How can we love our neighbors? How can we use our homes, not as private resorts, but as locations of grace and God’s glory?
As I have lived in a variety of countries and communities and homes—ranging from studio apartment, to communal housing, to single-family residence—I have had to ask questions about how to follow the Bible’s commands to show hospitality. I have so much to learn about how God wants me to love others and use my home for His kingdom, so I have read several books on this topic.
These are the best resources I have found to guide our understanding and practice. Each of these books differs in its focus, and they are each useful in various ways. Here are the relative strengths of each book and when you might want to read each one.
#1: Making Room delves into the relevant Biblical texts and investigates the historical context of biblical hospitality
Can you imagine a world in which the word pray lost its inherit meaning to us over the years? What if, after thousands of years of usage, we began to understand it very differently from how the authors of scriptures intended it? “Pray without ceasing” might be confused as people mistook commands to pray for something different.
This has happened with some words used by New Testament authors. One that we may be familiar with is the word hope, which the original Greek-speaking audience understood as “confident expectation” rather our modern English idea of “wish.” (This guides our understanding of verses like 1 Peter 1:13 “Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”)
Author Christine Pohl believes that we are in danger of deeply misunderstanding the true nature of biblical hospitality. She writes, “For the most part, the term ‘hospitality’ has lost its moral dimension and, in the process, most Christians have lost touch with the amazingly rich and complex tradition of hospitality” (p 4).
Her entire book is a biblical and historical exploration into the nature of ancient hospitality and how it translates to our lives today. She isn’t presenting a new idea—she shows how church fathers and Reformation-era leaders also warned of the persistent slide away from true biblical hospitality. She writes about the source, importance, and historic and current practice of biblical hospitality, giving readers a much deeper appreciation and understanding of the Bible’s commands for hospitality and care of strangers.
If you have time and inclination to read a biblical and historic survey of this topic, start with this book. It is worth reading and rereading as you study these commands from scripture.
“To the early Christians, hospitality was central to the gospel mission. This hospitality did not consist of entertaining neighbors, but welcoming the stranger, especially those who could not return the favor. Yet despite urgent need, hospitality has fallen by the wayside…. Pragmatic and thoughtful, Pohl deals frankly with both the blessings and the boundaries of hospitality. Readers will find a wealth of wisdom to revive authentic hospitality in their ministry.” (Amazon description)
#2: A Meal with Jesus explores the power of eating together and Christ’s example as the ultimate host
Tim Chester’s book is a shorter and more devotional work on the topic of hospitality. It doesn’t focus on hospitality broadly. In fact, it could be considered more of a spiritual meditation on the topic of food and eating together around a table. He centers the book on the example of Christ as host, using different meals and passages from the life of Jesus in the gospel of Luke.
He includes inspirational stories and speaks to the church as a whole, giving examples and ideas for how churches can reach out to communities in the same way that Jesus carried out much of His ministry.
This book will change how you see the simple act of eating around a table. It would make a fantastic resource for a church to read together, showing how God reaches down to us and how we can reach out to others through the everyday act of preparing and eating food.
For more thoughts on this book, see my review here.
“Tim Chester brings to light God’s purposes in the seemingly ordinary act of sharing a meal―how this everyday experience is really an opportunity for grace, community, and mission. Chester challenges contemporary understandings of hospitality as he urges us to evaluate why and who we invite to our table.” (Amazon description)
#3: The Gospel Comes with a Housekey gives inspiring examples of how biblical hospitality can change communities and spread the gospel
Rosaria Butterfield’s book is a memoir of sorts that continues the story she began to tell in her first book, Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert. Christian hospitality played a large role in her journey to Christ, and this book shows how she follows this path to love her neighbors and reach into the lives of others with the gospel.
She gives principles for showing hospitality and tells stories of how this can work in real life. Her power as a storyteller and her dedication to living out these principles presents an inspiring example for us. This work isn’t a commentary on the Bible passages on hospitality, but it presents a portrait of the radical ways that everyday acts can transform us. If you want to be inspired by stories and examples of what Butterfield calls “radically ordinary hospitality,” read this book, especially alongside one of those listed above.
