The invitations were received to one of those "society" parties on the lawns of the theatre. We decided to attend to be seen as a part of the community.

The weather was pleasant, warm but not too hot.

The first thing we noticed was that there were not many people in attendance. People stood in small groups in the car park, somewhat awkwardly, we  thought. There was a temporary bar set up about 15 metres into the lawn and a few tables beyond that.

The host  tried to wave everyone to the grass area, but most stayed where they were.

After 15 minutes of standing around not knowing anyone there, I pulled my phone out of my pocket and put it to my ear. We headed to the car and went home.

Margaret said, "Churches are a lot better at hospitality." She was right. A church event would have included greeters or other people to meet the guests and make sure they felt comfortable. Various finger foods and drinks would be carried  out to where the people were. The guests would be told in some way what was expected of them.

Hospitality is a rare gift, despite being transformed into an industry.

Hospitality in its true sense means opening your home and your heart to others, making those who don't belong feel as if they do belong. Hospitality is based in love for others.

The earliest christians met in homes, inviting neighbours and members of their extended families to  share in the community of God's kingdom. It was this hospitality- genuine love for their neighbour- that made a huge impact on the Roman world. Then as now, it was a rare person who would welcome others into their private world without any expectation of social or financial reward.

The followers of Jesus, filled with the love of God, allow that love to flow out to neighbours. Hospitality is a natural expression of love.

It's possible to run a function with great food, drinks, surroundings and still fail to welcome people.

The difference between an event and hospitality is simply love.