When Opening Your Door Feels Risky

2 Feb

YouTube Video of the Church Service

Have you ever wanted to invite someone over but talked yourself out of it? Maybe the house isn't tidy enough. Maybe you're not sure what to cook. Maybe you're just not the "hosting type." Dan Orange grew up as a pastor's kid in a house church where there were always people around — aunties and uncles who weren't actually family but felt like it. This week at Crowd Church, he shared why hospitality might be simpler (and more important) than we think.

It’s easy to assume that hospitality requires a clean house, a three-course meal, and enough energy to entertain for the whole evening. But what if the Bible's version of hospitality looks nothing like a dinner party? What if it's less about impressing people and more about simply not walking past them?

We've Made Hospitality Way Too Complicated

Dan was honest from the start. He knows that for some people, the word "hospitality" evokes stress rather than warmth. And he gets it. Some of us are introverts. Some of us barely have the energy for ourselves, let alone guests.

When hospitality feels forced or uncomfortable, it's often because there's an alternative motive behind it. It's a party thrown for the presents people bring. It's an invite given in the hope it'll be returned. It's a meal with an agenda.

But the Bible's take is refreshingly different.

In Leviticus 19:33-34, God tells his people: "When a stranger sojourns with you in your land, you should do him no wrong. You should treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself."

And then God adds this reminder: "For you were strangers in the land of Egypt."

In other words — you know what it's like to be the outsider. So don't make other people feel like one.

Abraham Ran to Meet Strangers

There’s a really vivid hospitality scene in the Bible — Genesis 18 — where Abraham is sitting at his tent in the heat of the day when three strangers appear. He doesn't wait for them to approach. He runs to meet them. He bows. He offers water, rest, and food.

And not just any food. He didn't hand them a stale bit of bread and apologise for the mess. He sent Sarah to make fresh cakes. He picked out a tender calf. He brought curds and milk. In other words, he gave them the good stuff.

Abraham was wealthy and elderly at this point. He had every reason to stay put. But he ran.

The writer of Hebrews later reflects on this moment: "Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares" (Hebrews 13:2). Abraham didn't know his guests were angels. He didn't know they carried a message that would change his family's future. He just welcomed them.

"When we entertain strangers, we don't know how much we're doing. Sometimes it's an actual meeting with angels, sometimes it's just food, sometimes it's the love that those people at the time needed more than anything."

The Gospel With Its Sleeves Rolled Up

Should we be hospitable in order to share the gospel? Or is sharing the gospel actually being hospitable?

There's a difference.

One turns people into projects. The other just loves them.

Jesus was clear about this in Matthew 25. He described the final judgement and said: "I was hungry and you fed me. I was thirsty and you gave me a drink. I was homeless and you gave me room." And when his followers asked when they'd ever done this, he replied: "Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me."

Dan was careful to point out that these works don't save us — only God's grace does that. But faith without works is dead. Hospitality isn't a way to earn God's approval. It's what happens when his love starts working through us.

And for anyone feeling the weight of that, Dan pointed to Jesus' own words in Matthew 11 (The Message): "Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me, and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me. Watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace."

Hospitality isn't meant to drain us. It's meant to flow from a place of grace.

The Roof and the Blue Plaque

There’s a story of a paralysed man in Luke and Mark's gospels where someone had been hospitable enough to let Jesus stay in their home. The place was packed. And then some guys started ripping the roof apart to lower their paralysed friend down to Jesus.

A miracle happened. The man was healed.

But Dan asked us to think about the homeowner. What was his response?

"Did he tell everyone, guess what Jesus did — a miracle in my house? I think I might get one of those blue plaques and put it on the wall. Or was his response, who's paying for my roof?"

Dan was honest: "I want to be in that first response, the blue plaque response. But sometimes I'm too worried about what it would do to my house, my reputation, my family."

That tension is real. Hospitality costs something. It might cost your clean house, your quiet evening, or your carefully planned weekend. But God can bring extraordinary things out of what feels like an awkward, messy, inconvenient moment.

Receiving Matters Too

Dan also flipped the conversation in a direction we don't hear enough. Hospitality isn't just about giving — it's about receiving.

Some of us find it genuinely hard to accept a gift, a meal, or someone's help. Dan described the classic British back-and-forth: someone offers to pay for dinner, and we spend five minutes insisting they shouldn't. Meanwhile, the person actually wanted to give.

Jesus himself received hospitality. Mary washed his feet. Zacchaeus invited him in for a meal. The Bible says the Son of Man had nowhere to rest his head — he relied on the hospitality of others.

"If you can't receive, then you're not allowing someone to give."

Dan pointed out that there are seasons when receiving is exactly what we need — after having a baby, during illness, or in financial difficulty. And if we can't receive from others, we might find it hard to receive from God.

Conversation Street

What does good hospitality actually feel like?

Will shared a story from Kyrgyzstan, where he and his wife were on a road trip, and their taxi driver simply pulled up at a yurt by a mountain lake. Complete strangers invited them in, shared fried fish and vodka, and made space around the fire. No fuss, no preparation — just a natural, generous welcome. Matt's talked about a friend who cooked a simple meal the first time they met, and they've been friends ever since. The common thread? The best hospitality is simple and spontaneous, not staged.

Why do we overcomplicate it?

Matt pointed out that we spend four hours cleaning the house for people who couldn't care less whether it's tidy. We stress about the food, the presentation, the impression we're making. But in all the best examples — both biblical and personal — nobody mentioned a clean house. They talked about the welcome. Will recalled a friend who wouldn't let anyone in the kitchen for years because it was messy. When he finally saw it, it was just a normal family kitchen. The pretence had created distance, not warmth.

How do introverts practice hospitality?

This was a big question from the community, and it got honest answers. Dan admitted he's not naturally extroverted. He'd happily sit in a room and not say a word. Matt shared that his wife, Sharon, once sent a WhatsApp message to everyone with the house keys, saying, "Do not come round this week"—and everyone respected it. Will talked about hosting a Eurovision party where he literally just opened the door and let others bring the energy, the flags, and the food. The message was clear: hospitality can be a team effort, it doesn't require you to be the life of the party, and it's absolutely fine to set boundaries.

Does hospitality always mean food?

Dan broadened the picture. Helping someone move house is hospitality. Letting a neighbour use your shower when theirs is broken is hospitality. Matt pointed out that Sonia from the community is incredibly hospitable on the WhatsApp group — always checking in, always praying for people. You can be hospitable digitally. And Dan offered a brilliant insight from the Good Samaritan story: "The story wasn't necessarily what the Samaritan did. The first thing was that the Pharisee walked past and went around. All we have to do is not go around."

Why does the Bible talk about hospitality so much?

Dan talked about how we're made in God's image. If we're not hospitable, we're not functioning as we were made to function. Matt added that community is at the heart of scripture — and hospitality is at the heart of community. He reflected on heaven, saying he thinks there'll be parties, banquets, and very little washing up. Will challenged us to think about hospitality as welcoming people who aren't like us, pointing out that the younger generation is increasingly isolated and that genuine, face-to-face welcome is more countercultural — and more needed — than ever.

Your Next Step This Week

Here are some practical ways to put this into practice:

Start ridiculously simple. A cup of tea. A bag of crisps. Poached eggs on toast. Matt's point was clear: don't let the perfect meal be the enemy of actually inviting someone over.
Give someone "fridge rights." Matt's family tells close friends they can open the fridge and help themselves. It's a small gesture that says "you belong here." Think about what your version of fridge rights might look like.
Don't go around. Dan's insight from the Good Samaritan is powerful. You don't have to fund the full inn stay. Just don't cross the road. See the person. Stop. Say hello.
Try team hospitality. You don't have to host alone. Maybe you've got the house, but someone else has the energy. Maybe you can make the tea while someone else does the talking. Bring what you've got.
Let someone give to you. Next time someone offers, resist the urge to say no. Accept the meal, the help, the gift. Receiving is part of hospitality, too.

Who's Paying for the Roof?

William Booth, founder of the Salvation Army, once said, "I'm not waiting for a move of God. I am a move of God." He and his wife, Catherine, saw people in the slums of Victorian England who needed more than words — they needed food, clothing, and dignity. They didn't wait for conditions to improve. They got on with it.

That's the challenge Dan left us with. Hospitality doesn't require perfect conditions. It requires a willingness to open the door — literally or figuratively — even when it feels a bit risky.

What would change if we stopped worrying about the state of the kitchen and started thinking about the person standing outside?

