Friends, today we gather to explore another fruit of the spirit—hospitality. And before you challenge me on whether hospitality is a fruit of the spirit because indeed it is NOT listed as one of the seven fruits in Paul’s letter to the Galatians, let me tell you! First, I was assigned this fruit and this Sunday… and second, hospitality is a foundational discipline given to the people of God by God. Throughout scripture, in the Older and Newer Testaments, we see this practice lived out… and the consequences of when it is not. Hospitality, at the root of our faith, is expected of us.
Hospitality is a radical welcome rooted in God’s love. Our mission here at First Presbyterian is clear: We are imperfect people striving to live God’s love in the way of Jesus Christ. In other words, we’re a people who, despite our imperfections, seek to reflect God’s love and welcome. This kind of love, this welcome, is what we mean when we talk about hospitality. And as we see from today’s texts, hospitality is a radical, faith-filled way of seeing Christ in each person and making room for one another. And, as we also see from today’s texts, it’s a practice that opens us to unexpected blessings.
Today also marks Reformation Sunday, a day to remember the reformers who reshaped our tradition, moving it to be more Christ-centered, open, and accessible. The reformers embodied hospitality by creating a space for all, especially the common people, to connect with God. We continue to embody hospitality as we seek to create spaces of welcome in our lives, our church, and our communities.
Let’s begin with Genesis 18. In this passage, we find Abraham sitting at the entrance to his tent in the heat of the day. Three strangers appear before him, and without hesitation, he hurries to greet them, bowing low to show them honor. He doesn’t merely offer a quick hello; he invites them to rest, refresh themselves, and enjoy a meal.
Abraham didn’t know who these visitors were, and he had every reason to ignore them. It was hot, and he was elderly. But he felt a holy nudge, a call to welcome these strangers with open arms. And through his hospitality, Abraham and Sarah received a blessing beyond their wildest dreams: the promise of a child.
This story is a reminder that when we practice hospitality—when we make space for the stranger—we often receive blessings we could never anticipate. Abraham’s encounter encourages us to welcome others not because we expect something in return, but because God calls us to this act of love and openness. And in that process, we often find ourselves blessed and transformed.
We see a similar call in Hebrews 13:2, where we’re reminded to “not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it.”
Every encounter – whether it’s a conversation with a friend, neighbor, or stranger – holds sacred potential. Every stranger we meet may be carrying a blessing from God. We may not recognize it at first, but our call is to treat them with the same welcome we would extend to Christ himself.
This isn’t always easy. To see Christ in each person requires us to stretch our comfort zones and to look beyond labels and divisions. It means practicing a kind of love that doesn’t ask for credentials or preconditions but simply says, “You are beloved. You belong.”
Our modern lives often move at a fast pace; we don’t always make room for others in our routines, let alone in our hearts. Yet, God invites us to pause, to open our lives, and to embrace radical hospitality. But what does this hospitality look like in our church?
Here’s one example. In our children’s and youth programs, we’re working through a series called “Hospitality in God’s Home,” connected to our FaithFULL Housing mission project. This series helps our young people explore how God calls us to welcome and care for others, especially those who are vulnerable. Through the FaithFULL Housing project, we’re not only learning about hospitality, but we’re putting it into action as we work to provide shelter and support for those without homes. This is the heart of biblical hospitality: opening our hearts and our resources to those in need.
And I have to share a moment that brought this all home just a couple of weeks ago. My brother and sister-in-law were visiting, and I was eager to introduce them to our church family. As we went from room to room, we found ourselves with the high school youth, who were studying hospitality in scripture as part of the series I mentioned earlier. They’d been discussing Luke 7:36-48, where a woman anoints Jesus’ feet as a gesture of extravagant hospitality. As I introduced my family, one of our adult leaders asked the youth, “How would we show hospitality to Pastor Taylor’s family?” And one of our freshmen, quietly but with a humorous confidence, replied, “Wash their feet?”
I’m grateful my family wasn’t subjected to any spontaneous foot-washing that day! But isn’t it remarkable how our youth understand that true hospitality sometimes does indeed call for acts of humility and service?
This brings us back to our FaithFULL Housing mission project. As we study biblical hospitality, we’re not only remembering stories from Scripture, we’re also connecting them to real action. The FaithFULL Housing project is an embodiment of our call to welcome the stranger and ensure that all have a place to call home. Through education, advocacy, and hands-on service, we work together to address the need for affordable housing—reflecting God’s desire for justice and welcome for all people.
Today’s ‘Noisy Houses’ collection is a joyous, noisy reminder of this. Just moments ago, our children collected our offerings to support our mission to build homes locally and globally. These offerings are more than coins in a bucket or house; they’re symbols of our commitment to a world where everyone has shelter, where everyone has a place in God’s home. Our children, learning to give and serve, remind us that hospitality isn’t limited to those who can give “big” but is rooted in the simple, faithful acts of each person, each child, each family.
Hospitality, like the other fruits of the Spirit, grows in us as we practice it. And it’s a practice that begins in small ways. Whether through a friendly smile, a kind gesture, or a contribution to the FaithFULL Housing mission, each act of welcome continues to preach the important message we all need to hear, “You are beloved. You belong.”
True hospitality can be risky. When we make room for others, we open ourselves up to discomfort, to encountering differences that stretch us. We might even experience resistance within ourselves, and that’s okay. The journey of faith doesn’t call us to be perfect but to be faithful. We’re invited to bring our whole selves to God’s table, to welcome others with all the love, grace, and kindness that we have been shown.
So, as we leave today, I pray that God’s Spirit would guide us in offering that welcome, that hospitality, to all whom we meet. We will create a world where every person feels at home in God’s home; where justice, kindness, and radical welcome abound.
May we each become a living invitation to God’s grace, opening wide the doors of our hearts and our lives, for we never know when we might be welcoming angels unaware.
In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.
