1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:08,560 Hello, and welcome to this week's episode of Trinity Sermons. 2 00:00:08,560 --> 00:00:12,520 Have you ever had an unexpected guest? 3 00:00:12,520 --> 00:00:17,120 That moment of panic when the doorbell rings and you're not ready? 4 00:00:17,120 --> 00:00:23,360 Well tune in this week as Rob shares about his own story of an unexpected guest, as well 5 00:00:23,360 --> 00:00:27,800 as some stories from scripture and the importance of making sure that we are always prepared 6 00:00:27,800 --> 00:00:32,240 to welcome others. 7 00:00:32,240 --> 00:00:40,960 Today our reading is from the Gospel of Luke chapter 24 verses 13 to 30. 8 00:00:40,960 --> 00:00:46,580 Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus about seven miles 9 00:00:46,580 --> 00:00:48,760 from Jerusalem. 10 00:00:48,760 --> 00:00:53,360 They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. 11 00:00:53,360 --> 00:00:58,480 As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and 12 00:00:58,480 --> 00:00:59,920 walked along with them. 13 00:00:59,920 --> 00:01:03,520 But they were kept from recognizing him. 14 00:01:03,520 --> 00:01:09,000 He asked them, what are you discussing together as you walk along? 15 00:01:09,000 --> 00:01:12,600 They stood still, their faces downcast. 16 00:01:12,600 --> 00:01:19,680 One of them named Clopas asked him, are you the only one visiting Jerusalem who does not 17 00:01:19,680 --> 00:01:23,920 know the things that have happened there in these days? 18 00:01:23,920 --> 00:01:25,480 What things? he asked. 19 00:01:25,480 --> 00:01:29,720 About Jesus of Nazareth they replied. 20 00:01:29,720 --> 00:01:35,620 He was a prophet, powerful and word indeed before God and all the people. 21 00:01:35,620 --> 00:01:41,640 The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death and they crucified 22 00:01:41,640 --> 00:01:43,120 him. 23 00:01:43,120 --> 00:01:47,640 But we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. 24 00:01:47,640 --> 00:01:53,400 And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. 25 00:01:53,400 --> 00:01:56,120 In addition, some of our women amazed us. 26 00:01:56,120 --> 00:02:02,280 They went to the tomb early this morning but didn't find his body. 27 00:02:02,280 --> 00:02:06,600 They came and told us they had seen a vision of angels who said he was alive. 28 00:02:06,600 --> 00:02:12,480 Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the woman had said. 29 00:02:12,480 --> 00:02:15,520 But they did not see Jesus. 30 00:02:15,520 --> 00:02:20,760 He said to them, how foolish you are and how slow to believe all that the prophets have 31 00:02:20,760 --> 00:02:22,600 spoken. 32 00:02:22,600 --> 00:02:28,440 Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory? 33 00:02:28,440 --> 00:02:32,960 And beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he explained to them what was said in the 34 00:02:32,960 --> 00:02:36,260 scriptures concerning himself. 35 00:02:36,260 --> 00:02:40,840 As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus continued on as if he was 36 00:02:40,840 --> 00:02:43,000 going further. 37 00:02:43,000 --> 00:02:45,040 But they urged him strongly. 38 00:02:45,040 --> 00:02:47,520 Stay with us for it is nearly evening. 39 00:02:47,520 --> 00:02:50,080 The day is almost over. 40 00:02:50,080 --> 00:02:52,640 So he went in to stay with them. 41 00:02:52,640 --> 00:02:58,920 When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to 42 00:02:58,920 --> 00:03:00,720 give it to them. 43 00:03:00,720 --> 00:03:06,680 Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him and he disappeared from their sight. 44 00:03:06,680 --> 00:03:08,960 The word of the Lord. 45 00:03:08,960 --> 00:03:10,920 I wanted to show you a picture. 46 00:03:10,920 --> 00:03:16,680 This is a picture of the apartment building where Sally and I lived for four years right 47 00:03:16,680 --> 00:03:17,760 after we got married. 48 00:03:17,760 --> 00:03:22,280 It's located in Cambridge, Ontario and we lived right on the floor. 49 00:03:22,280 --> 00:03:26,120 It was floor, 15th floor, apartment 8. 50 00:03:26,120 --> 00:03:29,040 So 1508. 51 00:03:29,040 --> 00:03:35,480 And when we were there, that was kind of the place where we learned all about hospitality. 52 00:03:35,480 --> 00:03:38,400 Hospitality is what we've been learning about as a church for the last number of weeks. 53 00:03:38,400 --> 00:03:42,120 So that's where we started to open up our home and invite people in. 54 00:03:42,120 --> 00:03:46,920 And I can remember, I think we'd been married for a year or two and we decided that we were 55 00:03:46,920 --> 00:03:49,560 going to invite some friends from university over. 56 00:03:49,560 --> 00:03:52,080 Their names were Sean and Kristen. 57 00:03:52,080 --> 00:03:55,680 And we were going to invite them over one Saturday for dinner. 58 00:03:55,680 --> 00:04:00,800 Now that Saturday morning we slept in for sure. 59 00:04:00,800 --> 00:04:01,800 But that was okay. 60 00:04:01,800 --> 00:04:05,320 I mean, Sean and Kristen weren't coming over till dinner, right? 61 00:04:05,320 --> 00:04:10,260 And we kind of got up and the house was a total mess still. 62 00:04:10,260 --> 00:04:11,360 We hadn't cleaned up anything. 63 00:04:11,360 --> 00:04:16,000 But that's okay because Sean and Kristen weren't coming over till dinner. 64 00:04:16,000 --> 00:04:20,240 We hadn't even really worked out what it was we were going to eat that night. 65 00:04:20,240 --> 00:04:21,240 But that's okay. 66 00:04:21,240 --> 00:04:22,240 Why? 67 00:04:22,240 --> 00:04:26,480 Because Sean and Kristen weren't coming over till dinner, right? 68 00:04:26,480 --> 00:04:31,840 And so it was about noon and we were probably still meandering around the apartment, probably 69 00:04:31,840 --> 00:04:34,160 still in our pajamas or something like that. 70 00:04:34,160 --> 00:04:41,280 And all of a sudden we heard a buzz coming on our little intercom in our apartment building. 71 00:04:41,280 --> 00:04:45,080 And I don't know if they still have these, but that's how people who were in the lobby 72 00:04:45,080 --> 00:04:49,280 downstairs try to get you to open the door to let them in so they can come visit you. 73 00:04:49,280 --> 00:04:55,520 We thought, well, that's kind of strange because Sean and Kristen aren't coming over till dinner. 74 00:04:55,520 --> 00:04:56,520 And here it is noon. 75 00:04:56,520 --> 00:05:01,880 And so we slowly approached the buzzer and we said, hello? 76 00:05:01,880 --> 00:05:04,600 And it was Sean and Kristen. 77 00:05:04,600 --> 00:05:07,440 And they were coming over for lunch. 78 00:05:07,440 --> 00:05:11,560 And we really didn't know what to do. 79 00:05:11,560 --> 00:05:12,640 We had no choice. 80 00:05:12,640 --> 00:05:13,640 We had no choice. 