Maybe it's time to stop cleaning the house and start opening it.

# When Opening Your Door Feels Risky
## [00:00:00] Welcome to Crowd Church
[00:00:00] Will Sopwith: Good to have you on.
## [00:00:01] Introduction to Crowd Church and Live Stream
[00:00:01] Will Sopwith: Uh, as ever we'll be looking at the messages. So please say hi in the chat. Uh, say good evening, wherever you are. Um, if you've, this is the first time you've logged into Crowd. I mean, you may be watching this on, on record, then, uh, we are a live online church.
But everything's there on the website for you to, to catch up as well. Lots of fantastic material Crowd Church. And we do a live stream every Sunday night. Um, and straight after this, we will have a live lounge. Uh, the link will come in the chat, um, in due course. Um, and you're very welcome to stick around, say hi, um, build a bit of community.
## [00:00:46] Community and Connection
[00:00:46] Will Sopwith: Um, so yeah, we're connected with, uh, with Frontline Church, um, but we're entirely online so people dial in from all over the world. Um, you are very welcome.
## [00:00:58] Alpha Course Announcement
[00:00:58] Will Sopwith: Um, the only other thing to mention, I think, is we are running an alpha course at the moment on Wednesday evenings, seven 30. Um, details there are also on Crowd Church, so if you wanna, uh, do an alpha, but you're not.
Physically, uh, able to, to go to one. Please do join our, our one online.
[00:01:17] Matt Edmundson: Yeah.
## [00:01:18] Introducing the New Host: Matthew Edmundson
[00:01:18] Will Sopwith: And this evening, um, we have a, a, a new, a new host. Um, I'd like to welcome. Please be nice to you. You might be a little shy. Uh, Matthew Edmundson. Thanks. Well, very nice to see you, Matt. It's great to to be here. How's it, how, how are you doing?
[00:01:32] Matt Edmundson: It's, well, I'm a bit, bit nervous.
[00:01:34] Will Sopwith: Well, that's understandable. This is a
[00:01:36] Matt Edmundson: big thing. You're gonna have to explain the, uh,
[00:01:37] Will Sopwith: broadcast into
thousands,
[00:01:38] Matt Edmundson: the, the pun now.
[00:01:39] Will Sopwith: Yeah. For those of you not dialed in, Matt kind of leads urch. We were due to have the wonderful Josh here tonight, but unfortunately can't make it.
So, uh, so Matt's Matt's uh, stepping in.
[00:01:49] Matt Edmundson: Yeah. Stood into the breach.
[00:01:50] Will Sopwith: Yeah. Well done. Matt
[00:01:51] Matt Edmundson: Hero, I just put on my cape and away we go. Um, but yeah, good to be with you Crowd. Sorry. Good to be with everyone.
[00:01:58] Will Sopwith: Very good.
## [00:01:58] Discussion on Hospitality
[00:01:58] Will Sopwith: We are in the midst of a, um, a becoming whole series. We've looked at. Lots of different family relationships, community friendships, and tonight we are gonna explore the topic of hospitality.
And I've left, I've been a brilliant host this evening. 'cause I, I, I've left the people that were coming around to dinner to come host, uh, such a giver church on hospitality. The irony is not lost on me at all. Um, but yeah. So we're, we'll be hearing from Dan Orange, uh, in a little bit on, uh, on hospitality.
Um. This is very interactive. Um, we're, we're a pretty informal bunch. Um, so as Dans talking, she's guest already. If, um, if questions arise, uh, put 'em in the chat. Uh, we'll try and deal with 'em later after Dan's, uh, brought his talk. Uh, we'll have Conversation Street where we will talk about it and discuss.
Mm-hmm. But before we do that, Matt hospitality.
## [00:02:54] Personal Stories of Hospitality
[00:02:54] Will Sopwith: Yeah. Did you, did you grow up in a, in a hospitable house? What do you remember about hospitality as a kid?
[00:03:00] Matt Edmundson: Um, I, I, you see, I, like you will, I grew up in the seventies and eighties, and so that meant front doors weren't locked.
[00:03:08] Will Sopwith: Yeah.
[00:03:08] Matt Edmundson: You just, you went into each other's houses.
Right. And it, it just, I think it was a very different time. Um, and I miss that.
[00:03:17] Will Sopwith: Yeah.
[00:03:17] Matt Edmundson: Um, if I'm honest with you. Um, so yeah. When I was growing up, it was nice just having that. You know, and um, I grew up in a single parent house, but my mum was always great. You know, just we throw some extra potatoes in the chip in the fryer 'cause we had a fry and we'd make chips or we'd make crisp sandwiches or, you know, equally healthy food.
And it was just great. Um, but I think how we do hospitality now is different to how we did it when I grew up.
[00:03:48] Will Sopwith: Yeah.
[00:03:49] Matt Edmundson: But I, I mean, yeah, I loved it. That whole era of just bouncing back into, now it's like, if you wanna go Antoine's house, it's like, can I come round? Is that okay? You sure? I don't wanna, it's booking about months and a bu can we do this?
Whereas before we just walk, hello everybody. I'm yeah. Yeah, it's, it's a real shame.
[00:04:07] Will Sopwith: Yeah, no, I, I love that. I'm very much had a household like that as well, which I, I'd really appreciate, uh, that memory. One of the nicest things actually, and I, I haven't fact-checked this so someone can correct me, but, um, I was talking about, um, Hogmanay Oh,
[00:04:20] Matt Edmundson: okay.
[00:04:21] Will Sopwith: With, with some glaswegians once, I can't remember where I, was it sauna or something. But, um, anyway, that by the bye, so I was just asking about, well, the hog Monet, 'cause it's, you know, it's got the reputation of lots of drinking, he said. Traditionally, so back in kind of seventies, eighties, they would, uh, the guys would come back from the pub.
Nine o'clock shop pubs would close. Yeah. Everyone goes back home and there's just a big pot of stew. What we, we have scouts in Liverpool, but just a big pot of stew and you just go round people's houses all night eating stew.
[00:04:52] Matt Edmundson: Nice.
[00:04:53] Will Sopwith: And like everyone would have a pot of stew and the doors were open. Yeah.
And, and that's the kind of Yeah. Yeah. It, it, it, I love that hospitality.
[00:04:59] Matt Edmundson: Yeah. No, that's great. Ellis says in the comments, uh, I'm quite interested in this topic, Dan, just so you know. No pressure. Um, because I'm an introverted person and really enjoy my own space and being away from people, hospitality is quite challenging to me.
Um, so Ellis, we are gonna get into that.
[00:05:17] Will Sopwith: Yeah.
[00:05:18] Matt Edmundson: Let's, let's chat about that
[00:05:19] Will Sopwith: after
[00:05:19] Matt Edmundson: say, good evening, Luna. Good evening. Sorry, I just going through the comments, but
No,
[00:05:24] Will Sopwith: that, that's quite right. 'cause I, I still don't get the comment feature. I'm barred from commenting on the, for
[00:05:30] Matt Edmundson: whatever reason. So keep
[00:05:31] Will Sopwith: keep keeping coming.
[00:05:32] Matt Edmundson: You can't see the Crowd of YouTube comments and none of us know why. It's just like YouTubers just gone. Yeah, no, you don't
get
[00:05:39] Will Sopwith: it. One day I'll sort it out. Okay. Well, without further ado, um, let's hear from Mr. Dan Orange. Welcome, Dan. It's very good to have you. Thanks very much. Yeah. And, uh, look forward to what you are, what you've got for us on, uh, hospitality,
[00:05:51] Dan Orange: on hospitality.
So, yeah, welcome everyone. Um, I've had a lot, a little, a little sort of briefing about hospitality, but yeah. When someone says hospital hospitality to you, what do you think of? Is it something that you enjoy being a part of? Um, oh dear. Yeah. Right at the beginning, computer's gone. Computer says No go. Is it?
Yeah. Is it something you enjoy being a part of, you enjoy being hospitable, having friends around for, for dinner and food on and fun? Or do you think, um, I love being invited around to houses, enjoying others' food. I can enjoy, um, some company and, and don't have to cook. So much to talk about being part of a Hospi hospitable community.
I dunno why
[00:06:41] Matt Edmundson: being, being part of a hospital community,
[00:06:43] Dan Orange: I gotta talk of Hospi Hospi Hospital. I don't even say it. I can't say it. So, yeah. Um, but, or perhaps like Elli has just said, perhaps you feel a bit sort of left out of this. Um, you always seem to do things solo and you might enjoy. More enjoy your own companionship and introverted.
So this hospitality thing can seem, um, a bit stressful and not your cup of tea. For me, I grew up in a pastor's, as a pastor's child in a house church, and there were always people in our house and I loved it. We had so many people that we called aunties and uncles. That's just how my childhood was. Some of those people I still know now and still see them as an extended family.
Auntie Elin, uncle Mike. I gave my life to Jesus in a small meeting of a few kids with Aunt Elin and others telling us about Jesus. Some visitors in the house were not family. Some had issues. Some were there because they were troubled and needed comfort, but they were all welcome. And perhaps, perhaps you've enjoyed Matt and his family's hospitality.
