There the child grew up healthy and strong. He was filled with wisdom, and God's favor was on him. (Luke 2:40 NLT, emphasis mine)
He moved from there and dug another well, and they did not quarrel over it; so he called it Rehoboth, saying, "Now the Lord has made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land." (Gen 26:22 NRSV)
The Apostle Paul sought to establish a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural and socially diverse community in the first century cosmopolitan city of Corinth. Instead of focusing on those who were ethnically and socially similar or those who had similar religious experiences, the Apostle said “I have become all things to all people, that I might by all means save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, so that I may share in its blessings” (I Cor 9:22-23 NRSV).
Many pastors have had the deep sense that the Holy Spirit is calling them from the role of guardians of religious institutions to leaders of life-giving, liberating movements that transforms neighborhoods, communities, and nations. The road to this movement begins with an intentionality towards community engagement, for the sake of the gospel, fueled by the desire to form a “beloved community”. Beloved community refers to “Liberated people coming together with transformed relationships to create a new reality”. Beloved community consists of people, liberated by the gospel of Jesus, openly loving one another, and creating a new community. Beloved community is literally a sign and symbol of the kingdom of God (John 13:34-35).
Repeatedly, Pastors and members are frustrated when they invite people outside of their own cultural circles and receive very little interest or even a willingness to visit. While it is the Holy Spirit’s role to open hearts and minds to Christ, the Spirit’s role is not to open hearts to your specific local church. The key to understanding your church’s attractiveness to people outside of your dominant cultural characteristics, is simply whether your church has a culture of hospitality.
There are lots of ways to think about culture. Culture is often thought of as the way a group understands each other’s roles, responsibility, and relationships. In Biological science, a culture is an environment that specifically designed to promote growth. This is a better understanding of culture that makes up our churches. A culture of hospitality is an environment that is designed to promote the well-being and growth of people who are different than you.
Scripture makes a point of stating that Nazareth had a culture conducive for the growth and development of young Jesus. The book of Genesis tells a story of Isaac finding his “Rehoboth” or a place where he did not face adversity and could thrive.
Pastors often do not understand that their congregations are not safe, welcoming places for people who are culturally different from them. This is not saying that the congregations are not friendly or spiritually mature, but that the culture does not contain the necessary ingredients to allow people who are culturally different (ethnically, linguistically, politically, place of origin, etc.) to bring their entire selves into the congregation. Often, we invite culturally different people in to assimilate them into whatever is our dominant culture. Their distinctives are minimized and we simply ask them to culturally appropriate whatever we feel is our greatest distinctives. A slight variation is where we bring in culturally distinct groups to be a separate group with separate systems, leadership, and expressions.
The goal is to develop an intercultural church centered on Christ, that is built on the richness, wisdom, and experiences of all cultures present, so that a unique expression, or beloved community is developed. So, what are the signs of a culture of hospitality.
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The Congregation is intentional in its willingness to be uncomfortable in its desire to welcome those who are culturally different. Homophily is a natural tendency for people to desire to be with people who are similar in culture. This must be resisted but will result in discomfort. This is demonstrated through an openness to view approaches in ministry that designed, developed, and demonstrated with those you are engaging.
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The Congregation is intentional about its identity. Social Identity theory describes how groups develop language of inclusion and exclusion. Often churches use words to describe themselves that exclusive to those who are culturally different. For example, words like “Conservative” or “Progressive” may have significant meaning to a congregation but may be received as un-welcoming to people who simply are averse to politically informed faith. Language must be used that defines “We” over and against “You-Me”.
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The congregation must become trauma-sensitive. Psychologists and Sociologists describe both interpersonal and cultural traumatic experiences. Traumatic wounding occurs when a person or group’s vulnerabilities exceed their resources for support and stability. Often churches have historical and current affiliations that are responsible for significant wounding. The KKK was begun by a southern Methodist Pastor. Indigenous boarding schools were supported by many different denominations and led to near genocidal outcomes. These things, among many others, led to traumatic wounding that keeps cultural groups highly suspicious of churches, even if the current church members had nothing to do with the wounding. This requires a willingness to repent and reconcile.
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The congregation must decide to be more than just “in the community” but must be called to be “for the community”. This means that the issues and experiences of those in the community, particularly those on the margins, must be prioritized. It is essential to recognize that no one will believe that “God loves” them until you, as the hands and feet of Christ, demonstrate it.
"Welcome one another, therefore, just as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God." (Rom 15:7 NRSV). Diverse churches glorify God. Do not make the mistake that I am talking about simply racial diversity, but in your community, there are a multitude of types of social diversity. Using my neighbors in my own local community as a microcosm of the diversity at my own doorstep, I see: retired ex-evangelicals, multi-racial families, career military families, economically struggling families, families with debilitating chronic illnesses, and I could go on. Each family represents a myriad of needs, experiences and expectations that is shared by thousands around me.
The question is whether our churches are welcoming places and people.
In light of our calling to be welcoming communities, I challenge you:
Keep on loving each other as brothers. Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it. Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering. (Heb 13:1-3 NIV)
