The Christian responsibility of hospitality has been blurred in our time and culture with the less dynamic substitute, Southern Hospitality. Friendliness or kindness now replaces the richer, more complex practice of Biblical hospitality. No longer defined by sacrifice or deep commitment to the other, hospitality must find its vibrant roots in the life of the church today. Some primary aspects of hospitality had either been absent or without focus at First Presbyterian Church in Columbus, Mississippi and there had been no thought given in some time to what these efforts and practices should look like. By returning our conversation to narratives of Biblical hospitality and intentional study and discernment, we found new ways to see our own congregational life deeply crafted by Biblical hospitality. Learning from the Reformed tradition of Sacramental theology, Biblical interpretation, and theories of practical theology, the congregation examined its own history and context to find practices that are meaningful and particular to FPC. These practices help craft the identity of our unique community as well as pay attention to the needs of the guest. The new practice of the Hilltop Host looks to the congregation’s own story as it engages in the practice of hospitality by going out to meet the need of the stranger and beginning the determined work of friendship, dignity, and love among the people of God.