I bet if you rocked up to Liverpool and knocked on his door, he'd say, come on in. Would you like something to eat? And probably do a nice burger. I've enjoyed his hospitality more times than I can remember, and I love it. And it doesn't have any motive behind it. It's just love. Which makes me think perhaps when we've experienced hospitality that we don't like that's uncomfortable or forced, it's because there's an alternative.
Motive behind it. It's a party for the presence that hopefully being brought or it's an invitation in the hope that this will be reciprocated or it's the invite to get your point across your message, your religion, your point of view. I was talking to friends this week about this talk and what it was about, and she said in response that it, it has been said that we're, we're like a, we're a very connected generation, but physically distant.
I think that recent events have just increased that. I mean, COVID forced that distance. It actually said We're safer on our own, but it's okay. We can zoom with each other. So introverts relaxed and extroverts created Zoom pub quizzes, but it wasn't all bad. I mean, many of us wouldn't be listening. I'd be part of Crowd if COVID didn't make things sort of a bit more normal.
So perhaps proof that God can truly make things good for those that love God. When you think of COVID, perhaps in the uk, you remember the massive toll it took on the hospitality industry. The business of meeting in person was and eating together was really hit hard. Who remembers Eat out to help out in the UK to try and keep the hospitality industry from completely collapsing?
We all had half price meals paid for by the government. So we could eat together and help the industry perhaps not necessarily limit the spread of the disease, but they were different and odd times.
## [00:09:45] Biblical Perspective on Hospitality
[00:09:45] Dan Orange: But my point is, hospitality is needed and it's been affected in so many ways, and the Bible has a lot to say about hospitality, about being generous, being open, being welcoming.
In fact, in the book of the laws in the Old Testament, Leviticus, there's a law. God has been talking through Moses earlier in the chapter and saying how we should love our neighbor. As ourselves, the verses Jesus quoted when he was on the earth, excuse me. And then later these verses in chapter 19. So I'll read them out.
When a stranger OGs with you in your land, you should do him no wrong. You should treat the stranger OGs with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself. For you. We're strangers in the land of Egypt. I am the Lord your God. So, yeah, I'm the Lord your God. Treat the foreigner, the stranger as one of your own.
Remember, you are a foreigner too. It's a command. I am the Lord your God. That's God saying. I'm speaking this. And we nowadays may not have been physical foreigners like the Israelites who are in Egypt, but those of us that come to know Jesus, we were outsiders. Outsiders, and now we're part of his family.
This is for us as much as for the Israelites. Towards actual strangers of foreign foreigners as well as those that are not part of God's family. And even before this command, earlier in the Bible, Abraham who was living in his tent and spending time with God and that something happened. So let's read this other passage as well.
This is Genesis 18, and the Lord appeared to him by the Oaks of Mara as he sat at the door of his tent in the heat of the day. He lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were standing in front of him when he saw them. He ran from the tent to meet them and bowed himself to the earth and said, oh Lord, if I found favor in your sight, do not pass by your servant.
Let a little water be brought and wash your feet and rest yourselves under the tree while I bring a morsel of bread. It may refresh yourselves. And if you've had that. You may pass on since you've come to your servant. So they said, do as you have said. And Abraham went quickly into the tent to Sarah and said, quick three, Sears of fine flour.
Knead it and make cakes. And Abraham ran to the herd and took a calf tendering good and gave it to a young man who prepared it quickly. And he took curds and milk and the calf they had prepared and set it before them. And he stood by the tree while they ate. So Abraham was communion with God and these strangers come.
This is an event that approved of, by God, set up by him. The first thing he does is run to meet them. This is Abraham, who's a wealthy, elderly man, even at this time. And, um, they were strangers, but he just fed them, not just what he was eating. He said, you know, a few morsels of bread, but he went out, he got the good stuff and served them involved.
His wife, probably the servant, the young man to help, and they all got involved. And if you read further on these Messengers Revealed plans to Abraham. Abraham. Abraham wasn't expecting to receive for this, you know, this gift. He just, but he did. He did receive, he didn't know what was happening. But people came round and it welcomed them with open arms.
And then in the New Testament and the letter to the Hebrews, the writer talks about this event. And for Christians, it's a really very often quoted versed, and it says this. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers. For thereby, some have entertained angels unawares. He's referring to Abraham and his guests.
Abraham didn't know at the time, but they were angels. They had come to give an important message about him and his wife that they were gonna have a child. When we entertain strangers, we don't know how much we're doing. Sometime it's an actual meeting with angels, sometimes it's just food, sometimes. It's the love that those people at the time needed more than anything For me, this says, God, I don't wanna miss out on being your servant, being your hands and feet and provision on this earth.
How about that? How about entertaining angels? Sounds pretty cool, doesn't it? But mostly it's just day to day. It's loving without perhaps ever seeing a reward because it's what we want to do because it's what we've been taught to do. I mean. Is it a necessary thing or is hospitality a means to an end?
Seems a bit harshest statement. So what do I mean by that? By that, okay, so I'll be hospitable and I'll talk to strangers that they need to hear the gospel, but only for that reason. Sometimes I know. I felt that perhaps you've been on the end of a conversation like this. Sometimes, perhaps I've interpreted a talk in church that way.
We need to tell people about the good news of Jesus. Invite them into your house or meet with them. Go for walks to tell them about Jesus. They're my, they're not really my kind of people, but if I must, I will. Hmm. So should we be hospitable to share the gospel or is sharing the gospel being hospitable? I hope you see the difference there.
The good news of Jesus needs to be more than words, more than religion. It has to be transforming. It's not a bad thing to tell the gospel, but if our motive isn't genuine, isn't love, then is it? Is it real? Jesus doesn't hold back with the fact that the gospel is not just words, it's actions as well. Let me read this in Matthew 25.
Then the king will say to those on his right, enter, you who are blessed by my father, take what's coming to you in this kingdom. It's been ready for you since the World's Foundation, and here's why. I was hungry and you fed me. I was thirsty and you gave me a drink. I was homeless and you gave me room. I was shivering and you gave me clothes.
I was sick, and you stopped a visit. I was in prison, and you came to me. Then those sheep. I going to say, master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry and feed you thirsty and give you a drink, and when did we ever see you sick or in prison and come to you? Then the king will say, I'm telling you the solemn truth.
Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me. He did it to me. And then Jesus goes on to say, what will happen to those that didn't feed the feed and clothe and visit and tell me? And, and I tell you it's not good. In fact, you don't want to be in that group. It's probably one of the most stark warnings.
So go, go read that for yourself. That's a, that's another talk. So this seems to be, this seems to be part of the good news of Jesus. It's part of his work in us that he brings out these, these works, these works and things themselves. They don't, they don't atone. For what we've done. They don't overcome the rift of sin between us and God, that huge debt.
It's only his grace that does that. The Bible says, we're saved by grace, but says, without faith, without works is dead. So without works, our faith is dead. Or faith with works is life. If we are living without works, is this because we're not allowing God's grace to change? And transform us. Now, I don't want you to come away from this talk and think, I can't do this to be, to be disheartened.
It's, it's okay for extroverts. It's okay for Danny can talk about this stuff and do this stuff. He's, he's got a wife that can cook and just people can come and enjoy her food. Truth to be told, I wrestle with this, these situations and the callings all the time, but. It's definitely not my goal to think I'm forcing this on you.
