A Heart of Hospitality (feat. Fr. Drew Knowles, Oak Forest Anglican Church)
During the holiday season, the concept of hospitality is at the front of our minds. However, hospitality can mean so much more than inviting family and friends to your dinner table to share a nice meal once a year. Biblical hospitality can be practiced every day of our lives—and it can be extended to our neighbors who we may not know personally.
Helping us lead a discussion about the Lord’s call for us to open our homes through hospitality is Fr. Drew Knowles. He is the Rector of Oak Forest Anglican Church in Houston, Texas, the co-author of Hospitality: The Convivial Mission of God, and the husband to our Founder & Executive Director, Amber.
In this episode, Drew shows us how hospitality is extended to us through Christ, the ways we might extend hospitality to others in our community, how foster care is one of the purest forms of hospitality, and much more.
You can also find this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and more.
Key Takeaways
- Hospitality means making room for someone else. This can be lived out in several ways. It might look like making sure someone feels welcomed into your friend group, making room for someone in your home temporarily or permanently, or sharing a meal with your neighbor. The possibilities of how we can practice hospitality are endless.
- God himself practices hospitality. Consider all the ways He has made room for us. Even during the act of communion, God welcomes His people to take a seat at the table. While the word “hospitality” isn’t in Scripture, we see it lived out through the life of Jesus. Consider how He sits with tax collectors and sinners, and never fails to make time for “the least of these.”
- Foster care is an incredible way to live out hospitality—but it’s not the only way. What greater example of hospitality is there than opening up your home to a child in need? However, while foster care is perhaps one of the truest ways we can live out hospitality, there are many ways we can seek to have a heart of hospitality. This can look like helping children in need, lending a hand to our neighbor next door, or assisting someone whose path we happen to cross.
Resources
- Oak Forest Anglican Church
- (BOOK) Hospitality: The Convivial Mission of God
- Connect with Drew on Instagram or Facebook
Meet the Guest
Fr. Drew Knowles is the Rector of Oak Forest Anglican Church in Houston, Texas. He recently co-authored a book called Hospitality: The Convivial Mission of God. Drew is husband to The Riverside Project’s Founder & Executive Director, Amber, and father to four.
