Sacred Scripture is full of stories about hospitality. The author and theologian Dorothy Bass defines hospitality in this way: "the practice of providing a space to take in a stranger. It also encompasses the skills of welcoming friends and family to our tables, to claim the joy of homecoming." Often when Jesus shares meals with others "guests become hosts" and "hosts become guests." Jesus and the Holy Spirit often seem to be about mixing things up in the context of strangers sharing sustenance.

Allison Schaub, Cyprian's Events Coordinator, has been both a guest and a host in her time at St. Cyprian's. She has experienced welcome and offered welcome to others. She's experienced, as we have, the profound vulnerability required for true hospitality --- whether we are a guest or a host --- the experience of being a stranger in a new place, or welcoming a stranger into one's space is profoundly risky.  Questions abound, on the threshold between inside and outside --- Will our guests feel welcome? Will they harm us? Will they feel safe? Will we feel safe? Will we offend them, will they offend us? Will they stay? Will they come back? Is there enough food or drink for everyone? What if they ask for something we don't have?

From the very beginning, the story of our spiritual ancestors Abraham & Sarah (and Hagar too) become travelers, leaving a familiar and comfortable land, and voyaging into the unknown. They become profoundly reliant on the practice of hospitality --- being greeted and welcomed by strangers, and welcoming strangers into their tents. In the ancient world, without cellphones, cable news, the internet, newspapers, one of the main ways that important information was shared and passed on, was by encountering a stranger on the road, a fellow pilgrim, and traveler could let you know where to find water, or a safe place to sleep, where roads are dangerous. So many of the stories and the rules of scripture are about the practice of hospitality, and this extends beyond just traveling mercies to how immigrants are treated ---  

When an alien resides with you in your land, you shall not oppress the alien. The alien who resides with you shall be to you as the citizen among you; you shall love the alien as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.

- Leviticus 19:33-34

Hospitality is an essential aspect of our faith traditions, and yet, often religious groups can be among those who are the least welcoming of strangers. For many, religion is not about connecting people, as the root of the word religion re-ligare conveys --- but instead about keeping people apart.  Despite the fact that Allison's work among us by most folks would be considered "secular," since October, Allison was the person people talked with when they wanted to host a gathering in the community hall, or she was the person to make sure that the lights were on, and doors were opened, that guests in our space had what they needed, she's the one that communicated with all of us about what was going on weekly at the corner of Turk & Lyon.

The truth is that Allison's job as Events Coordinator has not just assisted St. Cyprian's host an array of activities.  Allison has helped us to be truly and more profoundly religious. One of the most important projects Allison worked on while serving at Cyprian's was implementing the San Francisco Foundation's grant-supported programs that gave us the opportunity to open our doors intentionally to low-income neighbors living in supportive housing sites around our area.  More important than the skill shares, cooking classes, and music concerts was the way these activities loosened the boundaries that separate this building and its people from those around us. Because we are getting to know each other, learning to trust and respect one another at the corner of Turk & Lyon, we are more easily able to see the face of Christ in one another, and because we are learning to do that here, practicing this intentionally and regularly, we can do that, we can see the face of Christ everywhere and wherever we go. St. Cyprian's, through Cyprian's Center, is getting to know our neighbors, not just casually, once in a while, but regularly and repeatedly, deeply and sincerely.  

In last Sunday's appointed scriptures, the practice of hospitality is all over the place. In Acts, Paul is traveling with a group and in Philippi they go out of the gate to the river on the Sabbath where they meet a woman named Lydia who was likely quite wealthy as purple cloth was an expensive fabric in the ancient world. In no time Lydia invites the group to stay in her home. A single woman inviting a group of strange men home for dinner, let alone to stay overnight, would be quite unusual in those days. But Acts of the Apostles as a whole is a text that celebrates the way that the Spirit calls us out of cultural conformity into more profound and life giving relationships.

In John's gospel, Jesus says that this Spirit, this Advocate will come and make a home with his followers, teaching them and reminding them of Jesus' teachings. Being hospitable, living vulnerably and openly towards others is what the way of Jesus looks like.  By living that way, the Spirit, the Advocate will make a home within us. Jesus says in John "do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid."

Allison has helped St. Cyprian's be fearless and we hope that she has learned by our 90 year old congregation's fearlessness. Allison has inspired us to break out of our own cultural conformity and enter into more profound and life-giving relationships with our neighbors and with each other. While she is letting go of her role here to pursue new adventures and employment we are grateful that she will not become a stranger to us. In fact, as Jesus says to his disciples, by letting go and moving on, there's potential for deeper lessons and wisdom to be shared among us all. So let's stay open, let's continue to deepen our practice of hospitality, let's practice fearlessness, and like Lydia, allow our hearts to be opened so that the Spirit may truly make a home within us.