## [00:17:54] Practical Applications of Hospitality
[00:17:54] Dan Orange: My goal is to let you know, and I'm talking to myself here, my goal is to let God into my practical life as well as my spiritual life for God to not be a, a religion, but to be, to be life. Perhaps you've tried as a Christian or as a part of your religion or your lifestyle and it's fatigued. You always trying to do the right thing.
It's, it's drained you. The message version of the Bible puts. Jesus, his words this way. So Matthew 11 says this, are you tired, worn out, burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me, and you'll recovery your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest, walk with me and work with me. Watch how I do it.
Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly. So come to Jesus, be, expect him for what he has for you and what he wants to do through you and in you. It can mean stepping outta your comfort zone and doing things you don't normally do.
And there's, there's a cost. That's true. Um, when I was preparing this and praying about this talk, the first story that came to me was none of the verses that I've mentioned already. It was this story and it's told in, uh, the Gospel of Luke and the gospel of Mark. Jesus is in a someone's house and he is preaching.
So someone has let him stay in their house. They've been very hospitable. There may have been food, he might have slept there, and it could be the owner just said, come on in. Anyway, he's there, he's preaching. It's crowded. There's no room for any more people to come in, and some guys have a mate who's paralyzed and they want to heal him.
They want Jesus to heal him, and they can't get in to see Jesus, so they climb on the roof. They smart start dismantling the roof. They're damaging this guy's house. They made a hole big enough to get the guy through, drop him down in front of Jesus. An amazing, an amazing miracle is now possible. Jesus forgives him of his sins and heals him.
The guy picks up his stretcher and he's off. Everyone amazed and everyone's happy. Even the owner, even the guy that's hospitable and opened his house. I dunno anything about him. What was his response to tell, you know, to this? Did he tell everyone, guess what Jesus did. A miracle in my house. I think I might get one of those blue plaques and put it on the wall.
Paralyzed man healed here. I was able to be a part of this gospel of Jesus. Or was his response, who's paying for my roof? Who's gonna fix that? I know I want to be in, in that first response, the blue, blue plaque response. But I'm sometimes I'm too worried about. While it would do to my house, my reputation, my my family, God can bring amazing things outta what we may think is just an awkward time, something we could have done better.
I need to remember to just start to just ask someone if they want to come for lunch, do they want to go for a walk or a chat? Go for a coffee. Doesn't have to be anything big or extravagant, but it does need to be genuine. Being hospitable. As we saw in Jesus' statement, I was homeless, I was shivering. I was Hungry isn't always about inviting people to your own house, it's often going to them.
One of the biggest organizations feeding the homeless and helping those who have fallen to their lowest is the Salvation Army. Salvation Army was set up by a husband and wife, couple, William and Catherine Booth. And they saw that those in the slum, so it's back in Victorian times in the days of, um, Dickens and Jack the Ripper, and they saw people really needed help.
They saw that the gospel was to give them hope and help and physically help them out of prostitution about drink poverty. They preach the gospel in Word and Indeed and the Salvation Army. It's in so many countries now, being hospitable to bring the good news of Jesus to all feeding the hungry clothing, the homeless, visiting the prisoner.
This couple went against the culture of the time and they stood up for those that had nothing. I came across this quote from William Booth and he said, I'm not waiting for a move of God. I am a move of God. Wow. So not just waiting but saying. I'm gonna get on with it.
## [00:22:34] Receiving Hospitality
[00:22:34] Dan Orange: I've talked here mostly about, about doing things, about being hospitable, about the people that have done, how about those that accept hospitality?
Are you someone who finds it hard to accept gifts, finds it hard to allow someone to do something for you? If you get a present from someone, your first thought isn't, oh, that's so kind, man. I love that you thought of me. It's, oh, no. Now I have to get them something and I can't think of what to get them, or I should have thought about that before they did.
Part of God's gospel isn't just about giving. It's about receiving. This good news were brought to us by the son of Man. He lived and served and gave his life for us, but you also accepted gifts. Mary washed his feet. Zia said, come in, have a meal. It says The son of man had nowhere to rest his head. He relied on hospitality.
He says the church is the bride. We're going to be part of the feast. So let's not be British in our receiving. Um, let me explain what I mean. You go for a meal and the person with you says, I'm paying. And the British answer is, no, you can't pay. I'll pay. Don't be silly. And there's this like backwards and forwards when the person actually wanted to.
Be a giver. So it's always great to be able to, to receive that gift, enjoy God's blessing and being on the receiving end. The people at the house with the paralyzed man, they were in the room, their guests allowed them in, and they received his welcome and they got to see the miracle too. If you can't receive, then you're not allowing someone to give.
There's got to be time to be on both sides of hospitality. There are seasons too when receiving is a big part of life. I think we've talked about it quite a few times on Crowd, where at our church, if someone has a baby, then the family's here cook food and take over meals. It's an opportunity to be a receiver perhaps.
Perhaps you are ill or struggling financially. You've asked God for help. Don't let him worry about worry. When God helps you through someone else, the money or the provision probably isn't gonna appear magically. Um, before you, a friend or a neighbor may be God's hospitality to you. God has gifts for us.
If we can't receive from others, we might find it hard to receive from God.
## [00:25:07] Final Thoughts and Reflections
[00:25:07] Dan Orange: I want to finish with some final thoughts. Let's allow God's good news is gospel to not be a head. Or a religion thing because that's no good. It won't change or save us. It's got to be a heart thing. We need to allow him to transform our minds and our actions.
My takeaway from this is to ask God who, who is the stranger? Who is the foreigner that I can be hospitable to? Sometimes it's not always easy and or comes at the most inappropriate. The time, the passage I read about Abraham entertaining his guests. Well, the chapter before it, the last thing recorded was that Abraham's was about Abraham's covenant with God and that he was circumcised at 99 years old.
And then the next thing we read, he's running to his guests. It's not always comfortable, but it's often rewarded in, maybe not even in this life, but it is in the next. Thank you very much.
[00:26:11] Will Sopwith: Back to, thank you Dan. Thank you very much. As I said, this is, um, this is part of a whole series of becoming whole, and I love what you said, Dan, that, that let God into your, into your practical life.
Yes. As well as your spiritual life and. And, and that's what a lot of these, these different talks feel like. It's, it's, uh, the Bible is very practical, um mm-hmm. About lots of things. And I feel like this really follows on from the, the talk last week actually about loving the neighbor. Um, and, and there was some homework, um, I believe last week about, yeah, just reflecting on how we, how we think about others, um, and, and how we can speak blessing on those that, that, uh, that.
We don't necessarily naturally, um, get on with. I think what strikes me about hospitality in the Bible is that it's not just your friends. And I think that there's actually a,
[00:27:03] Dan Orange: yeah, absolutely.
[00:27:04] Will Sopwith: There's actually a passage, and I meant to look it up actually. I, I can't remember it, but it's like, well, don't just invite your friends 'cause they'll just invite you back, invite the stranger into your house.
So it's, it's very much an extension of loving, loving your neighbor. Um, so thanks. Thanks, Dan. That's great. Um, so yeah, man, what did you make? Any thoughts?
[00:27:24] Matt Edmundson: Loved it. Yeah. I love, I love the talk about hospitality because I think we can all pinpoint examples of when we've mm-hmm. Received good hospitality and gone Oh, that's amazing.
And we've, we've probably all given hospitality in a good way and gone Oh, that's amazing. Do you know what I mean? And it's like, you kind of go, there's, I think there's something quite. Godly quite divine about the whole thing. Do you know what I mean? And, um, you kind of wonder what hospitality was like with Jesus, don't you?