81 00:05:13,640 --> 00:05:14,800 We had to let them in. 82 00:05:14,800 --> 00:05:17,640 And so we buzzed the button to unlock the door. 83 00:05:17,640 --> 00:05:23,280 And then something that has probably never happened before, there was such a flurry, 84 00:05:23,280 --> 00:05:28,520 a miraculous flurry of cleaning that happened because it was 15 floors up and our elevator 85 00:05:28,520 --> 00:05:31,300 was sometimes busy or sometimes slow. 86 00:05:31,300 --> 00:05:32,840 Sometimes it was even out of service. 87 00:05:32,840 --> 00:05:34,840 And we were like, oh, maybe we've got time. 88 00:05:34,840 --> 00:05:39,520 So we were jamming stuff under couches, shoving stuff in closets. 89 00:05:39,520 --> 00:05:41,440 We were sweeping up. 90 00:05:41,440 --> 00:05:42,440 We got changed. 91 00:05:42,440 --> 00:05:46,120 We were brushing our hair, putting on some deodorant, all that stuff. 92 00:05:46,120 --> 00:05:51,880 And then finally, I don't know how to this day, but somehow four minutes later when there 93 00:05:51,880 --> 00:05:57,560 was a knock at our door, we were able to somehow open up the door and act like nothing happened 94 00:05:57,560 --> 00:05:59,760 and be like, hey, yeah, come on in. 95 00:05:59,760 --> 00:06:00,760 Come on in, guys. 96 00:06:00,760 --> 00:06:02,720 Oh, we're so glad that you're here. 97 00:06:02,720 --> 00:06:08,560 You know, today, if the house is a mess, we usually blame it on having kids. 98 00:06:08,560 --> 00:06:10,920 But back then, we did not have kids. 99 00:06:10,920 --> 00:06:12,320 And it was our own fault. 100 00:06:12,320 --> 00:06:14,520 And we certainly learned a lesson. 101 00:06:14,520 --> 00:06:18,160 And the lesson that we learned is that you have to always be ready. 102 00:06:18,160 --> 00:06:21,220 You have to always be ready for the knock on the door. 103 00:06:21,220 --> 00:06:23,920 Always be ready for the doorbell to ring. 104 00:06:23,920 --> 00:06:28,360 Always be ready for the buzzer to buzz. 105 00:06:28,360 --> 00:06:29,360 Always be ready. 106 00:06:29,360 --> 00:06:32,960 In fact, it reminds me of what Paul wrote in Romans 12. 107 00:06:32,960 --> 00:06:42,040 He said, when God's people are in need, say it with me, always be ready to practice hospitality. 108 00:06:42,040 --> 00:06:47,320 Today I want to ask you, are you ready? 109 00:06:47,320 --> 00:06:52,000 We've been learning about hospitality for eight weeks now. 110 00:06:52,000 --> 00:06:57,240 Watching how Jesus did it, are you ready to do it? 111 00:06:57,240 --> 00:07:00,080 Always be ready. 112 00:07:00,080 --> 00:07:02,040 Ready to open your home. 113 00:07:02,040 --> 00:07:04,640 Ready to open up your lives to those who are coming in. 114 00:07:04,640 --> 00:07:05,960 Are you ready? 115 00:07:05,960 --> 00:07:12,160 But the second thing I want to ask is not just are you ready, but are we ready as a 116 00:07:12,160 --> 00:07:13,160 church? 117 00:07:13,160 --> 00:07:17,720 Here at Trinity, we often say things like, oh, we want to be a warm, welcoming, and hospitable 118 00:07:17,720 --> 00:07:18,720 church. 119 00:07:18,720 --> 00:07:22,180 We want to be a place where whenever that doorbell rings out there and whenever a guest 120 00:07:22,180 --> 00:07:28,120 walks in that they feel warmly welcomed, but are we as a church ready? 121 00:07:28,120 --> 00:07:33,040 I got to tell you, Jesus was always ready. 122 00:07:33,040 --> 00:07:38,160 Hospitality was the primary means that Jesus used to launch his mission, his mission of 123 00:07:38,160 --> 00:07:40,080 the kingdom of God. 124 00:07:40,080 --> 00:07:45,960 Hospitality actually reveals both the method and the mission of Jesus. 125 00:07:45,960 --> 00:07:46,960 What was his mission? 126 00:07:46,960 --> 00:07:50,880 Luke 19 tells us that the son of man came to seek and save the lost. 127 00:07:50,880 --> 00:07:51,960 That was the mission. 128 00:07:51,960 --> 00:07:54,800 And then in Luke 7, we learn about the method. 129 00:07:54,800 --> 00:07:57,880 The son of man came eating and drinking. 130 00:07:57,880 --> 00:08:00,220 His mission was to seek and save the lost. 131 00:08:00,220 --> 00:08:04,520 His method was to do that by gathering around tables and eating with people. 132 00:08:04,520 --> 00:08:10,140 Jesus, therefore, as we've learned, eats his way through the pages of our Bibles. 133 00:08:10,140 --> 00:08:12,960 But the meals that he ate were never just about food. 134 00:08:12,960 --> 00:08:17,800 They were deliberate statements about the coming kingdom of God. 135 00:08:17,800 --> 00:08:23,600 Now this is a long quote, but it encapsulates what it is where we've been learning. 136 00:08:23,600 --> 00:08:29,880 Jesus's practice of table fellowship with sinners was a crucial aspect of his ministry 137 00:08:29,880 --> 00:08:34,640 symbolizing the inclusiveness of the kingdom of God. 138 00:08:34,640 --> 00:08:42,060 The act of eating with outcasts represented a powerful gesture of acceptance, breaking 139 00:08:42,060 --> 00:08:49,680 down social barriers and extending God's grace to those on the margins of society. 140 00:08:49,680 --> 00:08:55,060 To eat with a person in biblical times was to accept them. 141 00:08:55,060 --> 00:08:58,480 And the Jewish people were actually very, very choosy about who they ate with because 142 00:08:58,480 --> 00:09:01,880 if you ate with the wrong person, you became contaminated. 143 00:09:01,880 --> 00:09:06,640 You became unclean, ritually defiled in some way. 144 00:09:06,640 --> 00:09:09,280 But Jesus paid no heed to that. 145 00:09:09,280 --> 00:09:10,600 Jesus ate with the impure. 146 00:09:10,600 --> 00:09:12,340 He ate with the outcasts. 147 00:09:12,340 --> 00:09:18,400 And in so doing, he was declaring an end to all those social hierarchies that kept people 148 00:09:18,400 --> 00:09:19,400 apart. 149 00:09:19,400 --> 00:09:26,120 And he was showing us this is what God's rescuing love looks like. 150 00:09:26,120 --> 00:09:31,500 And I would say nowhere in human history do you see someone engaged in such radical hospitality 151 00:09:31,500 --> 00:09:34,480 as we see with Jesus. 152 00:09:34,480 --> 00:09:39,200 Another New Testament scholar, a guy named Joshua Jipp says this, the entire ministry 153 00:09:39,200 --> 00:09:48,280 of Jesus is appropriately captured in the phrase divine hospitality to the stranger 154 00:09:48,280 --> 00:09:50,480 and the sinner. 155 00:09:50,480 --> 00:09:51,480 Jesus didn't run projects. 156 00:09:51,480 --> 00:09:53,280 He didn't establish ministries. 157 00:09:53,280 --> 00:09:54,760 He didn't create programs. 158 00:09:54,760 --> 00:09:56,260 He didn't put on events. 159 00:09:56,260 --> 00:09:59,480 He just, he ate meals. 