Offer Grace – Be Gracious
We’ve spent a good deal of time looking at how we offer hospitality to one another, but what does it look like to offer hospitality to those people we find difficult to deal with?
How can we change the story?
We’ve spent a good deal of time looking at how we offer hospitality to one another, but what does it look like to offer hospitality to those people we find difficult to deal with?
How can we change the story?
To badly paraphrase the psalmist, you are lower than the angels, but far above the amoebas. You’re the one that bears the glory of the creator, you’re the one known and seen and valued. You’re the one that may have been overlooked, whose contribution many only be truly recognised when you can’t offer it any longer.
People are hungry. Hungry for change, for hope and sometimes for food.
It can feel hard to know how to respond.
If we follow Jesus, we can do what he did – feed them – and in so doing inherit the promises that come to this sort of life.
What happens to a species if the music starts to die, or when their songs become corrupted or their singers have never heard the original tunes?
Our Easter service, looking at what happened when Jesus met with Peter and other disciples, and the new future He offers.
At the heart of Christianity is an account of failure.
Politicians failed, being swept along by a mob’s cancel culture.
Justice failed, money changed hands and the innocent paid the price.
Friends failed to keep their promises.
Light turned to darkness.
Jesus died.
Nothing changed…
On Monday we can have a picnic with another household in a park or a garden. So, if rain doesn’t stop us, who will we invite?
What if Jesus was already sitting there, would that influence who would get the invite?
We will think about why getting the invitation list right is crucial!
It’s been a long 12 months.
But there is light at the end of the tunnel. The roll out of vaccinations has meant that we can hope that relaxing the restrictions we have lived under will come to an end soon, even if we will have to accept that face masks will continue to be uncomfortable fashion accessories…
Hospitality challenges us to look past our own judgemental attitudes and radically accept one another, to become a community that transforms those around us.
On Sunday we shared the news that we will be moving to St James, Eccles Old Road when we begin to meet again in person as a church.
Here’s some FAQs…
Salford Elim Church St. James Hope 3 Vicarage Close Salford M6 8EJ
07771 558 058
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Elim Foursquare Gospel Alliance
Registered Charity 251549 (England & Wales) SC037754 (Scotland)