Mm-hmm. At least I do. Do you watch, you watch the chosen, right? Yeah. You see the, the food and the things that he does and, and you kind of think, yeah. I just, the one thing I really, really want to do when I get to heaven is I want to eat. The fish, which Jesus barbecues, right? Because there's this thing isn't the story where he raises from the dead and he's this barbecuing fish on the beach and his, his sort of, his disciples come and eat that fish and you know, that's gonna be good fish.
Yeah. And, and I'm not a big fish fan, but I, you just know that's gonna be good. And I think, I just love the conversations about hospitality. I love how in the Bible so much of it. Is just around food.
[00:28:39] Will Sopwith: Mm-hmm.
[00:28:40] Matt Edmundson: Do you know what I mean? So a, there's always food somewhere and it's the sim
[00:28:44] Will Sopwith: lot of community around
[00:28:45] Matt Edmundson: food.
Yeah. A lot community. Lot of simplicity about it just being with people.
[00:28:50] Will Sopwith: Yeah.
[00:28:50] Matt Edmundson: Um. So, yeah, I, I'm, I'm
[00:28:53] Will Sopwith: so, so, so talking fish. I'm gonna ask you to, I'll give you a few moments to think about your, your best hospitality, receiving hospitality, your, your best moment. Ooh. So one of the, one of the ones that really strikes me about, about that whole kind of stranger thing, and actually it's fried fish, so well done segue.
Um, I had the immense privilege of being out in Kyrgyzstan a number of years ago, um, with, with a friend of mine and, and my wife. And we were visiting a friend who was working out there. And, uh, we went on this crazy road trip. It's, it's very alpine, Stan, most of its mountains in this old larder taxi. It, it used to be kind of part of the Soviet unions, this very old Russian car, which was almost held together with bits of elastic.
And we were kinda just up over these alpine passes. Anyway, we, we rock up at this very high lake. I don't know how high it was. Um, thousands of feet up in the mountains and he just kind of comes off the, what was really a track trundles across the grass and just stops at a year. Mm. And just says, oh, we'll get out here.
He like, do, do you know these guys? And No, no, no. They were just, we'll just pop in here. And, and we just went into this year and there was like. All these, these guys sitting round. And, and it was one of those, one of their, one of these, um, guys' birthday, uh, 'cause they got to the, the summer pastures and uh, so there was a bottle of vodka, which was his birthday present, and they invited us in.
They made space for us around the fire in this year. And the wife was cooking fish that had literally just caught in the lake. We were just by this lake. Complete strangers, the three of us, plus the taxi driver just sat down and were being fed, uh, vodka and toasting this guy's health and, and fried fish.
And it was just like, this is crazy. You would not, you would not get this visiting the uk This is like a sort of tourist, uh, tourist thing that's gotta be very, very staged in our culture. And it really blew me away. Just the, uh, a the generosity of people who didn't have very much. Yeah. But, um, and just how natural it was.
It was just like a, yeah. Very natural Welcome. So. Have you got an example what good hospitality feels like?
[00:30:47] Matt Edmundson: Um, yeah, I think for me it, again, it all revolves around food. So all the examples in my head are, are usually around food, um, or some event. Do you know what I mean? Like, um, I, there's a friend of mine, guy called Tim in Jersey, and I remember the first time we met him, it was just come around to the house.
He cooked this amazing food. We instantly became friends and we're still friends now. Right. And you just kind of think. It was so simple.
[00:31:14] Dan Orange: Mm-hmm.
[00:31:15] Matt Edmundson: And I think for me, one of the things that we, we tend to do in our own heads is overcomplicate it. Yeah. Right. So we're having people around. Right. The house has gotta be clean.
Mm-hmm. That was always one of the things that always used to poke me. You know, you spend four hours cleaning the house of people who could care less whether your house was clean. Right. Absolutely. And. A bit like you'd spend four hours cleaning the house before you go away on holiday, just in case someone breaks in and is not clean anyway.
But you, you, you clean the house. You can tell it's
[00:31:42] Will Sopwith: men hosting.
[00:31:45] Matt Edmundson: Yeah. Yeah, you can. Sharon says to me, you should probably have a woman on hosting tonight to balance it out. But I was probably, I like, yeah, you're right. Um. But we do tend to overcomplicate it, right? Yeah, absolutely. The house has gotta be clean.
The food has got to be like the most amazing food that you've ever eaten and all the things like you talked about, it was fried fish and vodka.
[00:32:04] Dan Orange: Mm-hmm.
[00:32:04] Matt Edmundson: And you, you didn't mention once about the house being clean or not clean. It was just about the welcome. Yeah. And I think that for me is the beauty of it, is the simplicity.
[00:32:14] Will Sopwith: Mm-hmm.
[00:32:15] Matt Edmundson: And all the good examples in my head of when it was spontaneous. Mm
[00:32:18] Will Sopwith: mm-hmm.
[00:32:19] Matt Edmundson: Or even when we were invited round, but it was simple.
[00:32:21] Will Sopwith: Yeah. Yeah.
[00:32:22] Matt Edmundson: Um, I feel uncomfortable going around someone, someone's house knowing that they've done a big
[00:32:27] Will Sopwith: C
[00:32:27] Matt Edmundson: meal.
[00:32:28] Will Sopwith: No, it's a really good point. And I think if you look at all the biblical examples of hospitality, a lot of it is completely surprised, isn't it?
It's like the Abraham, the visitors, and it's, it's not a, it's not an invitation that's in the diary for a month. It's not
[00:32:41] Dan Orange: dinner party, is it? No.
[00:32:41] Will Sopwith: At,
## [00:32:42] The Essence of Genuine Hospitality
[00:32:42] Dan Orange: at all. Like a dinner party. Is that that? Yeah. Like the staged Yeah. It's not being, it's hospitable. You've got food. Yeah, but it's not. But
[00:32:51] Will Sopwith: people just rock up and they're unexpected, and yet they're welcomed.
And I think that's the sort of hospitality that
[00:32:57] Dan Orange: Yeah,
[00:32:57] Will Sopwith: that is a, is a challenge for us. I, and I remember talking about that.
## [00:33:02] Growing Up in an Open House
[00:33:02] Will Sopwith: So I, I grew up in a quite an open sort of house. My mom was just inviting complete random strangers around the whole time. Um, and, and it was quite an education for us, um, at, at at times.
Um, I mean, she would literally pick people off the street, um, who just were looking a bit down their luck and like invite 'em back for dinner. Um, amazing house to grow up in.
[00:33:21] Matt Edmundson: Mm-hmm.
[00:33:21] Will Sopwith: Um, but I remember going around to friends' houses and, and that there was this one particular friend and we used to go to the pub and we get a cab.
And then we'd come home to his and watch Red Dwarf videos
[00:33:33] Matt Edmundson: into the night.
[00:33:33] Will Sopwith: And we'd always wanna go and just make some toast as you do when you've been sat in the pub. And he was like, oh, no, no, no. You can't go in the kitchen, have to come into the posh dining room. And it's like, your parents are in bed.
No one's gonna know. But, and there was one day, I think like years into this friendship when I was allowed into the kitchen. Yeah. And it was a complete mess. And it was just like a family kitchen, you know? Um, but he was, he was just petrified that that's really, that somebody would find out. And you're right, you just feel a bit awkward.
Yeah, you do. If if like all the best China comes out when you're coming around, its like, yeah. I don't really feel welcome here. I, I feel sort of honored, but it's a bit,
[00:34:07] Matt Edmundson: yeah,
[00:34:08] Will Sopwith: it's a bit weird
[00:34:09] Matt Edmundson: and I feel like I've gotta act a certain
[00:34:10] Will Sopwith: way. Well, exactly. It kind of changes the tone of the, of the, the conversation, which is why I love that kind of unexpected.
'cause you, you're sort of caught
[00:34:19] Dan Orange: Yeah.
[00:34:19] Will Sopwith: As you are, you know, you just have to, there's no airs and graces. You just have to be you.
[00:34:23] Dan Orange: It more, you are to be genuine as well, isn't it? If it's that unexpected.
[00:34:27] Matt Edmundson: Yeah. Like I remember with our kids.
## [00:34:31] Creating a Welcoming Environment for Kids
[00:34:31] Matt Edmundson: When our kids were growing up, right. We were like, there's a couple of things that we were in.
I know you guys are intentional in this as well, but we were like really intentional in like who they hang out with. Mm-hmm. We wanted their, our kids to grow up with good friends because it's so important in their, in their life. And so we were like, right, if they were hanging out with their friends, we wanted to make sure that if they were like all hanging out.
And they said, whose house should we go hang out with? I always wanted their friends to go, let's go to your house.
[00:34:58] Will Sopwith: Mm-hmm.
[00:34:59] Matt Edmundson: Right. To my, one of my kids. Yeah. I wanted that to be the top of the list. Yeah. So I wanted to create an environment where that would happen.
