John Wesley, writing in his Journal in November 1759, commented on ‘spiritual manifestations’ he observed during his meetings:

‘the danger was to regard extraordinary circumstances too much, such as outcries, convulsions, visions, trances; as if these were essential to inward work, so that it could not go on without them. Perhaps the danger is, to regard them too little; to condemn them altogether; to imagine they had nothing of God in them. And were a hindrance to His work.

Whereas the truth is

1. God suddenly and strongly convinced many that they were lost sinners; the natural consequence whereof were sudden outcries and strong bodily convulsions;
2. to strengthen and encourage them that believed, and to make his work more apparent, He favoured several of them with divine dreams, other with trances and visions;
3. in some of these instances, after a time, nature mixed with grace;
4. Satan likewise mimicked this work of God in order to discredit the whole work; and yet it is not wise to give up this part any more than to give up the whole.

At first, it was, doubtless, wholly from God. It is partly so at this day; and He will enable us to discern how far, in every case, the work is pure and where it mixes or degenerates.’

Sometimes I read something; and it makes sense of lots of stuff!

Many people I know struggle to offer hospitality to others – other do so frequently, enjoying the privilege of blessing others.

My wife Alison and I are able to do hospitality. Interesting that my parents almost never had friends in their home; whether for meals, of even just a tea or coffee. In contrast, Alison’s parents frequently did so – I had a lot of catching up to do!

I read the section ‘Commercialized Hospitality’ in Tom Chester’s book A Meal with Jesus. This made a lot of sense!

The Old and New Testaments indicate simple practical hospitality was commonplace.  It still true in many cultures, but less so in the UK and the US.

The ‘Commercialized Hospitality’ section starts with some statistics; that there has been a 1/3^rd reduction in the number of families eating together in the past 30 years; at the same time there has been a 45% decline in entertaining friends. Also, more than half of those families who do eat together do so in front of the television. And, new homes increasingly do not have dining rooms.

Historically ordinary households, then monasteries, were open to welcome travellers. In pre-industrial times, hospitality was classless.  But, from the late 18^th and early 19^th centuries, restaurants were developed in France, such that people could dine publicly in isolation! In the subsequent decades, dining out and entertaining and hospitality have become increasingly expensive and ostentatious.

The section concludes that hospitality has become something of a performance art; and we have lost the intimacy of a shared meal.

Time perhaps to re-capture the beauty and simplicity of hospitality that is truly for everyone!

The apostle Paul was, in modern parlance, a missionary. In a sense he was always restless, not wanting to build on another’s foundation, not wanting to spend too much time in any one place. There was lots of work to do!

Romans 15.22-29 reveal something of the apostle’s heart on this matter. Paul refers to Rome, to Spain, to Jerusalem, and to other places he has already visited. Matthew Henry reminds us that the reason was always the people there. Great architecture and glorious scenery were never part of his planning.

In Acts16.6-10, we read of clear divine guidance in his mission. But here we read of him following principles. Such are not contradictory, but entirely consistent. God always guides His people in line with principles of integrity and compassion.

Paul writes, “but now that there is no more place for me to work in these regions…” (v23). A remarkable statement! Again, we learn from Matthew Henry. He says:

• Paul would not leave his work of planting churches; and
• The whole of that country being more or less leavened with the savour of the gospel.

The apostle Paul was committed to planting churches, his practice everywhere he travelled. But he did not do this without the support and partnership of others. Indeed, part of his commitment was to release others to plant and support churches. Several times we read him sending others on his behalf.

Paul remained committed to planting churches, but he did not need to remain in the region he was writing from. Those churches were, it seems, sufficiently strong to raise their own church-planters in the spirit of Paul. He was confident that they shared his way of life in Christ Jesus. The churches that they would plant would share the same values as churches Paul personally planted. In 2 Timothy 2.2, Paul had explicitly planned and provided for these same values to be passed on to future generations of leaders in local churches. Mission will continue to be fuelled by the same truths.

Other regions remained to be opened for the gospel, and Paul was committed to that goal. In 2 Cor 10.16 he refers to ‘regions beyond’ Corinth. Until Christ returns there will always be regions beyond, communities that have not heard the good news of Jesus Christ. In fact, Christ Himself promised that the gospel of the kingdom would be preached in the whole world, to all tribes, and then the end will come (Matt 24.14).