday, March 3

Lia Sophia jewelry party @ 2:00pm

Hot Dogs

Chips

 

Sunday March 4

Lunch  (Company)

Sausage Spaghetti

Rolls

Salad

Supper:

Chicken Cordon Blue Sandwiches

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The Cross Driven Life

If you’ve known me very long, you know I’m not a huge fan of Rick Warren’s material.  I believe the church should be God-centered rather than seeker-centered, and my heart’s desire is that the lost would be attracted to a “cross-driven” life.  My prayer is that men and women would see a life that is crucified–  a life that is passionate about God.  If people are only attracted to me because I look and sound like the world, well, blech!   And if a church can’t stand on the Bible and specific points therein, such as the atoning blood of Christ, or eternal judgement in hell-fire–that church is nothing more than another club.  Like the Kiwanas. Or the Lion’s Club.

So, today as I was reading from Robbie Castleman’s Parenting in the Pew—  I felt that I stumbled onto a little gem when I read the following words:

The best kind of seeker service is one where the unchurched people feel two things:  “I don’t belong here!” and “I want to belong here!”   The mysterium tremendum, God’s fearful majesty, is off-putting and in-drawing at the same time.  The “throne of Grace” is still a throne, not a rocking chair or floor pillow.  The church is not another club to join.  It is the body of Christ, the presence of the kingdom of God in the world.  What a privilege to invite our friends and their children to worship the King!”

The mysterium tremendum.  Amen.

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Homeschooling with Toddlers

When I was homeschooling the older two, I had two toddlers underfoot–  but my memories of those days seem easier than what I am doing now which is homeschooling one with only one toddler underfoot.  I think the fact that back in the old days, my toddlers had each other to play with has something to do with that. 

Suffice it to say, “Destructo Baby” is into everything.  Some days,  it feels like I’m cleaning messes a lot more than teaching math or reading!  Or at least it did until…. (drum roll please)  I bought THIS.

That’s right–  I bought a dog pen for baby Jane.  Only mine is actually much larger than the one in the photo I linked you to, because I bought the 2 extra extension panels and set it up in my dining room.  (I had to move the formal dining table over the side to accomplish this.)  It won’t win me any Home Beautiful awards, but it does seem to be helping grandly with my home education efforts!

Dog pens for kids–  this is really working for me.  🙂
Thanks to Shannon at Rocks at My Dryer for hosting!

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The Hospitality Commands

I’ve said it before–  but I feel it bears repeating–  hospitality isn’t a spiritual gift.  It’s a command. 

I just started  rereading the book The Hospitality Commands by Alexander Strauch.  The following is an excerpt from the first chapter.  I hope this whets your appetite as it has mine.

While on vacation, my wife and I had the opportunity to visit a couple who had previously attended our church and home Bible studies but had since moved away.  We were concerned about their spiritual welfare.  We were delighted to learn that they were living for the Lord and were actively involed in a small local church.  They had one complaint, however.  During the past year, that they had attended the church, not one person–  not even one of the spiritual leaders–had invited them over for a meal or a time of fellowship.  So, our friends still did not feel a part of the fellowship and were quite disheartened.

An elderly single woman, who now attends our church, related an experience to me that dramatically illustrates why we need fresh teaching on the subject of Christian hospitality.  At one time in her life, she had to travel more than an hour by bus every Sunday to attend a small suburban church.  Each week after the Sunday morning service, she would eat alone in a park or library so that she could attend the evening service.  She did this for four years.  What left her with sour memories of this church was the fact that in four years no one invited her home to eat a Sunday afternoon meal or to rest.  It wasn’t until she announced she was leaving that an elderly woman in the church invited her home for a meal on her final Sunday.

At times I have traveled as long as two or three hours on a Sunday morning in order to preach at a church.  In some instances, when I finished speaking, I was handed a check, invited to return, given many friendly handshakes and bid a warm good-by.  But no one thought to invite me home for a meal, to provide rest before my long drive home, or to seek further fellowship with me after the Sunday morning service.

These experiences distress me, and so they should!  They are examples of lifeless, loveless, inhospitable Christianity.  Worse, they are examples of outright disobedience to the clear commands of Scripture.  In concluding the Letter to the Hebrews, the inspired writer impl0res his Christian readers to cultivate a deep, affectionate love for one another as brothers and sisters (13:1).  He then immediately warns them not to neglect a vitally important aspect of their brotherly and sisterly love–  hospitality.

Consider yourself exhorted!

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On the Side 02.20.07

Modesty:  Survey says…  Our brothers in Christ have answered a modesty survey and the results are in.  You might want to read this BEFORE you take your daughter shopping for summer clothes!  And if you have a daughter getting married anytime soon, you might want to check out this and this.

Large families:  Have trouble getting to church on time?  This mom dresses her babies the night before!  (Does this work with teenagers too???)

Adoption:  Ever thought about adopting?  Read this sermon manuscript by John Piper about adoption and how it mirrors the heart of the gospel.  I especially encourage you to scroll down to the bottom of the sermon and read the letter written to his wife Noel.   Though she longed for a daughter, she modeled submission and quietly won her husband’s heart.

Church Architecture: What should a church building look like?  Check out this interesting discussion on the subject.

Soli Deo Gloria: You may have noticed a new "Sola Moms" button on my left side bar.  My dear friend Jules from Everyday Mommy created this blogging ring for women who hold to the five solas and like to blog about it.  If you haven’t already, check out the other sola mom blogs.  Great stuff, I tell you.  I just hope I can keep up.

