A Theology Of Worship And Hospitality

Worship is the symbolic expression of the Christian faith. As the church gathers for worship it provides a picture of the body of Christ. The ministry of hospitality offered as the church gathers for worship communicates the reality of fellowship in Christ and welcomes the stranger into the body. What we as Christians practice on Sunday, we live on Monday. And one thing we practice on Sunday is hospitality. In order to understand liturgical hospitality more clearly, we must first understand what hospitality itself is and then review what exactly liturgy does. Hospitality is a set of formal, public behaviors designed to advance the common good by making the others around us feel comfortable and welcome. These behaviors do not seek long-term or lasting friendships in the first instance. They make demands upon us and others only for the duration of the event in question and not beyond. Yet it may be that through these behaviors, we may experience God's presence. That, of course, is …