Basic Theology of House and Home: space for the spirit to move

Over the last many years of living without a functional house to make a home, I've amassed more Biblical Hospitality type books than I care to mention. I have always suffered from a common eye condition which the good Lord has allowed me to somewhat overcome by my creating and maintaining clear paths in most all of the many places I have lived. 

 The Bible Study Studio Library: House & Home books

My hearts desire for orderly households is likely inherited from my dearly departed Mother and Grandmothers. My Mother, nor either one of my Grandmothers worked outside the home. Both of my Grandmothers birthed thirteen children and each one of my parents was the oldest of the thirteen. My Dad was five years older than my Mother and prior to their marriage they both agreed she would be a stay at home type of wife. My Mom and Dad grew up on the same street in Franklin TN. My Dad's folks lived on the right side of the street (heading west) and my Mother's family occupied a house on the left side of the street, just a little bit over a hill. My Dad was an enlisted man, when he took my Mother's hand in marriage and they moved from Tennessee to Texas the very next day. Order is the mainstay of a military man and all of the homes and houses I grew up in were extremely orderly. Back in the day large families had no choice but to exude order because even a tiny hint of confusion was costly. 

According to GotQuestions Biblical Hospitality can be defined as “the quality or disposition of receiving and treating guests and strangers in a warm, friendly, generous way.”

At least once a month for the next long while,  I'll be writing and sharing my thoughts and theories (Theology) in regards to Biblical Hospitality in this ongoing series. The posts setting will naturally be Biblical Hospitality. Theology of House and Home: Surroundings, settings and space for the spirit to move is also the titled I have selected, and settled on for this series. 

Cara Ray states and I firmly applaud and agree "entertaining is not the same thing as hospitality, hospitality means to love strangers, throughout God’s Word, we see examples of hospitality as gracious invitations to welcome outsiders and sojourners. It’s a willingness to open your tent door to strangers (as was the case for Abraham in Genesis 18), or share a meal with tax collectors and sinners (as was the case for Jesus in Matthew 9 and many other occasions)."

Back in the day, If you showed up or pulled up to the house or the door of any of my childhood homes, my Dad with his beautiful tall black self, would quietly answer your knock or ring, and likely an informal verbal invitation would also be issued to allow you space to enter our house and make yourself at home. 

But y'all please know and understand: the make yourself at home part of the verbal invitation issued by my Dad to any one of our childhood homes was conditional on the initial displayed conditioned and conduct of the one who knocked.

In these seemingly last days we sadly no longer save and or serve cold ice tea (on the porch) in the south because we too have lost the plot of welcoming strangers, outsiders and sojourners to the glorious House and Homes of God. 

Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses while this house lies desolate? Haggai 1:4 NASB

Are we allowing people to enter the House of God, without giving them space to make themselves at Home?

R. C Sproul titled one of his many books Everyone's a Theologian simply because everyone and I do mean everyone has some thoughts and theories concerning God. 

Thank you so much for reading installment number one of : Basic Theology (thoughts and theories) of House and Home: surroundings, settings and space for the spirit to move