160 00:09:59,480 --> 00:10:01,780 Now you might say, okay, yeah, we've learned that. 161 00:10:01,780 --> 00:10:02,780 We know that now. 162 00:10:02,780 --> 00:10:04,460 2000 years ago is what Jesus did. 163 00:10:04,460 --> 00:10:08,800 What does that have to do with us here and now today? 164 00:10:08,800 --> 00:10:14,480 A whole lot because when we open up our homes, when we practice hospitality, there's two 165 00:10:14,480 --> 00:10:20,840 important things that happened that we need to end this series on and remember today. 166 00:10:20,840 --> 00:10:26,960 And that is this, that when we practice hospitality, we be Jesus to other people. 167 00:10:26,960 --> 00:10:31,720 And secondly, we see Jesus in other people. 168 00:10:31,720 --> 00:10:37,400 Hospitality is important because it's how we be Jesus and it's how we see Jesus. 169 00:10:37,400 --> 00:10:38,400 Let me explain. 170 00:10:38,400 --> 00:10:46,160 First, hospitality is how we be Jesus to other people. 171 00:10:46,160 --> 00:10:50,800 You know, 2000 years ago when Jesus walked the earth, he could only ever, I suppose, 172 00:10:50,800 --> 00:10:53,400 be in one home at a time. 173 00:10:53,400 --> 00:10:56,140 He could only ever sit at one table at a time. 174 00:10:56,140 --> 00:10:58,920 He could only ever eat one meal at a time. 175 00:10:58,920 --> 00:11:02,840 But now we know something has happened. 176 00:11:02,840 --> 00:11:07,760 Since Jesus rose from the dead, he then sent his Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit of Jesus, 177 00:11:07,760 --> 00:11:14,840 which lives in the hearts of all those who believe and trust in Jesus, which means that 178 00:11:14,840 --> 00:11:22,200 right now there are, I'm going to use Donald Trump, billions and billions of Christians 179 00:11:22,200 --> 00:11:26,640 that are filled with his Spirit embodying Jesus to the world, which means there are 180 00:11:26,640 --> 00:11:33,680 billions of tables and there are billions of chairs and there are billions and billions 181 00:11:33,680 --> 00:11:42,000 and billions of meals being eaten every day that we can use to continue the ministry of 182 00:11:42,000 --> 00:11:47,080 Jesus because we in those spaces and places embody Jesus to the world. 183 00:11:47,080 --> 00:11:51,680 Now that is what Jesus meant when when he was leaving this earth, he said, it's okay 184 00:11:51,680 --> 00:11:55,880 that I'm going away because you're going to do far greater things than I did when I was 185 00:11:55,880 --> 00:11:56,880 with you. 186 00:11:56,880 --> 00:11:58,880 This is how it happens. 187 00:11:58,880 --> 00:12:00,200 Jesus lives in us. 188 00:12:00,200 --> 00:12:02,480 The mission is amplified. 189 00:12:02,480 --> 00:12:06,800 So he's he's not just setting an example for us to follow. 190 00:12:06,800 --> 00:12:13,560 He's actually calling us to be Jesus to the world. 191 00:12:13,560 --> 00:12:16,400 And that is exactly what the early church did. 192 00:12:16,400 --> 00:12:19,440 That's exactly what they understood that they were doing. 193 00:12:19,440 --> 00:12:24,120 Ben Witherington says that the early church, as depicted in the Book of Acts, often gathered 194 00:12:24,120 --> 00:12:33,240 around meals in homes and why the practice was a continuation of what Jesus began. 195 00:12:33,240 --> 00:12:36,600 The spirit of Christ lives in you. 196 00:12:36,600 --> 00:12:41,760 Therefore, the hospitality of Jesus works through you. 197 00:12:41,760 --> 00:12:46,540 We're the ones who embody the love of God to others. 198 00:12:46,540 --> 00:12:51,040 We be Jesus to others. 199 00:12:51,040 --> 00:12:54,960 And man, doesn't the world need us to be Jesus? 200 00:12:54,960 --> 00:12:58,920 Has there ever been a time when the world needs us to be Jesus? 201 00:12:58,920 --> 00:13:04,960 We live in this graceless culture of constant competition. 202 00:13:04,960 --> 00:13:09,920 Everyone's trying to get ahead and everyone's trying to, you know, prove themselves. 203 00:13:09,920 --> 00:13:11,200 Everyone's insecure. 204 00:13:11,200 --> 00:13:15,880 It's a dog eat dog, cat eat cat. 205 00:13:15,880 --> 00:13:18,800 Just for you make sure everybody who is a cat person doesn't feel left out. 206 00:13:18,800 --> 00:13:20,040 It's a cat eat cat. 207 00:13:20,040 --> 00:13:21,080 It's a rat eat rat. 208 00:13:21,080 --> 00:13:22,600 It's a rat race world. 209 00:13:22,600 --> 00:13:27,800 It is a world where it's all about holding grudges and envying others and protecting 210 00:13:27,800 --> 00:13:28,920 yourself. 211 00:13:28,920 --> 00:13:30,960 It takes a toll on everyone. 212 00:13:30,960 --> 00:13:35,700 It's we're all suffering under this, but in the middle of that disconnected society, 213 00:13:35,700 --> 00:13:40,880 do you know how powerful it is when you invite someone in to share a meal? 214 00:13:40,880 --> 00:13:47,720 You're offering them a moment of grace in the middle of all that something different, 215 00:13:47,720 --> 00:13:51,680 a different way of life, a different world. 216 00:13:51,680 --> 00:14:01,200 Tim Chester, he says, our meals offer a divine moment, an opportunity for people to be seduced 217 00:14:01,200 --> 00:14:07,840 by grace into a better life, into a truer life, into a more human existence. 218 00:14:07,840 --> 00:14:12,960 In short, what I'm trying to say is when we open up our homes, it does not matter what 219 00:14:12,960 --> 00:14:16,120 we put on the table in front of them. 220 00:14:16,120 --> 00:14:23,240 We're really offering ourselves to them as an embodiment of Jesus. 221 00:14:23,240 --> 00:14:26,920 But if that's true, why do we still hesitate? 222 00:14:26,920 --> 00:14:30,040 Why do we struggle with this whole idea of offering hospitality? 223 00:14:30,040 --> 00:14:31,840 Now there are a few reasons. 224 00:14:31,840 --> 00:14:37,260 The first is I would say that in our world, we have become way too solitary in our thinking. 225 00:14:37,260 --> 00:14:44,580 There's a book written, it's an old book now by Robert Putman called Bowling Alone. 226 00:14:44,580 --> 00:14:49,140 And in that he says there's been a 33% decrease of families eating together over the past 227 00:14:49,140 --> 00:14:50,140 three decades. 228 00:14:50,140 --> 00:14:54,360 And half of those families are watching television when they eat together. 229 00:14:54,360 --> 00:14:59,720 There's been a 45% decline of people entertaining friends in their homes. 230 00:14:59,720 --> 00:15:02,580 Most families only eat together three times a week. 231 00:15:02,580 --> 00:15:04,920 Most meals only last 20 minutes long. 232 00:15:04,920 --> 00:15:10,440 And in fact, most homes don't even have a dining room anymore. 233 00:15:10,440 --> 00:15:11,960 Everyone's off somewhere else. 234 00:15:11,960 --> 00:15:14,100 Everyone's doing their own thing. 235 00:15:14,100 --> 00:15:15,840 But we don't eat together. 236 00:15:15,840 --> 00:15:19,780 How do we be Jesus to each other? 