I’ve been thinking quite a bit recently about what we are looking for in elders. You may have picked up on some things I’ve written as well as some videos I’ve shared .This arises out of a theme that if we lead, then it is not primarily to get a church to where we want them to be in terms of vision and mission. Rather we lead people as shepherds lead sheep. Their reason is simple, to lead to pasture for food and to shelter for safety.
Here I want to highlight one thing that has really struck me. In 1 Timothy 3, Paul says that elders are to be hospitable. Now usually when we hear about hospitality, we think in terms of hosting people for meals and social events. We also tend to add something in that isn’t in the text. We make it that pastors” wives or elders’ wives are to be hospitable and with that comes a lot of pressure on them to keep a clean house and be able to cook and bake.
Yet, Paul is clear that it is elders who are to be hospitable. So I hope that pastors bear their fair share of responsibility for cooking meals and taking the tea and coffee orders at life groups.
However, even still, I suspect we would bir have got the point if we stop there. You see our view of hospitality is influenced by prosperous, middle class western experience. In a world where there was lack and where there was real danger, then hospitality became more serious, a life and death matter. Hospitality is about ensuring that people have food and shelter. It’s another way if reinforcing the point that you need to be able to provide and protect.
An elder needs to show that their natural instincts are hospitable in terms of practical food and shelter just as he needs to show faithfulness, care and stewardship over his physical family in order to show that he has what it takes to steward a spiritual family and that includes spiritual hospitality. In other words, is his instinct to provide and protect. Does he make sure that there is spiritual food and shelter.
Faithroots 