Five Minute Friday: Write

Joining in with the group over at Lisa-Jo Baker's blog for Five Minute Friday again this week. This week's word is "write."




When you write, you put yourself out there. You put your thoughts and ideas out for the world to read. And you hope they take your words the way you meant them. You hope that your point was clear and there isn't any confusion.

To be a writer, you have to push beyond the fear. Beyond the fear that you have nothing to say. Beyond the fear that you're not good enough to write anything.

It's only when you step out and take the chance of putting yourself out there that you are able to share what you have to say. And sometimes there are people who will read what you write that need to hear what you have to say.

But for people to hear what you have to say, you have to risk being hurt. You have to risk being misunderstood. You have to risk being misquoted by others.

If your message is important to you, you will put yourself out there in the midst of fear and take the risk to share what you feel you need to share. And you will share it whether one person reads it or many more. The numbers of those who read it won't be important - knowing that you shared the message you had to share will be what is important.

Chosen by God

           "But you, Israel, My servant,
                    Jacob, whom I have chosen,
                    you descendants of Abraham My friend,
          I took you from the ends of the earth,
                    from its farthest corners I called you.
          I said, 'You are My servant',
                    I have chosen you and have not rejected you.
          So do not fear, for I am with you;
                    do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
          I will strengthen you and help you;
                    I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."
                                                     Isaiah 41:8-10

These words were first written by the prophet Isaiah to Israel when they had wandered from God. God was reminding Israel, through the prophet Isaiah, of how much He loved them and how He had chosen them.

Israel was Chosen by God

Over and over in these verses, God reminds Israel that He has chosen them. Chosen them instead of any other group of people on earth. Israel was chosen as God's people. They were God's servants - chosen to do His will.

And because they were chosen by God, they had no reason to fear anything that would come their way. God would be with them. God would help them. God would uphold them.

This isn't the only place in Isaiah that has these words to say. It's a theme that is repeated over and over.

          "But now, this is what the Lord says -
                    He who created you, Jacob,
                    He who formed you, Israel:
          Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
                   I have summoned you by name; you are mine.
          When you pass through the waters,
                   I will be with you;
          and when you pass through the rivers,
                    they will not sweep over you.
          When you walk through the fire,
                   you will not be burned;
                   the flames will not set you ablaze.
          For I am the Lord your God,
                   the Holy One of Israel, your Savior;
          I give Egypt for your ransom,
                    Cush and Seba in your stead.
          Since you are precious and honoured in My sight,
                    and because I love you,
          I will give people in exchange for you,
                    nations in exchange for your life.
                                                   Isaiah 43:1-4

God is the One Who created every person in Israel - His chosen people. He called each of them by name. They would have no reason to fear what came their way because God was with them. He loved them to the point that He would give up other nations to redeem them.

We Are Chosen by God

These words to Israel through the prophet Isaiah can be spoken to us as well.

God has also chosen us. He has not rejected us.

He leaves us with no reason to fear.

God will strengthen us for what comes our way.

God will help us if we are willing to let Him.

God will uphold us in the midst of anything.

God will walk with us through every challenge or hard time that comes our way.

We're all Called to Hospitality

"A habit of hospitality is fundamental to our identity as Christians.

Our primary call is to live out the gospel;

a lifestyle of hospitality is part of that call.

For some of us, there will be a more particular call to a deliberate and focused expression of hospitality,

but for all of us hospitality is essential to who we are as followers of Christ."

(Christine Pohl)

 

 

I didn't like that quote the first time I read it. And, truth be told, I'm still not sure I'm a fan of it. It challenges me.

 

If I see hospitality as a spiritual gift . . . and one I don't have, then I'm off the hook. But, when I read this quote, I'm not off the hook.

 

Yes, some of us may have a special gift for it, but that doesn't mean the rest of us can ignore it. We all have a role to play as part of the church. We all have to be a part of it.

 

The more I think about this, the more I wonder if our problem with hospitality is that we think of it to narrowly.

 

How do You Define Hospitality?

 

What do you think of?

 

I think of having people over for a nice meal in a perfectly kept house. Or of the people who have the "job" of greeting people when they arrive at a church event.

 

But, what if that is only a small part of hospitality? And not even the most important part?

 

What if hospitality is something all of us can do no matter where we are?

 

The "life-style of hospitality" talked about in the quote - what is that?

 

Jesus' Life of Hospitality

 

Maybe we need to take a look at Jesus' life to see what hospitality is and should be. Jesus didn't invite people over for a meal in His perfectly decorated house - He didn't have a house. Jesus didn't stand at the door of the Temple just greeting everyone - He was too busy turning the religious world upside-down.

 

But, people wanted to be near Jesus. The sick wanted to get near enough to be healed. The outcasts of society were welcomed into Jesus' presence. The lowest of society were elevated by Jesus. The crowds wanted so much to be around Jesus that they would go great distances to be there to hear Him teach.

 

What Hospitality Really Is

 

If we broaden our definition of hospitality, we see that Jesus' whole life was about hospitality. Jesus "created safe and open spaces where friends and strangers experienced a welcoming spirit of respect, acceptance, and care." (Vantage Point 3, A Way of Life: Community with Others).

 

That's what hospitality is . . . creating a safe place for people around us. And that means it is something we should all be doing. We can't pass it off to those who have that spiritual gift any longer.

 

Some may have a special gift given to them by God for it and they should use it. But all of us should be living a life-style of hospitality. We're not off the hook. Hospitality should be the defining mark of all of us who claim to follow Christ.