237 00:15:19,780 --> 00:15:21,880 Or maybe it's not that we're too solitary. 238 00:15:21,880 --> 00:15:23,680 It's just that we're way, way too busy. 239 00:15:23,680 --> 00:15:27,460 I mean, if you can barely fit in meals to eat with your own family, how do we fit them 240 00:15:27,460 --> 00:15:28,460 in with others? 241 00:15:28,460 --> 00:15:30,440 I mean, life is full. 242 00:15:30,440 --> 00:15:34,680 When we do have a spare evening, we just want to come home and slump into the couch and 243 00:15:34,680 --> 00:15:38,080 watch Cobra Kai. 244 00:15:38,080 --> 00:15:39,080 It's true. 245 00:15:39,080 --> 00:15:42,260 That's a really good show, by the way. 246 00:15:42,260 --> 00:15:44,420 Being Jesus does mean rearranging your calendars. 247 00:15:44,420 --> 00:15:46,720 It means reorganizing your priorities. 248 00:15:46,720 --> 00:15:51,640 But it doesn't actually take much because 21 times a week you've got this opportunity 249 00:15:51,640 --> 00:15:52,640 to be Jesus. 250 00:15:52,640 --> 00:15:56,080 Actually, I want to tell you a story of something that happened last night. 251 00:15:56,080 --> 00:16:00,480 We took our daughter to Montreal this weekend, dropped her off at basic training. 252 00:16:00,480 --> 00:16:06,020 And then we had rented a car from a fellow over here on Aaron Mills. 253 00:16:06,020 --> 00:16:09,980 And I was taking the car back to him last night. 254 00:16:09,980 --> 00:16:11,640 And Sally was going to pick me up there. 255 00:16:11,640 --> 00:16:13,160 Sally said, I'm just a couple of minutes away. 256 00:16:13,160 --> 00:16:17,560 Anyways, I pulled his car into the driveway, took out the key and knocked on the door, 257 00:16:17,560 --> 00:16:19,160 gave him the key, said thank you very much. 258 00:16:19,160 --> 00:16:20,920 He's like, oh, it's so cold out. 259 00:16:20,920 --> 00:16:21,920 Why don't you come in? 260 00:16:21,920 --> 00:16:24,360 And I'm like, oh, honestly, his name was Salam. 261 00:16:24,360 --> 00:16:26,480 And I said, actually, it's totally fine. 262 00:16:26,480 --> 00:16:28,520 My wife is literally going to be here in two minutes. 263 00:16:28,520 --> 00:16:30,200 He's like, no, no, come in, come in. 264 00:16:30,200 --> 00:16:31,200 Come on, I'll give you a drink. 265 00:16:31,200 --> 00:16:32,200 I'll give you something. 266 00:16:32,200 --> 00:16:33,200 So I was like, OK, why not? 267 00:16:33,200 --> 00:16:34,200 Why not? 268 00:16:34,200 --> 00:16:39,240 So I went in and there was this thick layer of smoke that was kind of hanging just below 269 00:16:39,240 --> 00:16:40,920 the ceiling. 270 00:16:40,920 --> 00:16:43,360 And he said, hey, do you want to smoke? 271 00:16:43,360 --> 00:16:44,680 And I said, I don't smoke. 272 00:16:44,680 --> 00:16:46,960 But I said, and he said, well, let me get you a drink. 273 00:16:46,960 --> 00:16:47,960 I said, actually, it's fine. 274 00:16:47,960 --> 00:16:48,960 I don't really need it. 275 00:16:48,960 --> 00:16:52,620 But I couldn't even before I even finished saying it, he had already poured me a glass 276 00:16:52,620 --> 00:16:54,560 of apple juice. 277 00:16:54,560 --> 00:16:55,560 And he's like, sit down. 278 00:16:55,560 --> 00:16:57,360 He's had a nice leather couch there. 279 00:16:57,360 --> 00:17:01,680 So I sat down on the couch and immediately we started talking. 280 00:17:01,680 --> 00:17:04,200 And just as we started talking, my phone buzzed. 281 00:17:04,200 --> 00:17:06,200 And it was Sally saying, I'm here. 282 00:17:06,200 --> 00:17:10,280 And I was like, but anyways, he told me in a very short time. 283 00:17:10,280 --> 00:17:12,680 He had come to Mississauga seven years ago. 284 00:17:12,680 --> 00:17:13,680 They were new to the country. 285 00:17:13,680 --> 00:17:15,640 They lived in a couple of different places. 286 00:17:15,640 --> 00:17:17,000 But they loved Canada. 287 00:17:17,000 --> 00:17:18,880 Canada was definitely their home. 288 00:17:18,880 --> 00:17:21,360 He even told me why he rents his car out a little bit. 289 00:17:21,360 --> 00:17:23,440 While we're talking, his cat walks over. 290 00:17:23,440 --> 00:17:24,440 I don't know. 291 00:17:24,440 --> 00:17:25,440 It just sticks in my mind. 292 00:17:25,440 --> 00:17:28,600 And so I was clawing his leather couch. 293 00:17:28,600 --> 00:17:31,920 And I was just like, why do people put up with this? 294 00:17:31,920 --> 00:17:33,680 Why do people? 295 00:17:33,680 --> 00:17:36,960 Anyways, I remember it very well. 296 00:17:36,960 --> 00:17:38,560 And anyways, the time came. 297 00:17:38,560 --> 00:17:39,680 I said, listen, thank you very much. 298 00:17:39,680 --> 00:17:40,400 I got to go. 299 00:17:40,400 --> 00:17:42,080 And I was just going outside. 300 00:17:42,080 --> 00:17:44,360 And Sally had parked just around the corner. 301 00:17:44,360 --> 00:17:45,560 He's like, I don't see her. 302 00:17:45,560 --> 00:17:46,400 Come back in. 303 00:17:46,400 --> 00:17:47,400 Come back in. 304 00:17:47,400 --> 00:17:49,200 And I'm like, no, no, she's definitely here. 305 00:17:49,200 --> 00:17:50,280 She's definitely here. 306 00:17:50,280 --> 00:17:52,680 Anyways, I did find Sally. 307 00:17:52,680 --> 00:17:53,840 And off we went. 308 00:17:53,840 --> 00:17:55,520 And actually, we left something in the car. 309 00:17:55,520 --> 00:17:58,240 So we're going to have to go back sometime this week 310 00:17:58,240 --> 00:17:59,680 and pick it up. 311 00:17:59,680 --> 00:18:01,520 But it doesn't take much. 312 00:18:01,520 --> 00:18:04,920 It only takes a glass of apple juice. 313 00:18:04,920 --> 00:18:10,800 And hospitality can happen, even in a busy, busy life. 314 00:18:10,800 --> 00:18:12,960 A third thing that might keep us from hospitality 315 00:18:12,960 --> 00:18:15,560 is we just find it a bit too, too scary. 316 00:18:15,560 --> 00:18:17,840 Whenever you invite someone into your home, 317 00:18:17,840 --> 00:18:19,400 you're putting yourself on display. 318 00:18:19,400 --> 00:18:21,000 You're putting your cooking on display. 319 00:18:21,000 --> 00:18:22,920 You're putting your housekeeping on display. 320 00:18:22,920 --> 00:18:25,280 You may even be putting your parenting on display 321 00:18:25,280 --> 00:18:27,920 for other people to see. 322 00:18:27,920 --> 00:18:29,880 But again, what we've been learning 323 00:18:29,880 --> 00:18:33,280 is hospitality is not about performance. 324 00:18:33,280 --> 00:18:36,160 And meals don't need to be elaborate. 325 00:18:36,160 --> 00:18:38,000 Our homes don't need to be spotless. 326 00:18:38,000 --> 00:18:40,520 You can do hospitality with a glass of apple juice 327 00:18:40,520 --> 00:18:43,160 and smoke in the air. 328 00:18:43,160 --> 00:18:46,360 And even with cats, you can do hospitality. 329 00:18:46,360 --> 00:18:48,040 I never thought I'd say this. 330 00:18:48,040 --> 00:18:50,520 But usually, cats ruin everything. 