When I first came to Saint John\u2019s and began working as the School of Theology\u00b7Seminary\u2019s sacristan\/liturgical coordinator, I was very skeptical of \u201chospitality ministers.\u201d Sure, they handed out the worship aids and greeted people at the doors of the chapel, but why did that require a special minister? Could not people just pick up a worship aid from a table on their way in? Did people really need to be greeted at the door? Saint John\u2019s talked a lot about the Benedictine value of hospitality, but was that Benedictine value really all that important?<\/p>\n
After three years at Saint John\u2019s, I have come to realize the importance of liturgical hospitality.<\/p>\n
This was further confirmed for me today when I received Johan Van Parys\u2019 responses for Pray Tell\u2019s<\/em> \u201cInterviewing Liturgical Leaders\u201d series. His responses will be posted next Tuesday. In one of his responses, he says: \u201cWe are absolutely committed to hospitality. No matter where people are at on their life\u2019s journey we try our utmost best to make them feel welcome.\u201d<\/p>\n A church is more than a building, it is a place where a community of people gather together to worship God. Liturgy is the manifestation of a community\u2019s form of worship and adoration. We do not \u201cdo\u201d liturgy by ourselves. Even when a priest or lay person prays the Office alone in their room, they are praying with the rest of the Church. Our prayer life and liturgies are always communal.<\/p>\n One of the central components of community is hospitality. Hospitality does not mean that anything goes. Rather, it is an openness to the other and a willingness to enter into relationship with them by welcoming them as a friend. Hospitality as a central component of community becomes a cornerstone of a community\u2019s liturgical life. This is why liturgical hospitality should be carefully cultivated and hospitality ministers expertly trained.<\/p>\n How does your community foster liturgical hospitality? How does your community train hospitality ministers?<\/p>\n Please comment below.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" After three years at Saint John\u2019s, I have come to realize the importance of liturgical hospitality.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":51,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_wpcom_ai_launchpad_first_post":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[17,3813,285],"tags":[2560],"class_list":["post-26800","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-liturgical-spirituality","category-non-solum","category-pastoral-theology","tag-non-solum"],"yoast_head":"\n