Radical Hospitality in the Spirit of Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is not just about gathering with loved ones—it's a call to embrace radical hospitality. Imagine transforming your holiday by opening your heart and home to the unexpected guests in your community. Join me, Todd Rhoades, on the Healthy Church Staff Podcast as we unravel a powerful lesson from Luke 14, where Jesus challenges us to invite those often overlooked: the poor, the lonely, and the marginalized. This episode will inspire you to think beyond your traditional Thanksgiving gatherings and find meaningful ways to practice inclusivity and generosity.

It's time to redefine Thanksgiving traditions with actions that truly embody gratitude. From inviting someone who's alone to your Thanksgiving table to volunteering at a shelter, discover actionable ideas to bring this radical hospitality to life. This holiday season, let's commit to ensuring no one is left unseen, creating a welcoming spirit within our churches and communities. By focusing on those who might not have a place at the table, we not only enrich their lives but also fulfill a deeper purpose of kindness and inclusivity. Join us and explore how we can all live out this transformative message together.

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Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:07

Hi there, welcome to the Healthy Church Staff Podcast. My name's Todd Rhodes, one of the co-founders over at chemistrystaffingcom. And it's that time of year again the leaves are turning, the air is crisp, everything is pumpkin spice, like everything is pumpkin spice, and Thanksgiving is right around the corner. But before we dive headfirst into all the turkey and the stuffing this year, I want to take a little bit of time to reflect on the deeper meaning of this holiday, and to do that, we're going to turn to an unexpected passage in Luke 14 today. Okay, so, in Luke 14, we see Jesus having dinner at the home of a prominent Pharisee, and he noticed how the guests are all jockeying around for the best seats at the table, and he uses this as a teaching moment. He says when you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers and sisters, your rich neighbors. If you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. But Jesus says, when you give a banquet, invite the poor or the crippled and the lame and the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous. Okay now, at first glance this might seem a little bit out of place in a Thanksgiving episode and, by the way, we're going to be talking the next two weeks about gratitude and Thanksgiving, so I hope you'll join us here on the podcast. So this might seem like a little bit of an odd passage, but stick with me here, because I think there's a really powerful message here for us as church leaders. And here's the deal.

Speaker 1: 1:42

Thanksgiving is often a time when we gather with our family and friends and those that are closest to us, and that's beautiful. But Jesus challenges us to go beyond our inner circle and to extend hospitality and friendliness to those that are often overlooked and marginalized. Think about it. Who are the unexpected guests in your community? Who are the people that might not have a place at the Thanksgiving table this year? It could be the homeless man on the street corner. It could be a single mom struggling to make ends meet. It could be an elderly widow who lives alone, or the refugee family who recently arrived in your town. It could be anybody that's just unseen or really wouldn't have any place to spend Thanksgiving.

Speaker 1: 2:28

How can we practice this kind of radical hospitality in our churches and in our communities? Here are a few ideas for you today. First of all, just open your doors. Invite someone who might be alone for Thanksgiving to join your family your doors. Invite someone who might be alone for Thanksgiving to join your family celebration this year. Maybe serve a meal at your local shelter or soup kitchen. Volunteer your time to help those in need would be one way that you could help fulfill the scripture in your own life or in the life of your church. Maybe organize a food drive or donate to a local food bank, if your church isn't already doing it. Provide resources to families that are really struggling and there are a lot of families out there that are struggling this Thanksgiving just to put food on the table. Maybe you could reach out to those that are isolated or lonely. Maybe it's a phone call, maybe you send a card or visit someone who could use a little bit of company, and maybe you just need to be intentional about welcoming newcomers to your church, particularly at this time of year. Make them feel seen and valued and included.

Speaker 1: 3:31

The bottom line for today as we enter into this Thanksgiving season. Thanksgiving is a time to express gratitude for all that God has given us, and one of the best ways that we can show gratitude is by extending generosity and hospitality to others, especially those who are often forgotten or overlooked. Here's your assignment for today. Take some time today and go and read that passage in Luke 14 and really pray about how you're going to put that into practice this Thanksgiving. Let's make this Thanksgiving a time that we can open our hearts and our homes and our churches to those unexpected guests in our lives and in our community. I hope that's helpful for you today. My name's Todd Rhodes, and thanks for joining us on the Healthy Church Staff Podcast. I hope you'll join us right here again tomorrow.