## [00:35:07] Fridge Rights: A Unique Hospitality Concept
[00:35:07] Matt Edmundson: We came up with this thing called fridge rights.
[00:35:10] Will Sopwith: Mm-hmm.
[00:35:10] Matt Edmundson: Right. And so we would say to kids, including Elias.
[00:35:13] Will Sopwith: Yeah.
[00:35:13] Matt Edmundson: Um, we've not said it to Luke yet, although, I mean, he's not grown up with our kids. But, um, we'd said it to Ali said it to all the kids. They ca there came a point where they came into our house and we'd just go, listen, you've got fridge rights.
[00:35:22] Will Sopwith: Mm-hmm.
[00:35:23] Matt Edmundson: Which basically meant they could open the fridge and take whatever they wanted. Out the fridge as long as it wasn't alcohol. Um, you know, or, or caviar, maybe not that we regularly have caviar in the fridge. I've
[00:35:33] Will Sopwith: never seen caviar,
[00:35:36] Matt Edmundson: but this idea that to me is hospitality. Yeah. It's like the ability to come in and make yourself feel at home.
Yes. Right.
## [00:35:44] The Importance of Feeling at Home
[00:35:44] Matt Edmundson: I, I want to, when I go around someone else's house, I want to feel like I can offer to clean the dishes, but also not feel as though I have to. Mm-hmm. Um, especially if I'm tired, but it's that I just wanna feel at home.
[00:35:58] Will Sopwith: Yeah. So that, that, that's a really good example. And, and, and it'd be good to hear Dan as well, what, what, what those kind of ingredients of hospitality that, that, that you think from, from the talk you've done.
Um, but my mom would always get whoever came for lunch. They just get 'em to do the washing up. It's like you are part of the family. You've come in, you just help out with the washing up.
[00:36:18] Dan Orange: Yep.
[00:36:19] Will Sopwith: And no one's gonna be forced to do it. But again, that as a, as a kind of a, um, going then to houses where you are treated as and not guest.
That was, that really struck me of like, no, I'd, I'd far prefer actually just to be able to do the washing up. 'cause, because you just feel part of the family. Yeah. I think that's a really good. Um, I think it's a really important, it's a good example.
[00:36:39] Dan Orange: Yeah.
[00:36:39] Will Sopwith: Really important.
## [00:36:40] Biblical Stories and Hospitality
[00:36:40] Will Sopwith: So in, in looking through these biblical stories, then Dan, those, those kind of, I mean, and we had an answer on the chat if you, if you look, look at any more comments, Matt, um, about, well, how, how do you do this if you're not into the kind of dinner party Yes.
Thing, which I think hopefully we're saying is that's not really hospitality, that's not what it looks like. But what are those elements that, that you can, uh, yeah,
[00:37:00] Dan Orange: I think the biggest thing that I felt when I was looking at was that I mentioned before just that. Genuineness that just, just be real with people.
Yeah. Invite people around. 'cause you want to know about them.
[00:37:14] Will Sopwith: Yeah.
[00:37:14] Dan Orange: Not just 'cause
[00:37:16] Will Sopwith: Yeah, it's not
[00:37:17] Dan Orange: the events, it's about's the thing to do. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It is. It's about the, it's about the guests and about that. So that house where, um, the guy had let you know Jesus in and the miracle had happened. All those other people there were just.
Just part of it, weren't they? Yeah, they probably helped. Helped fix the roof. You know these guys, well,
[00:37:39] Matt Edmundson: it probably did actually. It's probably a
[00:37:40] Dan Orange: very, I've never thought about it just,
[00:37:42] Will Sopwith: but I,
[00:37:42] Matt Edmundson: the
[00:37:42] Will Sopwith: story
[00:37:43] Matt Edmundson: that's really interesting point. Sonia said in the comments actually about that. 'cause I said, um, I put in the comment the guy whose roof got ripped apart.
If that was your house, which response would you honestly, have a miracle happened in my house or. Who's paying for the roof, uh, as you said, uh, no judgment here. Luna was like, I would be. Wow. Did you see that? Did you see that screaming up and down the street? Uh, Sonya said I'd be praying it didn't rain before the roof was fixed.
We're in North Wales, so the timeframe is very limited. Love it. Nicholas said I'd be looking at how to get the roof fixed before they notice. So, yes. And in fact, Nicola went on to say, when I was talking about having a messy house, people break into my house and they think I've been burgled, which is great.
And then Alice said here, which I think is an interesting question, uh, statement. I'd feel so rude taking something outta somebody's fridge,
[00:38:42] Will Sopwith: right.
[00:38:43] Matt Edmundson: It's interesting, isn't it? Yeah.
[00:38:44] Will Sopwith: How, how long would it take before you were convinced that they really meant it? I wonder, Alice, because I mean, yeah. It, it's something you have to repeat.
'cause, because I mean, if you are, and, and I think this is a really good point. We, we read the biblical stories of hospitality and actually evening krg istan, the culture of hospitality is entirely different. Yeah. From, um. From where we're at now and, and what you've been brought up in will affect how you think about hospitality.
Yeah. And, and how you do it, won't it? Yeah. And if, yeah, I can understand you feeling uncomfortable about, about doing that because maybe that's just not been part of your experience. And I think the challenge for us as Christians is to try and be a bit countercultural and break down some of those. But as well, there's all this kind of like, it's gotta be relevant.
Relevant to our culture maybe. Yeah. Because as you say, the point is that it's about the people Yeah. And the people feeling comfortable and, and all the rest. And so I think we have to be a little bit culturally attuned to Yeah. You know, what's, what's expected. Yeah. As well as, as well as being countercultural.
That's, that's tricky balance.
[00:39:45] Matt Edmundson: It is. It's an inter, like if I travel. When I travel, well, not if, but when, when I travel, I love to stay with people.
[00:39:53] Will Sopwith: Yeah.
[00:39:53] Matt Edmundson: In the places that I'm going to rather than staying in a hotel. Yeah.
[00:39:56] Will Sopwith: Oh, a hundred
[00:39:56] Matt Edmundson: percent. Just there's something in my head which says, if I'm going somewhere and I know someone there, even if I vaguely know them, I'd rather stay with them than in the hotel.
Because you get to know them, don't you? When you, when you go hang out with people in their house and you, we've, we've struck up good friendships. Um. Got some really good friends in New Zealand, some who started out as business clients, but whenever I'd go over there, I'd go and stay with them.
[00:40:21] Will Sopwith: Mm-hmm.
[00:40:21] Matt Edmundson: It was great.
Mm-hmm. When they, they've come, stayed at my house too. Mm-hmm. Um, and we'd be good. Be, we'd become friends outta that. And I think, I guess my, let me ask you this question, chaps, right? In the sense of, um, I think I'm fairly hospitable and I definitely am challenged to be more hospitable.
## [00:40:42] Practical Tips for Introverts
[00:40:42] Matt Edmundson: I. How do you, where do you start?
If someone like Ellis, who's like quite introverted, loves their own company, finds hospitality quite hard, where do you start? I mean, you, you grew up in a, in a house where was completely not like that. You grew up in a house where it's not gonna be like that. You are not the most extroverted guy in the, on the planet.
No. So I'm, I'm kind of curious how you deal with
[00:41:08] Dan Orange: it. Yeah. 'cause when I was thinking about this, um, I'd put that bit about an introverted. And I've definitely changed. I ne would still would never say I'm an extrovert, but things have changed in me. Mm-hmm. Um, I would've easily just been happy to go to someone's house and just not say a word.
[00:41:27] Will Sopwith: Yeah.
[00:41:28] Dan Orange: And it wouldn't have been a problem. Yeah. I'm just happy just to be quiet and just hear people talking, you know? So there's definitely been a change there, whether that's just getting older or whether that's 'cause in my job, I've had to be forced to be talking to people. Definitely think God has has helped me with that.
Mm-hmm. Yeah. But I wanted to, there's so much to say isn't there?
## [00:41:48] Hospitality Beyond Food
[00:41:48] Dan Orange: But in the talk I wanted to sort of also show that hospitality doesn't have to just be, you know, food's great. Yeah. 'cause you've got that. It's a great way to talk, isn't it? 'cause you don't always have to be, don't always have to have eye contact.
You can look at your food and you can have proper conversations. But if someone's like, I was thinking someone's moving house, you just say, can you know, I'll give you hand moving.
[00:42:12] Will Sopwith: Mm.
[00:42:12] Dan Orange: That's,
[00:42:13] Will Sopwith: yeah.
[00:42:13] Dan Orange: That's being hospitable, isn't it? Yeah. I think it's really definitely different skills that some don't have to be talking.
It's a,
[00:42:18] Will Sopwith: it's a really good point. Um, and we, we've, we've had neighbors before who's, I mean, something like the washing machine's broken down. Yeah. Or the water's off, or they haven't got a shower 'cause of work in the house, and you're just like, well, we'll come and use, use our stuff. Yeah. That, that's fine.