331 00:18:50,520 --> 00:18:53,080 But even if you have a cat, you can open your home 332 00:18:53,080 --> 00:18:54,320 to hospitality. 333 00:18:54,320 --> 00:18:57,240 In fact, sometimes actually, the more formal you are, 334 00:18:57,240 --> 00:19:00,360 the less intimate the experience can be. 335 00:19:00,360 --> 00:19:02,240 So entertaining is not about impressing others. 336 00:19:02,240 --> 00:19:03,960 It's about serving others. 337 00:19:03,960 --> 00:19:06,400 That's how we be Jesus to each other. 338 00:19:06,400 --> 00:19:08,200 And then maybe the last thing that keeps us 339 00:19:08,200 --> 00:19:10,640 from doing this more is that we say it's a bit too costly. 340 00:19:10,640 --> 00:19:12,440 Food costs money, correct. 341 00:19:12,440 --> 00:19:15,160 Hospitality takes time, costs us time. 342 00:19:15,160 --> 00:19:16,360 Things could get broken. 343 00:19:16,360 --> 00:19:18,200 There's always collateral damage that comes 344 00:19:18,200 --> 00:19:19,600 when people come over to your house. 345 00:19:19,600 --> 00:19:21,240 Something got spilled on the carpet. 346 00:19:21,240 --> 00:19:23,080 You're going to be left cleaning up the dishes. 347 00:19:23,080 --> 00:19:24,760 They're going to raid your pantry. 348 00:19:24,760 --> 00:19:27,520 And yes, there is a cost. 349 00:19:27,520 --> 00:19:28,600 There is a cost. 350 00:19:28,600 --> 00:19:32,200 But remember what it cost Jesus to welcome you 351 00:19:32,200 --> 00:19:36,400 into his home, his own blood and his own body. 352 00:19:36,400 --> 00:19:39,000 Jesus' hospitality was incredibly generous, 353 00:19:39,000 --> 00:19:42,120 but it was also incredibly costly. 354 00:19:42,120 --> 00:19:43,640 And that's how we do the same. 355 00:19:43,640 --> 00:19:46,200 That's how we can be Jesus to others. 356 00:19:46,200 --> 00:19:50,840 So too solitary, too busy, too scary, too costly. 357 00:19:50,840 --> 00:19:52,440 Yes, there are barriers. 358 00:19:52,440 --> 00:19:53,320 There are barriers. 359 00:19:53,320 --> 00:19:58,320 But if we can overcome them, then we can change the world. 360 00:19:58,720 --> 00:20:00,360 I love this quote so much. 361 00:20:00,360 --> 00:20:02,880 If every Christian family in the world, 362 00:20:02,880 --> 00:20:05,240 billions and billions and billions of them, 363 00:20:05,240 --> 00:20:07,760 if every Christian family in the world simply offered 364 00:20:07,760 --> 00:20:11,600 good conversational hospitality around a table 365 00:20:11,600 --> 00:20:14,040 once a week to neighbors, 366 00:20:14,040 --> 00:20:18,600 we would eat our way into the kingdom of God. 367 00:20:18,600 --> 00:20:21,120 One house at a time, one table at a time, 368 00:20:21,120 --> 00:20:23,640 one meal at a time, one encounter at a time. 369 00:20:23,640 --> 00:20:27,120 That alone would deconstruct all the fear 370 00:20:27,120 --> 00:20:29,680 and all the alienation that we have with each other 371 00:20:29,680 --> 00:20:34,320 and reconstruct a sense of shared humanity. 372 00:20:35,440 --> 00:20:38,280 I wanna be clear though, listen, meals don't save people. 373 00:20:39,160 --> 00:20:40,600 Jesus saves people. 374 00:20:41,560 --> 00:20:44,320 But meals create natural opportunities. 375 00:20:44,320 --> 00:20:46,400 They create relationships that allow us 376 00:20:46,400 --> 00:20:50,080 to share that message in word and action. 377 00:20:50,080 --> 00:20:52,960 So when you set a table, when you cook a meal, 378 00:20:52,960 --> 00:20:54,880 when you wash the dishes, what you're really doing 379 00:20:54,880 --> 00:20:56,960 is you're just providing this space, 380 00:20:56,960 --> 00:21:00,400 this place where the Holy Spirit can move. 381 00:21:01,880 --> 00:21:04,200 You probably already noticed this connection, 382 00:21:04,200 --> 00:21:06,960 but the English word hospitality originates 383 00:21:06,960 --> 00:21:10,880 from the same Latin root as the word hospital, right? 384 00:21:10,880 --> 00:21:13,400 Our homes are to be hospitals. 385 00:21:13,400 --> 00:21:17,000 Refuges of healing, radiating the light of heaven, 386 00:21:17,000 --> 00:21:20,680 and our dinner tables are to be operating tables 387 00:21:20,680 --> 00:21:25,120 where broken souls are made whole again. 388 00:21:25,120 --> 00:21:28,880 When we open our doors, then the healing power 389 00:21:28,880 --> 00:21:31,360 of the gospel can begin its work. 390 00:21:31,360 --> 00:21:36,000 But hospitality is not just how we be Jesus to others. 391 00:21:36,000 --> 00:21:40,280 It's also how we see Jesus in others. 392 00:21:40,280 --> 00:21:43,240 Numerous times in the Bible, we come across this fact 393 00:21:43,240 --> 00:21:47,360 that Jesus himself shows up at our front doors 394 00:21:47,360 --> 00:21:48,680 when we least expect it. 395 00:21:48,680 --> 00:21:50,480 Let me show you just a few examples. 396 00:21:50,480 --> 00:21:51,360 Then Jesus said to them, 397 00:21:51,360 --> 00:21:55,520 whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me. 398 00:21:56,800 --> 00:21:59,600 Or Jesus said, anyone who welcomes you, 399 00:21:59,600 --> 00:22:01,840 he was talking to his disciples, welcomes me. 400 00:22:01,840 --> 00:22:06,840 And anyone who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. 401 00:22:07,040 --> 00:22:09,480 There's this famous verse from Hebrews 13. 402 00:22:09,480 --> 00:22:12,120 Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, 403 00:22:12,120 --> 00:22:15,440 for by doing so, some people have shown hospitality 404 00:22:15,440 --> 00:22:18,160 to angels without knowing it. 405 00:22:18,160 --> 00:22:20,480 In Matthew 25, Jesus paints a picture 406 00:22:20,480 --> 00:22:23,960 of what it will be like at the end of time 407 00:22:23,960 --> 00:22:28,960 and when God asks us how we treated his son Jesus. 408 00:22:29,440 --> 00:22:32,800 And people will say, well Lord, when did we see Jesus? 409 00:22:32,800 --> 00:22:35,240 When did we feed you or give you something to drink? 410 00:22:35,240 --> 00:22:37,080 Or when did we invite you in or clothe you? 411 00:22:37,080 --> 00:22:40,800 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you? 412 00:22:40,800 --> 00:22:43,400 And then the king replies, whatever you did 413 00:22:43,400 --> 00:22:46,920 for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine 414 00:22:46,920 --> 00:22:49,520 you did for me. 415 00:22:51,240 --> 00:22:55,120 In our reading today, we read that when Jesus 416 00:22:55,120 --> 00:22:57,800 was at the table with them, he took bread, he gave thanks, 417 00:22:57,800 --> 00:22:59,960 he broke it and began to give it to them. 418 00:22:59,960 --> 00:23:04,520 Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him. 419 00:23:04,520 --> 00:23:06,920 Jesus is the child, Jesus is the visitor, 420 00:23:06,920 --> 00:23:08,680 Jesus is the stranger, he's the neighbor, 421 00:23:08,680 --> 00:23:11,320 Jesus is the hungry person, Jesus is the thirsty person, 422 00:23:11,320 --> 00:23:12,680 the sick person, the prisoner. 