For the Sake of Others, Guide 4: Hospitality
Take Communion (2 minutes)
Leader Note: Begin your gathering by taking communion together, whether as a full meal or some version of the bread and the cup before or after your meal. If you don’t already have a Communion liturgy, have someone read through John 15v8-14,17 as written below, then take a brief moment to pray aloud and thank Jesus for being our savior, laying down his life for us, his friends.
“This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command…This is my command: Love each other.”
Leader Note: Before diving into the rest of this Guide, close this time in prayer, asking Jesus to now be your teacher as you seek to become more like him and do what he did.
Review The Last Practice (10 minutes)
Let’s take some time to reflect on how the last Practice went for everyone. As a reminder, last week we agreed to practice “bearing one another’s burdens.” We all had the option to either share our own burden with someone (like a counselor or trusted friend) or to respond to someone else’s burden in some tangible way.
For those of you who shared your own burden with someone, how did it feel to share something personal or vulnerable with someone else? How did it impact your connection with God through another person holding safe space for you?
For those of you who were led by Jesus to respond to someone else’s burden in a tangible way or in prayer, how did this impact your relationship or understanding of their situation? How might this change the way you relate to others in Community, or family, or friends?
What felt freeing or encouraging to you personally about this practice of “bearing one another’s burdens”? What felt challenging or stretching?
Read This Overview Aloud (3 minutes)
In Mark 12v30-31, Jesus commands us to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love our neighbor as ourselves. These two commands form the rhythm of our lives—loving God by loving others. Loving others means creating space for people to experience God's welcoming presence, regardless of who they are.
Jesus models this by reaching out to the cultural outcasts like tax collectors, sex workers, and thieves, showing that his primary mission was to love and serve the sinners, who were in need of a Savior. New Testament writers call this practice hospitality, which is about sharing your home, food, relationships, and resources so others can experience God's love. When we begin to live with this mindset, we look for ways to offer "love of a guest" to everyone we meet, whether it's a barista, a colleague, or someone experiencing houselesness.
Hospitality doesn’t require an outgoing personality or a masters degree or a unique skill set —it’s about welcoming others as God has welcomed us. This can happen in everyday moments, when our goal shifts from impressing others to simply loving them. Through this practice, we cultivate a heart quick to honor and care for others with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. In doing so, we not only deepen our relationships within our communities, but also embody the heart of Jesus, making his presence felt in tangible ways.
Leader note: The next section will include quiet reflection in listening prayer, so before you begin, be sure to transition into a quiet room and find ways to best support the kids to ensure the whole Community can engage the Practice.
Do This Practice Tonight (20 minutes)
Tonight, we are going to step into the practice of Witness, as we consider how we can create spaces of hospitality towards those who have yet to experience the Father’s welcome. We will do this tonight through Listening Prayer by asking Jesus for two things. First, we’ll ask God to bring to mind a person or family that we could extend hospitality to, who don’t know Jesus yet. Secondly, we’ll ask the Spirit for wisdom and creative ideas about how to extend hospitality toward them.
Leader note: you will need to have access to a clock or a phone or a watch for this next portion, in order to keep track of time while the Community enters a few portions of silent Listening Prayer.
So, let’s begin by finding a comfortable position. Taking a few deep breaths, allowing your shoulders to drop, and then close your eyes.
Let’s take 1 minute in silence and in gratitude to begin our practice of listening prayer. Bring your attention to the infinite love that God has for you, no matter what today has held. Think back over the last 24 hours and find 1 or 2 things that you’re grateful for. Maybe it’s a person, or an unexpected gift of time in the margin, or a specific interaction that you’re grateful for, etc. As those gifts come to mind, connect them back to the Giver as an act of worship.
Leader note: Wait in silence here for 1 minute. After 1 minute, pray a brief prayer of gratitude as you move into the next section.
Now, we want to pray and ask the Spirit to bring to our mind a person or even a family who does not know God that we could extend hospitality to – someone who God wants to equally bless and give good gifts to. Let’s take the next 30 seconds to quiet ourselves before God and listen to him respond by expanding our imagination.
Leader note: Pause in silence here for at least 30 seconds or up to 1 minute for people to listen.
Next, let’s pray, again quietly to ourselves, that Jesus would give us wisdom and insight about how we can best partner with him in the work he’s already doing to love this person or family. Let’s ask the Spirit for direction around practical and relational ways we can move towards this person or family. Maybe it’s reaching out this week to invite them over for a meal, or babysit, or offer a ride to the airport as they fly home for the holidays, etc. Let’s take the next 2 minutes to pray: come Holy Spirit, expand our imaginations.
Leader note: Pause in silence here for 2 minutes for people to listen. Break the silence by praying gratitude for how God was present with us and the wisdom and insight for what next steps we can take.
To end our practice for tonight, turn to the person sitting next to you and share who Jesus brought to mind during listening prayer. Secondly, share what next steps you sensed Jesus inviting you to make towards this person or family. Close your time by praying God’s continued presence and guidance for one another.
Leader note: Set a timer for 5 minutes for people to share. Once the timer is up, go right into the Practice for the Week Ahead.
Read The Practice for the Week Ahead (3 minutes)
Our Practice for the week ahead is incredibly simple: let’s follow Jesus’ example of eating and drinking with and offering hospitality to someone who has yet to experience the Father’s welcome. The practice for this week is to take the next step that Jesus is inviting you to, in practical and/or relational ways, towards the person you sensed God bringing to mind tonight.
End in Prayer (5 minutes)
Leader note: Close your time together in prayer, asking God to continue growing your Community into the first fruits of renewal through the Practice of Hospitality.