I have been taking a four week E-Course through Spirituality and Practice, entitled “Creating a Monastery of the Heart with Joan Chittister,” based on Benedictine spirituality. Friday’s topic was “Hospitality,” and here’s what I posted on the ‘Practice Circle.”
It’s easy for me to think that hospitality means that I have to let people into my life every living minute of my day. I can get in a tizzy believing that more is better—more people invited over, more people visited, more people chatted with, more soup kitchens worked in. Although I’m exaggerating to get my point across, this kind of attitude puts enormous strain on all of us, certainly the introverts, but also the extroverts.
For the past ten or so years I have felt God’s call to intercessory prayer. I’m still a novice and my response falls short much of the time. Nevertheless, I do know that when I have hospitality of the heart, something powerful happens between me, the person or situation I’m praying for and God. To me, hospitality of the heart means that I welcome without judgment.
It’s easy for me to think that hospitality means that I have to let people into my life every living minute of my day. I can get in a tizzy believing that more is better—more people invited over, more people visited, more people chatted with, more soup kitchens worked in. Although I’m exaggerating to get my point across, this kind of attitude puts enormous strain on all of us, certainly the introverts, but also the extroverts.
For the past ten or so years I have felt God’s call to intercessory prayer. I’m still a novice and my response falls short much of the time. Nevertheless, I do know that when I have hospitality of the heart, something powerful happens between me, the person or situation I’m praying for and God. To me, hospitality of the heart means that I welcome without judgment.
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