And there's not. Even really any interaction required. It's just like I've got something that I could share.
[00:42:38] Dan Orange: Yeah.
[00:42:38] Will Sopwith: So it it does go wider than the Yeah. Than, than the meal for sure.
## [00:42:43] Community and Shared Resources
[00:42:43] Will Sopwith: Um, and I think, I think, I think counting the stuff that you have, whether that be your home, your food, the things you own as not just your own.
But as a resource that you can share with a community Yeah. Of friends and family, but actually also of strangers. Yeah. Within reasons, I think. I think that's where I think you're right. That's, that's where it's getting to. Yeah. That's, that's the kind of the challenge for us.
[00:43:09] Matt Edmundson: Yeah. And I'd also say Ellis, you know, just coming back to that question, if you, if you struggle with hospitality, like I said earlier, keep it simple.
[00:43:19] Will Sopwith: Yeah, absolutely.
[00:43:20] Matt Edmundson: Don't overcomplicate it. Like you said, look at what you've got. Like, um, Sonya put in the comments about having a stranger come around their house to use the shower one time.
[00:43:29] Will Sopwith: Yeah.
[00:43:29] Matt Edmundson: That might not be you. That's totally fine. Um, I, I, I, I get that. Um, I remember waking up one day. To a note by the side of the bed that Sharon had put there and saying, by the way, if you find a strange guy in the back room, that's okay.
I said He could sleep there. And I'm like, there's a, there's a story behind it, but Sharon's like in the middle of the night while I'm fast asleep, letting strange fellas in come sleep in our back room. And so I'm like,
[00:43:55] Will Sopwith: love that.
Okay.
[00:43:56] Matt Edmundson: Um, but I think, you know, you, everybody's got something and I think. Food doesn't have to be complicated.
You don't have to do the big fat meals. Mm-hmm. Like when we do the footy, you guys bring the crisps.
[00:44:08] Dan Orange: Yeah.
[00:44:08] Matt Edmundson: It's crisps and beer. Right. I mean, it can't get any more simple, simple than that. In a ca like last time you came around, I did poached eggs on toast. Yeah. Do you know what I mean? And it, peanut butter, that was really up in the game.
[00:44:17] Dan Orange: That was,
[00:44:19] Matt Edmundson: it was fine cuisine. Um, so I don't think it has to be complicated and I think it can just be something as simple as a cup of tea.
[00:44:27] Dan Orange: Yeah.
[00:44:27] Matt Edmundson: And thinking about, well, if I have people around. I won't know what to say. Just get a card game, you know, get Monopoly or may not monopoly, but you end up killing people with Monopoly, maybe Catan or whatever, Do you know what I mean?
And, and, and use those things, um, as ways in to start building something. And in fact, Sonya, um, one of the things that Sonya's does, which I love, is actually she's. Super hospitable on the WhatsApp community group, which we've got. So the community group that Sonya's in, there's a WhatsApp group. She's in there all the time asking how people are praying for them and all that sort of stuff.
So it's not like you, it's exclusive of digital. I think you can be hospitable in multiple places, just checking in with people.
[00:45:12] Dan Orange: Yeah.
[00:45:12] Matt Edmundson: But it just start simple and just, just take a step of faith. It's gonna be a little bit uncomfortable if it's not usual bag, but I think have a go see what happens.
[00:45:20] Dan Orange: Yeah, I was, I was thinking about, um, the Good Samaritan and, um, the story is that, you know, that a, a rich sort of Pharisee walks and he just crosses over the road and then a Samaritan comes and helps this, this guy that's been beaten up.
But I felt it wasn't the, the story wasn't necessarily what the Samaritan did. The, the first thing was that the. Pharisee walked and he went around, all we have to do is not go around.
[00:45:51] Matt Edmundson: Yeah. Mm-hmm.
[00:45:52] Dan Orange: You know, we might not even be able to have had the money to take the guy to the inn to pay for him, just not go around.
Yeah. Just that, that start.
[00:46:02] Will Sopwith: Yeah. I mean, just actually seeing people mm-hmm. Is, uh, as in like really. Taking a moment to connect. Yeah. And, and see, see the situation. Um, another, another answer to that, Alice as well, I mean. You may be surprised in this, but I'm not, I'm not a big chatter. I'm, I'm not a big, small talker, not, I do enjoy having people, but
[00:46:25] Matt Edmundson: hang on.
So sorry, will, just one sec. Zoe, I want to go to you on this now. There's no camera or microphone on Zoe who's on the tech desk now. Zoe is my daughter. She's really good friends with Will's daughter. Would you agree with that last statement? No. Okay.
[00:46:38] Will Sopwith: Okay. Okay. Alright. I'm, I'm sorry, I del just calling out.
I'm also deluding, but there's been times for sure when it's like, I cannot imagine having the emotional energy. 'cause I am actually a bit of an introvert as well that I, I, I get to the point of like, okay, I've had enough.
[00:46:54] Matt Edmundson: Yeah.
[00:46:54] Will Sopwith: People, I just need to go and sit in a cave. Um, and, but we are, we are blessed with a, a home that has space.
And there's been a couple of times in fact. A, a few friends who are big into Eurovision, um, you, you'll known ca, Kathy Gregory and, uh, and Claire Glare. And they were like, you've got the biggest house. Can we have a Eurovision party at yours? Fantastic. I'm like, I don't wanna host a Eurovision party. It's like, no, no, you don't have to, you just open the door literally and, and.
Actually hospitality you can do is a bit of a team.
[00:47:26] Matt Edmundson: Yeah.
[00:47:27] Will Sopwith: So it's like That's true. That's true. Kathy and Claire had the, had the Eurovision energy and they came with their flags and their lists and their, and then we, we got people to bring food. We didn't even have to cater. We literally just opened the door of our home and then could just be in the background.
But actually that's become an annual eurovision party where we just do exactly the same.
[00:47:46] Matt Edmundson: Fantastic.
[00:47:46] Will Sopwith: All the people who are really into it come a load of neighbors come who aren't really into it. Yeah. But just come for the gab. Everyone brings a bit of food, um, and great. And so that's great. There's bits, even if you are not, I think we, we think about it very individually, don't we?
And actually the examples are quite individual, but you can do this as a bit of a community. You can do it as a family. You can do it. That's true. With a couple of friends's. Like, you know, I'm just gonna be in the kitchen. I don't wanna talk to anyone, but I can make shortbread. I'll make the shortbread and make the tea.
Yeah. You go out there and do the kind of hosting bit. Yeah. So I think there's ways as well, you just, again, bring
[00:48:17] Matt Edmundson: what you've got there is, yeah. Play tea gifts, like when. I was thinking the other day when you guys came round with Luke and he was cooking the sausage and egg Yes. Muffins. Right. It's like, great.
Just get, I think getting everyone involved is really, really good.
[00:48:29] Will Sopwith: Yeah.
[00:48:29] Matt Edmundson: Yeah. I, I love that. I think it's, um. I, I, I dunno if I want the invite to the Eurovision party,
[00:48:37] Will Sopwith: I open invite man now to come
[00:48:40] Matt Edmundson: knock on the door,
[00:48:41] Will Sopwith: say hello. It, it really splits into the two of, like, the people that are really into it, they tend to go into the sitting room.
Yeah. Tend to kind of project it in the kitchen as well, but everyone's just gabbing.
[00:48:49] Matt Edmundson: Yeah.
[00:48:50] Will Sopwith: So, uh, no. It'd
[00:48:51] Matt Edmundson: be a good crack.
[00:48:51] Will Sopwith: No, it, it is, it is. Good luck. But I mean, just another point actually about. About the culture. So I mean, we've found very much that people crossing, crossing your threshold is not a thing in our neighborhood particularly.
And actually people tend to be quite occupied with their families and always busy and all the rest. Um, and so we. Well, how, how do you, how do you connect with people on your street neighbors, but there's that kind of, there's that formality of crossing over the threshold.
[00:49:19] Matt Edmundson: Mm-hmm.
[00:49:20] Will Sopwith: So we've got a little space outside of the front of our house and so one year we just were like, let's do a little autumn barbecue.
Mm-hmm. We just set the barbecue out at the front of the house so people are literally walking along our road, can see that it's happening. All they have to do is like come through a little gate by the hedge. They don't have to come into our house. They don't even have to come into our garden.
[00:49:39] Matt Edmundson: Yeah.
[00:49:40] Will Sopwith: Get everyone to bring their own sausages.
Yeah. Yeah. And new supply, the barbecue. And, and that has been fabulous. And that's just been a, and neighbors have got to know each other who've lived on the same street for years and never met each other. Yeah. And it's just been a really good, so finding things that are kind of culturally relevant where you are getting some people that can do the bits you can't do and Yeah.
