How to offer Christian hospitality without becoming exhausted and overburdened.
Generous hospitality is a significant way in which God works through our lives to bring life to others, yet many of us feel ill-equipped and overwhelmed at the prospect, especially if we don’t have big houses and we are not wonderful cooks!
Carolyn Lacey encourages us to focus on the goal of hospitality, which is to reflect God’s welcoming heart, and shows us how we can all do that, regardless of our bank balance or living situation.
She explores seven ways in which we can reflect God’s character in the way we welcome others into our homes and into our lives, and so point people ultimately to Christ.
This practical and realistic book explores how to make generous hospitality part of everyday life without becoming exhausted and overburdened.
1. Come and Eat
2. Who Is My Neighbour?
3. Dirty Feet
4. Relentless Grace
5. Tailor-made
6. Overturning Tables
7. Given for You
| Contributors | Carolyn Lacey, Christopher Ash |
|---|---|
| ISBN | 9781784985936 |
| Format | eBook |
| First published | April 2021 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | The Good Book Company |
The thought of hospitality makes some break out in hives and others start dusting off the serving dishes. Whichever you are, you will walk away from this book encouraged, convicted, and with practical insight into how to live out a life of welcome.
I loved this book. I was expecting a guilt-fuelled, task-list-populating, exhaustion-inducing exhortation to be the-host-with-the-most. What I got was a heart-warming, rich and motivating conversation with Carolyn as we dug into the Bible and gloried in the gospel together. Rather than cajole you into dutiful hospitality, this book inspires you to joy-inducing, gospel-rich hospitality. The fruit will be seen in extraordinary hospitality being demonstrated across the church family to the glory of God.
Extraordinary Hospitality (For Ordinary People) fueled my desire to welcome others as Christ so richly welcomes us. Through her display of the greatest act of hospitality, the cross of Christ, Carolyn Lacey winsomely challenges us to humbly sacrifice not only our homes but also our efforts, skills, and time to the One who gave us his very life.
I really liked that Carolyn described the characteristics of hospitality and didn't make it about a list of things we should do. Her suggestions are practical without being proscriptive. I also really appreciated that she was honest about the cost of gospel-focused hospitality. It is hard to open up our homes and lives in this way. However, it is also wonderfully rewarding and can be used to point others to Jesus.... continue reading
Carolyn is honest and open with her own experiences which we can all relate to. Extending kindness is not always easy, it can be burdensome, inconvenient and in all honesty not always something we want to do but the focus should always be on Jesus and what it cost Him in showing kindness and mercy to us.... continue reading
Given an honest assessment of what holds us back from generosity, compassion and serving, leads us to humility, and confession of our pride and selfishness, to turn our hearts toward God’s love and care for others. As we learn to fix our eyes not on ourselves, but on others, we will begin to see opportunities for blessing and encouragement, and enter into them with gratitude.... continue reading
I love this book because it makes you focus more on Jesus and his generosity and welcome to us, and less on how clean our house is or how well we can cook a meal. I was particularly encouraged by how many other ways we can show hospitality to others - it doesn’t have to be Sunday lunch! We can reflect the hospitality Jesus shows to us with our time, money, prayers, energy, and much more. I’m really grateful for this book, thank you for writing it Carolyn!
Like many, I wondered if I had the energy to go back into opening our home joyfully again to others. Carolyn’s well timed read not only gives encouragement to do so but gives examples of how to do so in a meaningful way…
The seven chapters are easy to read, inspirational but more importantly Christ - centred. You don’t have to be superwoman - you just have to love the Lord and the people He puts in your path!!
An excellent practical exploration of what it means to welcome like Jesus. The content challenged my view of hospitality and encouraged me to offer welcome in a new way. The book is written in a really honest and accessible way sharing biblical truths that encourage us and offering practical tips that anyone can put into practice.
I would recommend for both new Christians and those who have been in the faith for many years. It was truly a blessing to read.
This is such a wonderful read, and a real tonic and refresher as we come out of lockdown, and need to be reminded of Jesus’ welcome for us, and so therefore what it looks like for us to extend his generous, compassionate and sacrificial welcome to others. Highly recommend!
This is just the right book to read if you want to think about what our priorities should be as, Lord willing, we move beyond the pandemic. Carolyn Lacey is not here to make you feel guilty or more overwhelmed, but rather to help us get the right perspective on our responsibility (and privilege) as Christians to practise hospitality. She helps us to see that our own hospitality should be a response to the incredible hospitality shown to us by the Lord Jesus. This book will bless you and those around you, I’m sure of it.
Throughout this book, I was gently challenged that biblical hospitality is not just having people over for dinner, but showing them in so many different and personal ways that they are welcome in my life. Jesus has welcomed us in the most extraordinary way, this book helps us to think about how to reflect that to those around us. I am excited to put into practice some of the practical applications from the book and I pray for my heart to be oriented towards others in the way that Jesus's heart is oriented towards us.
Great easy to read book on biblical view of hospitality with practical examples weaved in. So much more than having people round for a meal. So worth a read especially if the thought of hospitality scares you.
