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How Do We Share?
Reaching
people with the gospel of Jesus Christ has never been easy. In
every age, the Christian church has faced challenges spreading the good
news in our communities. Not the least of our difficulties has been
the means through which the message of Christ has been shared. What
is the most effective way to introduce Christ and His congregational
ministries to those nearby? How do we best tell people about who we
are, what we believe, and the way that they may participate with us in
God's ministry in the world?
Experts
tell us that the best means of spreading the Word to our communities is
through hospitality, friends inviting friends into discussion and
fellowship. "Go forth into all the world!" the gospel encourages
us. But how? How do we become Lutherans who invite, people of the
Word who reach out and bring in those who are missing the good news of
Jesus Christ?
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In
short, the answer is: Hospitality. It is the neighborly
sense of celebrating, inviting, welcoming and serving others, complete
with all the smiles and heartfelt greetings we can muster.
The
writer of Hebrews put it well when writing:
“Do
not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have
entertained angels without knowing it.”
Hospitality
is not a difficult thing and is the very cornerstone of human
community. Every time we gather for a cookout, dinner at a friend's
house, or simply hang out with someone we enjoy, we are expressing
hospitality.
As
disciples of Christ, we are encouraged to put the other person first, to
discover their hopes and needs, to serve, and to offer hospitality. Hospitality is the centerpiece of
inviting. In this way, we will
make disciples one person at a time.
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