The Social Church- Part 2

Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.  Romans 12:13

As our series, “The Social Church,” continued on Sunday, we learned about the two types of “shade” described in Genesis 18. In this account, supernatural visitors show up at Abraham’s tent. In verse 4, Abraham declares, “Let a little water be brought, and then you may all wash your feet and rest under this tree.” A subsequent flurry of activity occurs as Abraham creates a safe and welcoming environment for his guests. The visit ends with a promise and a bright future.

In the next chapter, the guests make their way to the home of Abraham’s nephew, Lot. In Genesis 19:2, Lot says, “My lords . . . please turn aside to your servant’s house. You can wash your feet and spend the night and then go on your way early in the morning.” And again, a flurry of activity mirroring what happened in Abraham’s tent begins to occur. But then things begin to go horribly awry. If you missed the message or are unfamiliar with that portion of scripture, be sure to listen to the podcast and read Genesis 18-19.

Abraham’s hospitality involved inviting the visitors into the shade of a safe environment. Lot practiced hospitality as well. However, due to decisions he had made and ways he had allowed his heart to be affected by his surroundings, his “shade” was not safe for the visitors.

We were left with two follow-up questions to ponder:

How safe are you?

What does it look like to invite people into your shade?

Many years ago, I was in the Church and without people (listen to the first podcast in the Social Church series if you’re not sure what I mean). Soon, hospitality was extended to me and I was invited into the shade. That shade ended up being unsafe. And it stung. So, I recoiled.

I had a choice to make. 1) Never step into the shade again or 2) keep stepping into the shade with wisdom, discernment and the understanding that people (myself included) are works in progress.

I chose the latter. But I also added an addendum to that. I vowed to always try to be a provider of safe shade to those I extended hospitality to. 

Believe me, I don’t think I have this “shade” thing all figured out. I err on the side of extreme caution, often at the expense of enjoying shade with others. My introverted nature and task-oriented temperament do not serve me well in this regard. I need to work on this. Diligently.

I’ve been encouraged and challenged to examine the way I invite visitors into the shade and, in doing so, providing them a safe and welcoming environment to connect and grow.

Written by: Jaime Hlavin

Edited by: Tamara Sturdivant