The Scriptures teach Christians to be hospitable (Rom. 12:13). It takes a great sacrifice to open one’s home to another person, especially a stranger (Heb. 13:2). This act of love is to be done without grumbling (1 Pet. 4:9). While there are blessings that come from showing hospitality, I have been extremely blessed in receiving hospitality over this past year.
I held five Gospel Meetings this year. Sometimes, when I hold a meeting, I am given a choice regarding my housing. Sometimes I am not and gladly accept whatever is provided. When I have the choice, I usually prefer to stay in someone’s home rather than staying in a hotel. This year, I stayed with members in their homes during all five meetings.
Having any guest in your home for an entire week is a challenge – even if it is a familiar loved one. The old saying is that “fish and company both begin to stink after two days.” The challenge is greater when housing a visiting preacher during a meeting. He is not on vacation – he is working. It is important to provide a place where he can sleep, relax, and study. You want to have food he will enjoy eating on hand during the week. The host must be flexible, realizing the preacher will have appointments for meals (sometimes the hosts will be invited, sometimes they will not) and may have to stay after services most evenings. In addition to his work in the meeting during the week, he is also prepping for the Sunday when he returns home, and he is missing his family. This is a tall order.
Imagine doing this for someone you don’t know. Of the five meetings I held this year, I only knew one couple I stayed with (Jeff and Marilyn Curtis in Shelbyville, TN). The other four were strangers (Paul and Judy Eller in Hickory, NC; Jimmy and Anne Stevens in Seminole, TX; Todd and Bonnie Forrest in Cookeville, TN; and Tim and Dorthy Torno in Carrollton, TX).
Jeff Curtis and Jimmy Stevens are preachers. It was a blessing to be in their homes. The Curtis’ are old friends of ours, and it was great getting caught up with them and their growing family. The Stevens’ were gracious hosts. They granted a unique request of mine to set foot in the state of New Mexico by taking me to visit Carlsbad Caverns. It was a joy to learn more about their respective congregations from a fellow preacher’s perspective.
The Eller’s are an older couple. They have kept preachers before, but hadn’t done so in a long time. They were able to give me a historical view of the local church and of the town while I was with them.
Tim Torno is one of the elders of the church in Lewisville, TX, so staying with he and his wife allowed me to see the congregation through the eyes of an elder.
The Forrest’s were keeping the preacher for the first time. They and their three sons didn’t know exactly what to expect, but they were great hosts – juggling work, school, and a Gospel Meeting like they had been doing it for years.
The five weeks I spent in their homes are great memories that I have of 2023. It is a reminder that brotherly love is alive and well in the Lord’s church today. It is also a reminder of the kinds of sacrifices that are willingly made by Christians all over the world to conduct successful Gospel Meetings.