Unguarded hospitality

 On day 3 of the Doxology event I attended last week Bruce Herman presented us with a talk he titled 'Welcoming the Mysterious Stranger: Unguarded Hospitality.' He phrased it as "an invitation to let our guard down." I loved it!

I believe he based it off the book Self & Salvation by David Ford. Herman broke it down into five steps:

1. The Self without idols - If the self is to be transformed you have to live without idols.
2. The Hospitable Self - A self that is unguarded because it is willing to take the risk of inviting strangers into our lives
3. The Singing Self - People begin to "harmonize" when we're willing to be vulnerable and at peace with others (so it's not really about "singing," as much as learning to get along).
4. The Worshiping Self - When we are singing with others it is no longer just about us/ourselves.
5. The Eucharistic Self - When we are unguarded and let others in, we will be poured out. We're agreeing to be broken for others... dying to self. 

I really liked the image this created in my mind of how a person - and even a society/church - might find transformation. We need to get 'out of' ourselves... and be open and vulnerable to others. 

This seems especially timely to me as tomorrow we will begin hosting/leading a 'Community Group' made up of some people in our church. I'm thinking of using this as an introductory contemplation.