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Nanette Sawyer, pastor at Wicker Park Grace, explores the realms in which we extend hospitality. Hospitality starts in our core, as we extend hospitality to God, inviting him to be in relationship with us. Encountering God through this core relationship makes it possible for us to then extend hospitality to our friends and neighbors, to strangers, even to our enemies and nature at large.
Spencer Burke, host of ThinkFwd, interviews Nanette at the Wicker Park Grace’s organic gardens. The gardens, which they inherited from the local Arts Council, are an opportunity to build community. Anyone can come and help with gardening, learn about urban agriculture and simply be together. Nanette sees the gardens are a door into Wicker Park Grace as well as a door from the church into the community-an opportunity to extend hospitality and an authentic welcome.
What is an authentic welcome? It is a welcome that does not apply pressure to achieve sameness. “We have a center,” says Nanette, “but not a boundary.” People should not feel pressure to have sameness of look, or thought, or belief. But rather they can all journey on their spiritual path together.
And what are the different realms of hospitality? In Nanette’s book, Hospitality – The Sacred Art, she talks about the “in,” “with,” and “out” of hospitality. The inward practice of hospitality is preparing us to be receptive beings, and to have an openness in our relationship with others. The “with” practice of hospitality is when we truly encounter someone, a sense of reverence arises and we respect who they are and their humanity. And the outward practice of hospitality happens when, after that reverent exchange with another person, we’re inspired to be generous with them.
When asked how other groups can practice hospitality when they may not have organic gardens or similar doors to the community, Nanette says to look at who you are-are you a contemplative. An artist? Find how you can be connected to others-find areas of kinship. Kinship means how we are related or connected to each other. Yes, we may be different, but in what ways are we connected as beings? This connectedness can overcome estrangement, or being strangers, and bring us together. It is the spiritual practice of hospitality.
Personal Reflections:
- How can I integrate hospitality with my giftedness?
- Who is a “stranger” in my context?
Small Group or Staff Questions:
- Do we offer an authentic welcome, or do people feel pressure to achieve “sameness?”
- What would it look like to develop the ‘inward, with, and outward” practice of hospitality in our community?
Resources:
- Wicker Park Grace in Chicago
- Tim Vermeulen Oil Painter
- Nanette will be a presenter at Christianity21 held this October, 2009
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July 27th, 2009 at 4:19 pm
Dear Spencer
Thanks for this video That I just started using in a coaching session with one of my best friends, who has a call to hospitality as a spiritual discipline. I loved the video, the glimpse of the community, and for sure I’m moved by her words in the video. One day I’d like to visit them if I have teh opportunity to stop in Chicago.
Love and Peace
Claudio
March 31st, 2010 at 11:37 am
[...] Wicker Park Grace Nanette Sawyer of Wicker Park Grace interviewed by Spencer Burke. Show notes are here. Check out her book, Hospitality the Sacred Art: Discovering the Hidden Spiritual Power of [...]
October 4th, 2010 at 3:35 am
Dear Spencer
Thanks for this video That I just started using in a coaching session with one of my best friends, who has a call to hospitality as a spiritual discipline. I loved the video, the glimpse of the community, and for sure I’m moved by her words in the video. One day I’d like to visit them if I have teh opportunity to stop in Chicago.
Love and Peace
Claudio
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