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Praying for our Children

Safe am I, safe am I
In the hollow of His hand

Sheltered o’er, sheltered o’er

Forever, evermore

 

No ill shall harm me

No foe alarm me

For He keeps both day and night

Safe am I, safe am I

In the hollow of His hand

For God is watching over you

Watching over you

Watching over you

God is watching over you

Watching over you
Tonight 
Words and Music by Dillon–The Bill Gaither Trio Especially for Children Album, copyright 1973

My husband and I have sung that song to  all of our babies at bedtime over the years.  We had actually gotten out of the habit and then the tradition started all over again when baby Jane came along.  Today, as Jane and I were rocking along to this song before afternoon nap, I thought of  a dear friend of mine whose son is struggling with His walk with the Lord.  So today, I prayed this song for him too.  Our children never outgrow our need for our prayers and God’s watchcare, do they?

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How to Win Them?

Every place in which we have ever lived in has had its quirks.  Our first pastorate was located in Texas near a town that boasted of being “Home of the world famous fruitcake.”    One time, we worked with a church plant for a year in Jonesboro, Arkansas and were next-door-neighbors to Andrew Golden, eleven year old school-shooter-sniper.

The strangest thing about the town we moved to five years ago (when accepting my husband’s current pastorate) is that it is thought to be by the L*D*S  the sight where Adam and Eve were banished after being evicted from the Garden of Eden and the gathering spot on Judgment Day.  L*D*S families are moving to our tiny, rural town (population 1,800) by the droves from all over the nation.

And you can always spot them.  Clean-cut and sharp, often with several children–they are some of the kindest people I’ve met since moving here.  And in a town of 1,800, a new face always stands out.

Today at my son’s band competition in a neighboring town, it happened again.  A man with a soft, gentle voice and a glowing countenance introduced himself to me and thanked me for all of the work I did with our band kids.  (I’m the president of our band booster organization.)   I knew before we even exchanged dialog that he was “one of them.”  And he was.   I asked him “So, what brought you to our town?”  He never really answered my question, but did mention that some friends of his had told him what a wonderful place our town is to raise a family.  And so, he sold his citrus farm in San Diego and relocated his family of eight.  I have heard this same story (only with slightly different details) at least five or six times over the past year.

Huh????

We don’t have a McDonald’s people.  We don’t have Wal-Mart.  We only have one stoplight and one gas station.  And they’re moving here anyway.  In five years, their church has grown from under 100 in attendance to over 400.  Ironically, the other growing “church” in our town denies the existence of hell and teaches that h*m*se*uality should be affirmed by the church.

And so my heart is broken. 

Concerning the first group–  How to evangelize a people who are so heavily steeped in error?  I have come to care very deeply for many of these people, and I have no idea how to persuade them that Jehovah alone is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; and that Jesus’ sacrificial death is sufficient to bring forgiveness of sins?

Concerning the second group–  how to convince them of the fact that if one denies hell, he is denying the Word of God.  If one denies hell, what need is there of Jesus’ atoning work on the cross?

And so I pray that since God has sovereignly brought our family to this town, at this time in history, that He will use us for His glory to further His Kingdom.   Pray for us when you think of us.

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Family Devotions

I was able to pick up a few (OK–  I went crazy in their awesome bookstore) new resources at the Desiring God conference last week.    I’ll share good things as I come across them.   Today–  I thought I would talk about two books that I bought for our family devotion time.

This week, the kids and I started reading Making Brothers and Sisters Best Friends by Sarah, Stephen and Grace Mally.  The authors are a set of siblings ages 22, 16 and 12–  which makes the book especially appealing to the kids.  In yesterday’s reading, Stephen made the point that getting along with friends and peers is like running a sprint, but that getting along with your family is like running a marathon.  My kids could really relate with that example!  Looking forward to reading what little Grace has to say today!

In the evenings, we’re watching 10 minute dvd vignettes from John Piper’s Don’t Waste Your Life series.  It’s a little over the kid’s heads–  but it does provide great conversation fodder.  Spencer and I are reading the book together as well.    He actually bought this material for his young adult Sunday School class–  but we thought using it for family devotions would be something different for us as well as  a  great way to preview the material.

We bought a few other resources for family devotions.  One challenge for us is to find something that hits a broad spectrum of ages.  We also like to keep things varied.  The main thing, though, is to just to do it.  With an ever increasing busy schedule, one has to be tenacious about doing it or it will fall to the wayside.   If you’ve fallen out of the habit, why don’t you start back today?  Or if you’ve never led your kids through family devotions, why don’t you start today?

“…Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.”  ~Deuteronomy 6:9

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Real Women Wear Aprons

I have long held the belief that serious homemakers wear aprons.  I mean, you can’t do housework and baby work and kitchen work and not get a little dirty–  right?
Which is why I’ve worn my old denim Pampered Chef apron for years now.     Until last week.  While we were in Minneapolis, shopping around in the Mall of America, I finally broke down and purchased this one from a Williams-Sonoma.  Black denim, huge pockets, totally functional
and totally chic.  I love it.   I almost bought the pink one just
because it looked so fun– but in the end, practicality won out.

If you’re not in the habit of wearing an apron–  try it.  It will improve your attitude while you work!  That and the loud praise music that’s blaring through your CD player!

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