Introduction to the series

STEP ONE: BREATHE

Take a deep, cleansing breath. Allow the air to fill your lungs and expand your body. Exhale and empty yourself into the room. Repeat three times - once for the one who Created you, once for the Incarnate One who walks beside you, and once for the Spirit whose life fills your being.

STEP TWO: DWELL IN WORD

Colonial Williamsburg is a special place to visit. This historic town, which is located on over three-hundred acres, was once the seat of government for the Virginia Colony. Currently, there are eighty-eight original 18th-century structures. Surrounding these buildings are hundreds of houses, shops, and public outbuildings reconstructed on their original foundations.

Growing up on the east coast, thanks to my parents and grandparents, I went to Colonial Williamsburg more than once. Walking down the broad streets and narrow alleyways, it was like I went back in time. Even as an adult, this experience remains rather neat. In the years since my childhood, I have returned and brought my family. There is always something to discover and learn.

I'm not sure on which Colonial Williamsburg visit it was that I first noticed the pineapples. There are everywhere. From decorations on doors and signage to architectural features on buildings, you will see pineapples of various sizes. Although the climate of the state of Virginia is warmer than New Jersey, it is far from being tropical. When I think about pineapples, I think palm trees, islands, and warm breezes.

I learned that the use of pineapples in colonial decor was a symbol of hospitality. It hearkens back to the Spanish explorers that 'discovered' pineapples on their 15th-century voyages. They brought the sweet fruit back to Europe. Though most of them were rotten after the long sea voyage, the ones that made the journey were gifts to royalty. Quickly, pineapples became a sign of wealth and status. The rich built special hothouses (called 'pineries') on their estates in England so they could serve pineapple to their privileged guests. By the time of Williamsburg's construction, the pineapple represented welcome and appeared throughout the homes, taverns, and inns of the colonial city.

To this day, pineapples are used as symbols of hospitality in the industry that topped Five-hundred Billion dollars in 2018. According to the folks that keep track of such things, the travel and tourism industry is now over ten percent of the global Gross Domestic Product. It is expected to grow in the coming years.

Hospitality is a big business. It has grown from sharing a hot meal, a tankard of ale, and a place to sleep in a historic Virginia inn to opulent luxuries available without restriction to the rich and famous around the world. Like the aristocrats of old, who ate their rare pineapples in affluence, hospitality is available at a price to those who can afford the expense. It is a transactional experience.

Although I don't consider myself wealthy, I have a lot more resources at my disposal than most of the world's population. That is a statement that bears truth for many who live in suburban communities. Although we may not feel wealthy, if you took your family on vacation this past year, or you have been able to drive in a late model car, or you buy a fancy coffee on the way to a job that pays above $10,000 a year, then you have more financial resources than more than half the world's population. You are also part of the target audience for the lucrative hospitality industry.

Over the next four weeks, this devotional series will depart from transactional understandings and look at hospitality through a relational lens. We begin with grounding hospitality in the abundance of God's gracious welcome of all people. Isaiah's vision of a feast where you can quench your thirst and eat your fill without a price is compelling.

The WELCOME series will then explore the origins of hospitality as the "love of the stranger." Jesus's ministry and table fellowship practices will influence the direction in which we are heading. Jesus invites his followers (way back then and today) to enter into the abundance of God's hospitality as a way of interacting with each other and the world. Service and sacrifice become determinants of greatness with the community of Christ. Lastly, we will look at our welcome as an opportunity to interact with the God that lives beyond our comfort zones and sacred places.

Along the way, this WELCOME series will contain familiar features to those of you who have read my previous devotionals. Each week begins with an introduction to set the stage. We delve into this weekly theme with a creative retelling of a classic Jesus story. My son, Mark, has designed an Inspirational Image for us that combines words of scripture with beautiful and thought-provoking pictures. A poem, questions to consider, real-life stories, and reflections will provide additional opportunities to dive deeper.

Based on the success of "Cracking Open the Myths of Faith," which I introduced with the FAITH series, I am offering a version of "Cracking Open" that deals with hospitality myths. I will look at some ideas that we have just accepted as ‘the way things are.’ Allowing these myths to remain without questioning them can have a negative impact on our spiritual health. Cracking them open, however, creates a space for new possibilities.

I look forward to the journey that lies ahead of us. Reclaiming hospitality as a Christian value and way of life is critical work for us to do. As the economic gap increases between the wealthy and the poor, Christians must give witness to God's welcome that values all life regardless of financial worth. We need to counteract the worldly wisdom and practices of pineapples that reserve hospitality for those who can afford it. Jesus invites us to embrace a servant-minded and outward-focused approach to living that is inclusive and far-reaching. As we follow Jesus, we will not only share God's greeting with others; we will put ourselves in a place where we will encounter Christ in the face of the stranger.

As always, I appreciate your reading what I have to offer. It is my continued prayer that my words might shine a little light on your path.

in Christ's Light,

Walt

STEP THREE:  RESPOND IN PRAYER

A TABLE PRAYER

Come Lord Jesus be a guest at our table. Bless us with your grace, love, and joy. Help us to make this meal an opportunity share in your life with each other. Fill us with your goodness so that we might be strengthen to share your greeting with others. Through Christ, Amen.

Permission granted to share with friends and family. Copyrighted 2019. Walt Lichtenberger