Have fun. Just have
[00:50:02] Matt Edmundson: a go.
[00:50:02] Will Sopwith: It is, it is fun. Yeah, it's fun,
[00:50:02] Matt Edmundson: I think. I think it's great. And I, and to just to sort of close the circle.
## [00:50:08] Balancing Hospitality and Personal Space
[00:50:08] Matt Edmundson: It's okay if you need time with away from people.
[00:50:11] Will Sopwith: Yeah.
[00:50:12] Matt Edmundson: Right. If you just a
[00:50:13] Will Sopwith: hundred percent.
[00:50:13] Matt Edmundson: If you just need to just close the door for a little bit, you don't have to be one hospitable like 100% of the time.
There are times where you just go like, Sharon, we have quite an open house. I dunno how many people have keys to my house. If the insurance company ever found out, I'm sure it'd be invalid, but it's like you just, you, you'll sit there in the house and somebody will have let themselves in. Right? And it's like, Hey, how's it going in your chat.
So Sharon. One day, one week at the start of last year, just went, I want everyone to know, she put it on the WhatsApp to everyone that's got keys do not come to my house for this week. I just want one week where no one other than me and the kids are in the house.
[00:50:50] Will Sopwith: Mm-hmm.
[00:50:51] Matt Edmundson: And everyone was like, cool man, no
[00:50:53] Will Sopwith: problem.
[00:50:53] Matt Edmundson: No problem whatsoever. And I think people respect that, right? And so, um, you may need more recharge time than, than someone else, but I, I think you don't have to burn yourself out with it. And I think you don't have to feel guilty if you're just. Sat by yourself. I don't know, just staring at the ceiling or reading a book or whatever it is you need to do, right?
[00:51:12] Will Sopwith: Yeah. Sometimes people will come round and it's like, well, well, we're watching a movie. Just come and watch a movie. I'm not gonna talk to you. Yeah,
[00:51:17] Matt Edmundson: come in.
[00:51:18] Will Sopwith: By all
[00:51:18] Matt Edmundson: means. That's the beauty of films, isn't it?
[00:51:19] Will Sopwith: I'm just sitting and watching. So join, join us for a bit. Just be part of the family.
[00:51:23] Matt Edmundson: Unless Mona comes round or Jen and they just start talking through the film and it really winds me up.
They'll start asking you questions, but don't do that. That's wrong. I need to stop that. It's like, no, when the film is on, you watch the film. Am I right? I'm right. That's what Zoe says. So
[00:51:38] Will Sopwith: we, we talked a lot about the, kind of the practicalities of hospitality. I wanna finish with a, a question of what is the point?
## [00:51:45] The Biblical Importance of Hospitality
[00:51:45] Will Sopwith: What, why, why does the Bible talk about hospitality? Why, what is, what is the importance?
[00:51:52] Dan Orange: That's
[00:51:52] Will Sopwith: a great question. I'm gonna start with you, Dan. You wrote the talk.
[00:51:56] Dan Orange: I think the first thing that came to my mind was then we're all. Made in his image.
[00:52:02] Will Sopwith: Oh, good
[00:52:02] Dan Orange: answer. If we're not help, if we're not hospitable, we're not almost helping ourselves.
We you. It's like something
[00:52:11] Will Sopwith: missing. We're not, we're not functioning as we were
[00:52:13] Dan Orange: made.
[00:52:14] Will Sopwith: That's
[00:52:14] Dan Orange: a really good point. Point made to be,
[00:52:16] Will Sopwith: yeah.
[00:52:17] Dan Orange: Together. Made in his image. Yeah, yeah,
[00:52:19] Matt Edmundson: yeah.
[00:52:20] Will Sopwith: No, I like that.
[00:52:21] Matt Edmundson: I'd say the same thing. It's about community.
[00:52:22] Dan Orange: Mm-hmm.
[00:52:23] Matt Edmundson: There's, you read through the Bible, there's like a few things which are really important.
Prayer. Reading the Bible and community being with people. Mm-hmm. And just the language that uses like we are part of the body of Christ. Yeah. It's like it uses that more than it causes Christians and it's all this inclusive language. And there's community. And community at the heart of community is hospitality.
[00:52:45] Will Sopwith: Mm-hmm.
[00:52:45] Matt Edmundson: And hospitality is inviting people into that community. And we know that that's what the bible is all about, like welcomes everybody and just bringing people in from outside so it's not all cliquey. And I think for me, I think about heaven. You know, we pray, God, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Heaven is not a place where me time is a thing. I just, I can't see it. Do you know what I mean? I think there will be, we have a house in heaven so much. Should the Don go? Maybe I just wanna read a book that's, that's fine. I think there's a lot of parties. I think there's gonna be a lot of banquets. I think we won't have to do a lot of washing up.
I just think there's gonna be. Hospitality galore in heaven. And I think that's just part of who God is. Mm-hmm. And who, yeah. Who is made us to be. And you read scripture and you hear about angels and this and that, and it's like, God knows how to have a knees up man. Mm-hmm. And I'm like, yeah, I can't wait to see that.
And I think what we do down here is just to, in part a very small part of what we've got coming in heaven.
[00:53:47] Will Sopwith: That's great. I think for me it, it's a really important statement that community, because as you say, all are welcome. And I think that the principle of, of welcoming in strangers means you are, you are sharing time and a little bit of your life with someone you are not like.
[00:54:07] Matt Edmundson: Yeah.
[00:54:08] Will Sopwith: And I think the, the alienation that you, I mean yeah, read quite a lot about the kind of younger generation coming through in the kind of twenties. Of just how alienated they are. And it's not all COVID, but there's a sort of a, there's an individuality and an online kind of distant connection, which means that, that you can, you can quite easily live your life without actually ever engaging someone that is not like you, unless it's in an online chat, which is not a healthy place to have a relationship.
Um, and so I think, I think that's a really important symbol of God's kingdom. The welcoming others in brushing, you know, having your corners knocked off by conversations with people you don't agree with. Yeah. Just spending time with someone whose habits are very different from yours, whose outlook, whose experience it is so important.
And I think as the church, as Christians, we really, really need to be practicing hospitality. Yeah, absolutely. It's just a, a real important statement.
[00:55:07] Matt Edmundson: Absolutely. I would agree.
## [00:55:09] Final Thoughts and Live Lounge Invitation
[00:55:09] Will Sopwith: So any, any, any more comments, any more questions to deal with on the chat?
[00:55:13] Matt Edmundson: Uh, no. Just tie it and thanks to everyone that's commented, uh, Esther's come in.
Uh, happy Sunday everyone. Uh, happy Sunday, Esther. Um, but thank you for everyone that's commented. It's been great. Um, we are gonna do live lounge, uh, which is basically, I've put the link in the, in the YouTube comments, dunno why I showed you my phone. You can't see it. Um, but it's Go Crowd Church slash meet.
So the, in a couple minutes when we end this. Open up your computer, just go to that URL, um, and come meet us in what we call live lounge, where we're just gonna chat for like 10 minutes just to say how's it to people online? Um, you don't even have to have your camera on, but it's probably nice if you do.
So we get to see. But if you've not got a camera, just come talk in the chat. Some people do that. Um, Aiden, Sonya, they'll be in there. I'll be in, well you guys, some one of us is gonna be in now while the other one packs up. But um, yeah, come join us in live lounge. Sorry, that's my last comment.
[00:56:03] Will Sopwith: Yeah, no thanks.
Thanks a lot about that. Well, I wanna challenge you this week. Think about what you have. Think about keeping it simple. As Matt said, maybe start small, but think about something you have that you could share with someone where there's no expectation of you getting it back.
[00:56:20] Matt Edmundson: Mm-hmm.
[00:56:21] Will Sopwith: I'm not talking lending things necessarily, but you know, just, just offering some time.
It might be, yeah, without any expectation that that's, it's gonna be reciprocal, but just because it's good to do, think about what you have, think about how you can share it, and maybe think about the people you could share. You could join together to share that thing. Anything final from you, Dan?
[00:56:40] Matt Edmundson: No.
[00:56:41] Will Sopwith: Well, thank you very much for an excellent talk.
As always.
[00:56:45] Matt Edmundson: You're
[00:56:45] Will Sopwith: legend and uh, yeah, please do join us for the live stream, uh, next Sunday. Check out Crowd Church, all the resources on there. Uh, there's loads and loads of stuff over the years that we've been doing this and uh, yeah. Have a good, have a good dig in. Uh, and yeah, thanks for joining us. See you in the live lounge.
Bye-bye.