423 00:23:12,680 --> 00:23:16,120 Jesus is the traveler who you met along the way 424 00:23:16,120 --> 00:23:19,560 who you met along the road but didn't realize it was Jesus 425 00:23:19,560 --> 00:23:23,440 until you sat down at a table and began to eat something 426 00:23:23,440 --> 00:23:25,280 and then your eyes were open. 427 00:23:26,200 --> 00:23:29,760 So don't you see that when we offer hospitality, 428 00:23:29,760 --> 00:23:33,920 it's not just that we be Christ to others, 429 00:23:33,920 --> 00:23:38,280 that's how we see Christ in others. 430 00:23:38,280 --> 00:23:42,560 In the rule of Saint Benedict, all of the followers 431 00:23:42,560 --> 00:23:46,640 of that order were told that all guests who show up 432 00:23:46,640 --> 00:23:50,880 are to be welcomed as Christ for he himself will say, 433 00:23:50,880 --> 00:23:54,480 I was a stranger and you welcomed me. 434 00:23:54,480 --> 00:23:55,520 Just think about it for a second, 435 00:23:55,520 --> 00:23:57,320 what would have happened to those disciples 436 00:23:57,320 --> 00:24:00,880 in our reading today if they hadn't welcomed 437 00:24:00,880 --> 00:24:02,520 that traveler into their home? 438 00:24:03,880 --> 00:24:08,120 It would have been the biggest missed opportunity 439 00:24:08,120 --> 00:24:09,400 of their lifetime. 440 00:24:09,400 --> 00:24:12,720 What will happen to us if we refuse the stranger? 441 00:24:14,800 --> 00:24:18,600 We too may be shutting God out of our lives 442 00:24:18,600 --> 00:24:22,120 because God has disguised himself as the broken, 443 00:24:22,120 --> 00:24:26,000 as the poor, as the stranger, as the neighbor 444 00:24:26,000 --> 00:24:29,400 and hospitality is the lens that lets us see 445 00:24:29,400 --> 00:24:32,800 through that disguise to Christ himself. 446 00:24:32,800 --> 00:24:36,760 Hospitality, it's not just a privilege we extend to other, 447 00:24:36,760 --> 00:24:40,920 it's a gift others extend to us. 448 00:24:43,000 --> 00:24:45,520 So I began with these questions, right? 449 00:24:45,520 --> 00:24:50,520 Are you ready and are we ready? 450 00:24:50,520 --> 00:24:54,160 When the doorbell rings, when the buzzer buzzes, 451 00:24:54,160 --> 00:24:56,160 are you ready to offer hospitality? 452 00:24:57,040 --> 00:25:00,600 It's how Jesus came to us, it's how we be Jesus to others 453 00:25:00,600 --> 00:25:02,840 and it's how we see Jesus in others. 454 00:25:02,840 --> 00:25:06,840 But it wasn't just a question about you and your homes, 455 00:25:06,840 --> 00:25:09,160 but it was also a question about here at Trinity, 456 00:25:09,160 --> 00:25:13,160 at Trinity Church, are we ready? 457 00:25:14,040 --> 00:25:16,160 You know, Trinity Streetsville is, 458 00:25:16,160 --> 00:25:18,600 it's not just a church building really, 459 00:25:18,600 --> 00:25:20,440 it's our church home. 460 00:25:20,440 --> 00:25:25,440 And since 1841, this home has been welcoming visitors 461 00:25:28,120 --> 00:25:32,000 and travelers and strangers and visitors 462 00:25:32,000 --> 00:25:35,240 and strangers and neighbors and guests 463 00:25:35,240 --> 00:25:38,040 for nearly 200 years. 464 00:25:38,040 --> 00:25:41,440 People have been knocking and ringing and buzzing 465 00:25:41,440 --> 00:25:44,440 at that door and coming into our space. 466 00:25:45,400 --> 00:25:50,040 Now in 1998, this building burned down 467 00:25:50,040 --> 00:25:55,040 and this building opened up in the year 2000. 468 00:25:55,960 --> 00:25:57,280 And actually that makes Trinity 469 00:25:57,280 --> 00:26:00,560 one of the newer Anglican churches in the country. 470 00:26:00,560 --> 00:26:04,520 And yet, it's 25 years old, this building. 471 00:26:04,520 --> 00:26:08,040 And after years of wear and tear, 472 00:26:08,040 --> 00:26:11,600 it's time to do a little home improvements here at Trinity. 473 00:26:11,600 --> 00:26:15,480 Time to invest in some much needed upkeep 474 00:26:15,480 --> 00:26:19,360 that will make our place more welcoming and more nurturing. 475 00:26:19,360 --> 00:26:20,880 It's because we want to make sure 476 00:26:20,880 --> 00:26:22,440 that when the doorbell rings 477 00:26:22,440 --> 00:26:24,960 and when people come to this, our church home, 478 00:26:24,960 --> 00:26:26,560 we are ready to welcome them 479 00:26:26,560 --> 00:26:31,360 and that they experience the best hospitality we can offer. 480 00:26:31,360 --> 00:26:33,960 But are we ready? 481 00:26:33,960 --> 00:26:57,120 Yes. 482 00:27:03,960 --> 00:27:09,300 Fresher and Lives I need five bigger 483 00:27:09,300 --> 00:27:22,200 That's what I'm talking about. 484 00:27:22,200 --> 00:27:32,120 Power up 485 00:27:32,120 --> 00:27:39,040 Director Actually 486 00:27:39,040 --> 00:27:52,280 Hey, look who it is. 487 00:27:52,280 --> 00:27:53,280 Come on in. 488 00:27:53,280 --> 00:27:54,280 Come on in. 489 00:27:54,280 --> 00:27:58,840 Well, I think we all want to make a good first impression whenever we welcome somebody into 490 00:27:58,840 --> 00:27:59,840 our home. 491 00:27:59,840 --> 00:28:04,200 Well, this is our church home, Trinity Streetsville. 492 00:28:04,200 --> 00:28:09,000 And every year, thousands of people walk through those doors and hundreds of those are guests 493 00:28:09,000 --> 00:28:12,520 and visitors who are coming in for the very first time. 494 00:28:12,520 --> 00:28:17,040 And when they arrive, what is their first impression of Trinity? 495 00:28:17,040 --> 00:28:21,360 When the doorbell rings at our church, are we ready to welcome them? 496 00:28:21,360 --> 00:28:25,760 Well, that's what the gather and grow initiative is all about. 497 00:28:25,760 --> 00:28:32,400 Trinity, it's time for us to clean up, freshen up and fix up our church home to better welcome 498 00:28:32,400 --> 00:28:34,600 those that we are inviting in. 499 00:28:34,600 --> 00:28:38,880 And so today I want to take you on a little tour of our church house and show you some 500 00:28:38,880 --> 00:28:49,040 of the improvements and changes that we as a church family need to make. 501 00:28:49,040 --> 00:28:52,000 Well every visit begins at the front door. 502 00:28:52,000 --> 00:28:57,920 Whether you're driving by in your car or you're walking by the sidewalk, this is where we 503 00:28:57,920 --> 00:29:00,440 make our first impressions. 504 00:29:00,440 --> 00:29:02,560 But we've got some work to do. 505 00:29:02,560 --> 00:29:07,260 Our signage is old and wobbly and frankly not that visible. 506 00:29:07,260 --> 00:29:11,960 These steps are slippery, they're cracked and water is leaking into the building. 507 00:29:11,960 --> 00:29:14,820 These handrails are rusted out at the bottom. 