Wednesday, October 01, 2014
Good Hostng
Kimberly Mason writing @ IMonk:
I have visited a lot of churches in my life and after reading this I have reflected on many of them. The ones that I have liked and tended to return to are not the ones that have spent a lot of time telling me about what they have going on, but have been interested in what I have going on.
I think it's important to understand that we are not talking about therapeutic listening here. This is not some kind of psychological interplay. This is simply showing a real and deep interest in someone. They don't have to unload their burdens, they just have to tell you about who they are, and you have to be interested.
What are you more interested in when you are at church on Sunday morning? What you are doing or what someone else is doing.
hosting listening welcoming
But isn’t it good to know that one of the ways we can show our “radical hospitality” to others is to just sit and quietly listen? To really listen. To sit with another and lend an ear, to give through the silence of a loving and understanding heart, to just BE there for one who is in painHow often do we play host to someone simply as a means to show off. "Look at our cool worship center." "We have the best youth programs." "Our mission focus is unlike any other." Most of the time I think playing host means simply saying, "How are you today," and then genuinely listening.
I have visited a lot of churches in my life and after reading this I have reflected on many of them. The ones that I have liked and tended to return to are not the ones that have spent a lot of time telling me about what they have going on, but have been interested in what I have going on.
I think it's important to understand that we are not talking about therapeutic listening here. This is not some kind of psychological interplay. This is simply showing a real and deep interest in someone. They don't have to unload their burdens, they just have to tell you about who they are, and you have to be interested.
What are you more interested in when you are at church on Sunday morning? What you are doing or what someone else is doing.
hosting listening welcoming
