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Parkway is a pretty friendly congregation but friendliness is a subset of Hospitality and is not equal to Hospitality. Hospitality is bigger than friendliness.
We’ve been talking in our Elder qualification class about hospitality and understand that although hospitality is an imperative for Elders it is required of all Christians. Here are some suggestions for being hospitable to new members.
- Share a meal with the new members. Either at home or in a restaurant.
- If you can’t share a meal make some cookies or give a small gift along with saying something like… “welcome to the congregation”.
- Since new members are new to town recommend Auto repair shops, Doctors, Dentists, restaurants, etc.
- Give your cell number to them along with saying something like… “If you’re ever in a bind or just want to talk… call me”
- Find them on Facebook and send a “friend” request.
My goal is that every single member of the congregation would act hospitably to our new members.
There was a fellow who did amazing things in the New Testament and the people who saw these amazing things attributed them to the “power of God which is called great” but they were wrong.
The person who did “amazing” things was Simon the Sorcerer of Samaria (Acts 8). Simon did his amazing things through the power of Satan. His motivation was power and money.
I see people today who, no matter what happens, be it great tragedy or great fortune attribute what has happened to God. “God has a plan for me”. “It was God’s will”. “God wants me to be happy”. God. God. God.
The people in Samaria were fooled by Simon’s sorcery and thought his power came from God. Their problem was they didn’t understand the character and nature of God and were fooled by their own ignorance.
2 Corinthians 11:13-14…
For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.
If you want to know who is working in your life make sure you know who God is through the dedicated study of his word. Otherwise Satan, who has a plan for you, will make a fool of you.
I attended my daughter’s wedding today. Her mother and I thought she would never get married. Our friends have made the comment before that she would have a hard time finding a boy-friend because she is intimidating. In high school one of her teachers made the comment that they had never known a young lady as self-assured as Lauren. Add to that her intelligence (she graduated #23 in her class) and keen wit and charm and you might could understand why a young man would be intimidated.
Lauren used to say she didn’t want to get married because she didn’t want anyone telling her what to do. She and her best girlfriend agreed that they didn’t want to change who they were just to catch a man.
Her mother and I are quite humorous in our own right but she has surpassed us both. Most people like to just sit around and listen to her.
She has been successful in her career. After graduation from Texas A&M University she came home and a temp agent placed her in an apartment leasing job for a major corporation. She was #2 in the nation in leasing that year. When she applied for a higher job within that same corporation and was turned down she asked me what to do. I told her to quit that job and find another one. She did but they wanted to keep her and gave her a job at the corporate head-quarters in which she excelled.
She is a young lady of the highest moral caliber. For her birthday one year she asked for all the Bible lesson books that Robert Harkrider had written and then jokingly wondered if they came with a Robert Harkrider action figure.
And then one day not quite a year ago she attended a Halloween party in the Austin area and a young man saw her and saw that wherever she went she was the center of attention and everyone was laughing and having fun around her. And that young man knowing only her name and where she worked tracked her down and sent her an email. The rest is history.
One of the preachers where they attend joked with Clark about the challenges of getting married to Lauren because of her strong mindedness. The young man told my daughter that was exactly why he loved her.
Today at the wedding I walked her down the aisle and gave her to that young man and I cried… unashamedly I cried.
Lauren wanted to make sure one thing was read at the wedding…
Ruth 1:15-17
Then she said, "Behold, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and her gods; return after your sister-in-law. But Ruth said, Do not urge me to leave you or turn back from following you; for where you go, I will go, and where you lodge, I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God. Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. Thus may the LORD do to me, and worse, if anything but death parts you and me"
She never planned to change anything about herself but her mother and I can see that this young man’s love is already changing her. We rejoice in who she is and who she will be. Thank you God.
I wrote this June 23, 1998. Dad died July 8. Those were some hard days.
Dad, Dad, Dad, I feel so helpless. I wish there was something I could do for you. I write these things to you because I’m afraid I would be too emotional in your presence, even now I’m teary eyed. I didn’t know I could hurt like this. This is new for me. I’ve been thinking back to when Grandpa died, I don’t remember how you acted at that time, but I know you must have felt like I am feeling now. I’m sorry you had to go through that.
Some things are etched in my memory… the phone call I got at work from Mom telling me there was a spot on your lung. The day we were there for your surgery watching the nurses wheel you away from us. You seemed so alone… so helpless. The day I called from the car phone to check on your lab results… Mom told me you only had 18 months to live. That was a Wednesday… I had to pull the car over. The look on yours and Moms faces at Mom’s 60th birthday party.
Perspective is such a funny thing. When they said you had only 18 months, I was shocked, 18 months is nothing. In February when you had to go back to the hospital and you looked so bad I begged the Lord for 18 months. Now when I hear that you are struggling to breath, I’m begging the Lord not to allow you to suffer.
When we were in Mexico last year and Julie was worried about our passports not being in order, Lauren said “Don’t worry Mom, nothing ever goes wrong when Dad is with us”. I believed that for a while. Now I wish it were true.
I’m sorry for the pain and hurt I caused you and Mom when Julie and I got married. I wish we had done it differently.
You have been a great father, I have no complaints. No bad memories. I’ve always felt loved. I’ve always respected and admired you. I think your best attributes are your love for Mom, your patience, your intellect and your great judgment.
You have always been around. I have always known that if I were ever in any trouble that you would be there. I want you to know that I will be there for our family. I will take care of Mom. I will take care of Grandma. I will do whatever I can to make our family closer.
I know you are going to Heaven Dad, if you can’t make it then none of the rest of us have a chance.
Thanks for everything Dad, thanks for our family, thanks for giving Mom the birthday party. Thanks for being you.
Love,
Rob