508 00:29:14,820 --> 00:29:16,480 So here's what we want to do. 509 00:29:16,480 --> 00:29:21,340 We want to install a brand new digital sign here that's clear to see and tells everybody 510 00:29:21,340 --> 00:29:24,140 what's going on at Trinity Streetsville. 511 00:29:24,140 --> 00:29:30,640 We want to add to our landscaping, we want to resurface and re-texture these steps and 512 00:29:30,640 --> 00:29:38,040 we want to replace these handrails making this a safe entrance for everyone. 513 00:29:38,040 --> 00:29:40,800 Well every home has a front door and a back door. 514 00:29:40,800 --> 00:29:46,040 The weird thing about Trinity Streetsville is our back door kind of is our front door. 515 00:29:46,040 --> 00:29:51,280 Truth is 90% of the people who visit us at Trinity come in through these doors. 516 00:29:51,280 --> 00:29:55,840 Now you know this is an entrance and I know this is an entrance, but for a visitor or 517 00:29:55,840 --> 00:30:01,200 a guest this looks more like an emergency exit than a front door. 518 00:30:01,200 --> 00:30:06,140 What we need to do is make this look like the front door that it actually is. 519 00:30:06,140 --> 00:30:08,960 We need to make it visible and accessible. 520 00:30:08,960 --> 00:30:11,520 We need to make it welcoming and attractive. 521 00:30:11,520 --> 00:30:17,040 We need to make sure there's clear signage, a nice awning, brand new doors. 522 00:30:17,040 --> 00:30:22,640 Something that says yes we're Trinity Streetsville, you're in the right place, come on in. 523 00:30:22,640 --> 00:30:26,920 So let's go on in. 524 00:30:26,920 --> 00:30:31,480 Entrance ways are where we greet our guests and it's where we make that first visual impact 525 00:30:31,480 --> 00:30:32,600 with people. 526 00:30:32,600 --> 00:30:37,800 So for our guests who actually make their way into this space, this is what they are 527 00:30:37,800 --> 00:30:38,800 greeted with. 528 00:30:38,800 --> 00:30:45,440 They're greeted with cracked floors, worn out steps, outdated decor and no clear signage 529 00:30:45,440 --> 00:30:47,280 telling them where to go. 530 00:30:47,280 --> 00:30:48,280 Where's kids church? 531 00:30:48,280 --> 00:30:49,280 I don't know. 532 00:30:49,280 --> 00:30:50,280 Where's the offices? 533 00:30:50,280 --> 00:30:51,280 I don't know. 534 00:30:51,280 --> 00:30:52,280 How do I get to the washroom? 535 00:30:52,280 --> 00:30:53,280 How do I get to the bathrooms? 536 00:30:53,280 --> 00:30:54,280 Who knows? 537 00:30:54,280 --> 00:30:55,520 It's not at all clear. 538 00:30:55,520 --> 00:30:59,080 Is this the kind of space that we want our guests walking into? 539 00:30:59,080 --> 00:31:00,760 The answer is no. 540 00:31:00,760 --> 00:31:06,160 What we need to do in this space is replace the flooring, refresh these stairs, repaint 541 00:31:06,160 --> 00:31:11,620 the walls, redecorate the whole stairwell and add really clear signage letting people 542 00:31:11,620 --> 00:31:13,860 know where to go. 543 00:31:13,860 --> 00:31:20,160 We may even add a beautiful mural pointing families in the direction of kids church. 544 00:31:20,160 --> 00:31:25,200 So whenever you invite someone into your home, you want to make sure nobody is excluded. 545 00:31:25,200 --> 00:31:29,120 And that is why the elevator here at Trinity is so important. 546 00:31:29,120 --> 00:31:32,540 It makes sure that everybody can access our building. 547 00:31:32,540 --> 00:31:37,960 The only problem with the Trinity elevator is that it's complicated to use and yes, 548 00:31:37,960 --> 00:31:41,880 people really do struggle with it and we get it. 549 00:31:41,880 --> 00:31:45,780 We actually explored what it would cost to replace the whole elevator with a brand new 550 00:31:45,780 --> 00:31:47,600 car and a brand new shaft. 551 00:31:47,600 --> 00:31:51,840 It was going to cost hundreds of thousands of dollars and would mean remodeling this 552 00:31:51,840 --> 00:31:55,080 whole stairwell and the kitchen as well. 553 00:31:55,080 --> 00:31:56,480 It just wasn't going to work. 554 00:31:56,480 --> 00:32:01,520 So what we have decided to do is to invest in this elevator, to make it as functional 555 00:32:01,520 --> 00:32:07,760 as possible, to make it as easy to operate as possible and to make it accessible for 556 00:32:07,760 --> 00:32:10,440 everyone. 557 00:32:10,440 --> 00:32:14,240 So whether you take the stairs or the elevator, the next place you come to in Trinity is the 558 00:32:14,240 --> 00:32:16,680 corridor here and the lobby. 559 00:32:16,680 --> 00:32:21,700 Now normally the last thing you notice when you go into somebody's home is the floors. 560 00:32:21,700 --> 00:32:25,080 That is unless those floors are really, really dirty. 561 00:32:25,080 --> 00:32:30,240 And here at Trinity, these floors are 25 years old and man, oh man, are they showing their 562 00:32:30,240 --> 00:32:31,240 age. 563 00:32:31,240 --> 00:32:33,240 They're covered in marks and stains. 564 00:32:33,240 --> 00:32:38,160 Hey, do you remember that cup of coffee that you spilled back in 2016? 565 00:32:38,160 --> 00:32:39,160 There it is. 566 00:32:39,160 --> 00:32:42,760 Do you remember that piece of birthday cake you dropped? 567 00:32:42,760 --> 00:32:44,720 There it is. 568 00:32:44,720 --> 00:32:51,200 It is time to replace the flooring here in the corridor and in the lobby and replace 569 00:32:51,200 --> 00:32:56,040 it with something that is versatile, attractive and easy to maintain. 570 00:32:56,040 --> 00:32:58,560 We also want to make a few other changes in here. 571 00:32:58,560 --> 00:33:00,800 We want to, again, improve the signage. 572 00:33:00,800 --> 00:33:03,440 We want to add additional seating areas. 573 00:33:03,440 --> 00:33:10,840 We want to install an AED for medical emergencies and create a volunteer hub where people can 574 00:33:10,840 --> 00:33:17,280 find out how to get more involved in the life of Trinity. 575 00:33:17,280 --> 00:33:22,440 So next we come to my favorite place in any home and that is the kitchen and the dining 576 00:33:22,440 --> 00:33:23,440 room. 577 00:33:23,440 --> 00:33:28,700 Here in Trinity's Parish Hall, this is where we gather around tables to eat together and 578 00:33:28,700 --> 00:33:30,020 meet together. 579 00:33:30,020 --> 00:33:35,240 The only problem with Trinity's tables are that they are worn out and they are beat up. 580 00:33:35,240 --> 00:33:39,440 And the problem with our chairs, I believe the technical term for it is that they're 581 00:33:39,440 --> 00:33:40,440 gross. 582 00:33:40,440 --> 00:33:43,640 But it is time to make some changes in here. 583 00:33:43,640 --> 00:33:49,240 So we're going to begin by bringing that new flooring from the foyer here into the hall 584 00:33:49,240 --> 00:33:52,360 as well, tying together those two spaces. 