For more details on this book, see my review here.
“With the story of her conversion as a backdrop, Rosaria Butterfield invites us into her home to show us how God can use this same ‘radical, ordinary hospitality’ to bring the gospel to our lost friends and neighbors. Such hospitality sees our homes as not our own, but as God’s tools for the furtherance of his kingdom.” (Amazon description)
#4: Holy Hygge excels at giving practical advice on making hospitality and warmth a part of any home
Jamie Erickson’s book focuses on our entire home and lifestyle, including chapters on hospitality. The book gives beautiful meditations on God’s truth as well as extremely practical ideas for how to carry out hospitality. Her suggestions are all deeply rooted in reflections on the Danish culture of her husband and his family. Their example of hygge (pronounced HYOO-guh) forms the jumping off point for her discussions of God’s warmth toward us and how to make our homes reflect His love and welcome.
It is a beautiful tribute to God’s common grace, which is reflected in various ways in cultures around the globe. As the concept of hygge has become quite trendy in North America, her reflections can sometimes seem overly flattering of and focused on Scandinavian culture. Nevertheless, this work presents valuable reflections of God’s truth and shows how we can make room for hospitality in a variety of lifestyles and practical limitations.
This book is best read alongside A Meal with Jesus (#2 on this list)—it adds a plethora of practical tips for how to live in a way that follows Christ’s example as host.
“In Holy Hygge, author Jamie Erickson unites the popular Danish practice with the deep, theological truths of the gospel. She unpacks the seven tenets of hygge: hospitality, relationships, well-being, atmosphere, comfort, contentment, and rest. In addition, Erickson shows how the external veneer of a lifestyle can create a life-giving home only when placed under the hope of the gospel.” (Amazon description)
#5: The Turquoise Table presents a beautiful and simple way of connecting with neighbors and building community
The shortest and most hands-on among the list, Kristin Schell’s book gives a glimpse into how one person can initiate change in an entire community. Schell longed for community and connection to her neighbors, and she herself was inspired by another woman’s example. Following that example and God’s leading, she started with a simple act: putting a picnic table in her front yard and sitting at it regularly in order to connect with passersby.
Although it isn’t focused on scripture, this book is extremely practical and inspiring, including details such as recipes and stories of many other women who have followed Schell’s example in their own communities. This isn’t about one particular method (or table) but gives general, practical guidance on how to increase connections between neighbors.
I recommend starting with a study on biblical hospitality in order to give the foundation and heart change necessary for meaningful action. If you are ready, though, to expand your thinking about how to make connections and build community, try this book. It would be even better to read it with a friend!
“Loneliness is an epidemic right now, but it doesn’t have to be that way. The Turquoise Table is Kristin Schell’s invitation to you to connect with your neighbors and build friendships. . . . Kristin introduces a new way to look at hospitality. Desperate for a way to slow down and connect, Kristin put an ordinary picnic table in her front yard, painted it turquoise, and began inviting friends and neighbors to join her. Life changed in her community, and it can change in yours too.” (Amazon description)
Bonus: Life Together challenges our understanding of relationships, showing how eternal realities should reorder our priorities and expectations
This book isn’t actually about hospitality per se, but about living in community with other believers. It is foundational for understanding the depth to which each of us is connected in Christ and how that connection should guide our love for each other. Bonhoeffer gives beautiful insight into living out Christian theology and spiritual realities in our earthly relationships.
You can read a more detailed review of this book here.
“After his martyrdom at the hands of the Gestapo in 1945, Dietrich Bonhoeffer continued his witness in the hearts of Christians around the world. His Letters and Papers from Prison became a prized testimony to Christian faith and courage, read by thousands. This story of a unique fellowship in an underground seminary during the Nazi years reads like one of Paul’s letters. It gives practical advice on how life together in Christ can be sustained in families and groups.” (Amazon description)
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