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Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me. – Revelation 3:20

There are few activities that are more intimate, more bonding than sharing a meal with someone. Inviting them in, serving them, sharing your resources with them, eating with them, swapping stories, learning from each other – no wonder that hospitality is one of the qualities actually required of church elders! (1 Timothy 3:2; Titus 1:8; 1 Peter 4:9)

I would however like to take a slightly different tack to the concept of hospitality. I would like you to consider the role of hospitality within the context of meditation. Meditation is very much a Christian concept (Joshua 1:8; Psalm 1:2). There are two primary Hebrew words for meditation: Haga, which means to utter, groan, meditate, or ponder; and Sihach, which means to muse, rehearse in one's mind, or contemplate. These words can also be translated as dwell, diligently consider, and heed.

Meditation involves focusing so intently on a single concept that all other thoughts fall by the wayside. You can meditate on a single passage of Scripture such as 1 John 1:8-9. Or, you may choose to meditate on a single Biblical event – say the crucifixion. I am proposing a third method: visualization of a Scriptural concept. I would like you to have tea with the Christ. What do you do when you are going to have a guest over?

I hope that you would clean house. After you have settled down into a quiet place and time, take a while to “clean house”. Confess your sins, repent of them and determine how best to make restitution.
Then, start setting the table. Study the Scriptures. Make some lists of direct commands from God and think about how they apply to your life, your work, your family and your very body. Invite the Christ in. You routinely invite other influences into your mind as you watch television, listen to the radio, surf the net and read books. Consciously and deliberately let the Master know that you would like to fellowship with Him.

Enjoy the conversation. Take the opportunity to compliment Him. Praise Him for His masterful creation; for His submissive spirit; for His wisdom in dealing with you. Thank Him for saving you; for loving you even though you are still a sinner.

Talk about current affairs. Ask Him to do something about SARS and the plight of persecuted Christians. And when the opportunity arises, set your own needs before Him and ask Him to show you what you should do about them and what parts are His to take care of.

Finally – be quiet. Let Him tell you what it was like to create light (Genesis 1; John 1; Proverbs 8). Let Him describe watching human empires rise and fall through the ages. Sit back, sip on your tea and listen.

"Refreshment in Refuge" from Gina Burgess

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