585 00:33:52,360 --> 00:33:57,320 We're going to replace the tables and the chairs, update the lighting and the window 586 00:33:57,320 --> 00:34:02,400 fixtures and add a couple new features to the kitchen, including a new refrigerator 587 00:34:02,400 --> 00:34:05,520 and some barbecues. 588 00:34:05,520 --> 00:34:08,520 The last place we're going to visit today is the basement. 589 00:34:08,520 --> 00:34:12,720 Now in most homes, the basement is where the family room is and the rec room is. 590 00:34:12,720 --> 00:34:13,720 It's where you go to relax. 591 00:34:13,720 --> 00:34:15,800 It's where the kids hang out. 592 00:34:15,800 --> 00:34:18,280 Now here at Trinity, the basement is where the kids hang out. 593 00:34:18,280 --> 00:34:22,720 We do kids church down here, youth group down here, but we also hold all sorts of meetings 594 00:34:22,720 --> 00:34:23,760 down here. 595 00:34:23,760 --> 00:34:25,600 But notice again the flooring. 596 00:34:25,600 --> 00:34:28,440 It desperately needs to be replaced. 597 00:34:28,440 --> 00:34:32,400 In fact, flooring represents a huge part of this overall project. 598 00:34:32,400 --> 00:34:37,640 We want to replace in total something like 26,000 square feet of flooring. 599 00:34:37,640 --> 00:34:42,400 And not just that, look again down here at these tables and chairs. 600 00:34:42,400 --> 00:34:45,440 They have reached the end of their lifetime. 601 00:34:45,440 --> 00:34:47,040 Rest in peace. 602 00:34:47,040 --> 00:34:49,200 They need to be replaced. 603 00:34:49,200 --> 00:34:53,160 As well, this is a good opportunity to talk a bit about lighting. 604 00:34:53,160 --> 00:34:57,400 We want to replace the lighting in several places in the building, including the basement 605 00:34:57,400 --> 00:35:06,600 down here to make Trinity more visible and accessible for everyone. 606 00:35:06,600 --> 00:35:11,040 Jesus tells us that whenever two or three are gathered together in His name, there He 607 00:35:11,040 --> 00:35:12,760 is in the midst of them. 608 00:35:12,760 --> 00:35:16,900 And the Bible reminds us that whenever we welcome a stranger, whenever somebody rings 609 00:35:16,900 --> 00:35:20,560 the doorbell, we welcome Christ Himself. 610 00:35:20,560 --> 00:35:26,160 The Gather and Grow initiative is an opportunity to improve both the accessibility and the 611 00:35:26,160 --> 00:35:28,960 hospitality of our church home, Trinity Streetsville. 612 00:35:28,960 --> 00:35:31,040 And there is lots of work to do. 613 00:35:31,040 --> 00:35:35,200 We have signage and flooring and tables and chairs and more. 614 00:35:35,200 --> 00:35:42,360 To do all of this work is going to cost $250,000 and we aim to accomplish this work over the 615 00:35:42,360 --> 00:35:44,300 next two years. 616 00:35:44,300 --> 00:35:50,760 And so we are inviting you to participate in financially supporting this work through 617 00:35:50,760 --> 00:35:54,200 your generous pledges and donations. 618 00:35:54,200 --> 00:36:08,060 To find out more, please visit trinitystreetsville.org slash gather and grow. 619 00:36:08,060 --> 00:36:16,280 So the Gather and Grow initiative is inviting you to just that, to help us raise $250,000 620 00:36:16,280 --> 00:36:17,680 over the next two years. 621 00:36:17,680 --> 00:36:24,480 And the work as well we also want to accomplish over the next two years by the end of 2026. 622 00:36:24,480 --> 00:36:30,640 So today when you leave church, everybody's going to receive a package on their way out. 623 00:36:30,640 --> 00:36:33,800 And of course, we'll mail out packages to the rest of the parish if you're not here 624 00:36:33,800 --> 00:36:34,800 in person. 625 00:36:34,800 --> 00:36:37,160 It includes a letter from myself. 626 00:36:37,160 --> 00:36:42,940 It includes a nice brochure explaining the Gather and Grow project and a pledge card 627 00:36:42,940 --> 00:36:43,940 as well. 628 00:36:43,940 --> 00:36:49,240 I want to say that for those watching at home, even now if you wanted, you could scan the 629 00:36:49,240 --> 00:36:50,240 QR code. 630 00:36:50,240 --> 00:36:54,680 You could go to trinitystreetsville.org slash gather and grow and you could access all of 631 00:36:54,680 --> 00:37:02,680 these materials there, including an opportunity for you to pledge and make a donation toward 632 00:37:02,680 --> 00:37:04,520 this project. 633 00:37:04,520 --> 00:37:12,200 It is our hope that most or all of these pledge cards could be returned by the end of the 634 00:37:12,200 --> 00:37:19,200 month of November so that we can enter into the Advent and Christmas season with a new 635 00:37:19,200 --> 00:37:24,360 focus on other things that are important for that time of year. 636 00:37:24,360 --> 00:37:28,720 If you've got questions about what you've heard, and I'm sure you do, we're actually 637 00:37:28,720 --> 00:37:35,640 going to be holding a town hall meeting next week between the two services. 638 00:37:35,640 --> 00:37:41,400 So you can either come early or stay a little bit later to get your questions answered. 639 00:37:41,400 --> 00:37:47,800 But really what we want you to do today and in the days ahead is to first pray. 640 00:37:47,800 --> 00:37:53,960 Please ask God to guide you in determining how much you can do to support the Gather 641 00:37:53,960 --> 00:37:54,960 and Grow initiative. 642 00:37:54,960 --> 00:37:57,560 And secondly, then to decide. 643 00:37:57,560 --> 00:38:02,160 Decide how much you will give over what period of time. 644 00:38:02,160 --> 00:38:08,120 And then thirdly, to pledge and give to complete that Gather and Grow form that you're all 645 00:38:08,120 --> 00:38:12,280 going to get or the one online and get it back to us as soon as you can. 646 00:38:12,280 --> 00:38:14,240 I'll just end by saying this again. 647 00:38:14,240 --> 00:38:17,960 Our church is not just a building. 648 00:38:17,960 --> 00:38:21,060 Sometimes I think of our church as a partner in ministry. 649 00:38:21,060 --> 00:38:22,460 It's part of the team. 650 00:38:22,460 --> 00:38:24,720 It helps us do what we do here. 651 00:38:24,720 --> 00:38:26,880 But this building is also our church home. 652 00:38:26,880 --> 00:38:30,120 It's the place where we be Jesus to others. 653 00:38:30,120 --> 00:38:34,520 It's the place where we see Jesus in each other. 654 00:38:34,520 --> 00:38:39,480 We want to ensure that it continues to do that for years to come and generations to 655 00:38:39,480 --> 00:38:47,440 come so that we're always ready to welcome people when the doorbell rings. 656 00:38:47,440 --> 00:38:48,440 Thanks be to God. 657 00:38:48,440 --> 00:38:49,440 Amen. 658 00:38:49,440 --> 00:38:55,000 Thanks for listening to this week's episode of Trinity Sermons. 659 00:38:55,000 --> 00:39:01,000 This podcast was recorded at Trinity Church Streetsville in Mississauga, Ontario on October 660 00:39:01,000 --> 00:39:05,400 27th, 2024.