Once in a while you read a book you consider worth passing along. The Power of Hospitality is one of those books. In a culture that has largely forgotten the art form of hosting, we need more instruction like this book provides. Not only that, for the Christian, hospitality is a graceful action noted by the apostle Paul as significant (see Romans, chapter 12). Hospitality may even be the key to an unbeliever's heart.
THE POWER OF HOSPITALITY: An Open Heart, Open Hand, and Open Home will Change Your World
By
Chuck & Kathie Crismier
Elijah
Books, 2005
220 pages
$15.99
According to William Hendricks, author of Exit Interviews,
“53,000 people per week are leaving through the ‘back door’ of America’s
churches.” One of the reasons given by attendees is that church does not offer
true community.
Chuck and Kathie Crismier offer the biblical
solution for this dilemma. Broken into two parts: 1) the heart and power of
hospitality and 2) the art and practice of hospitality, the book lends
excellent support for the believer’s call to hospitality.
In a nutshell, the Crismiers contend that “your
heart, hand, and home are God’s ordained access points for His Holy Spirit to
reach locked hearts” (214). They stress the importance of hospitality beginning
with leaders and extending to the laity with scriptures such as Titus 1:7-9 and
1 Peter 4:9 and the lives of biblical characters.
The Crismiers teach that hospitality is not a gift,
it is a given for every child of God.
Hospitality is both a prerequisite for revival in America and a result
of revival. Statistics reveal that 70% of all people come to Christ through personal
relationships. Hospitality can cut through racial, family, societal, and
denominational barriers.
In addition to theory, the Crismiers offer practical
suggestions on how to implement hospitality. Phone calls, cards, home dinners,
games, and providing a room or transportation are just a few of the forms
hospitality can take. The important thing is to sit down with your family and
set some goals, then follow through. Blessings come when believers practice
hospitality.
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