Market research has replaced the Scriptural call to love strangers. As a result, the responsibility to be hospitable is no longer felt by individual members of the church. Every aspect, including the music, sermon, and worship service, has been test-engineered to do the job instead.
Market analysis has also shown that (many, some, few) people prefer to visit a church anonymously. Since such analysis cannot be wrong. seeker-driven churches have often avoided identifying newcomers. Jesus may be among us in the form of a stranger, but we would never know it unless he filled out a response card.
This radical hospitality means a return to the Abrahamic principle of “host first, ask questions later.” Rather than trying to determine our target audience’s desires in advance, we should welcome strangers indiscriminately into our midst and honor them by authentically revealing who we are.
As St. Chrysostom, the 4th century pastor, said, “Hospitality is not manifested in the richness of our fare, but in the generosity of our attitude.”
The Boomer Blogger
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1 comment:
"Host first, ask questions later." A good "mantra" for the contemporary church...if only we would abide by it!How different our Churches would be (which I'm sure is the whole point behind this series...)
Bless you for bringing it to our attention!
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