Practicing Hospitality: The Joy of Serving Others

by Pat Ennis, Lisa Tatlock

What makes a person or a home hospitable? Does hospitality call for a beautifully decorated home and a menu filled with gourmet foods, or can it be as simple as offering a friend a cup of tea?

In Practicing Hospitality two longtime professors (and practitioners ) of home economics provide both the theological base and the practical knowledge to understand and implement God's plan for hospitality. They provide a blend of theologically sound content, real-life illustrations, and practical application. They focus on developing both the Christian character and practical skills so the act of hospitality is a joy for the host and hostess and a source of encouragement for the guest.

Each chapter concludes with recipes and projects that provide readers with an opportunity to personally apply the book's content. Anyone seeking to grow in their knowledge of biblical hospitality will be richly rewarded by the biblical teaching and practical suggestions in this book.

Genres: Christian, Nonfiction, Christian Living, Relationships, Faith, Marriage, Theology

256 pages, Paperback

First published January 31, 2008

About the author

Dr. Pat Ennis (Patricia A. Ennis) taught Home Economics for the San Diego Unified School District before developing and establishing the Home Economics Department at Christian Heritage College located in El Cajon, California at the request of Dr. Tim LaHaye. She moved to The Master’s College in 1987, at the invitation of Dr. John MacArthur, to establish the Home Economics-Family and Consumer Science Department. Relocation to the College at Southwestern Baptist Theological occurred in 2011. Currently she is the Director of Homemaking Programs and Distinguished Professor at Southwestern.

Reviews

[Mandy J. Hoffman · Rating 4 out of 5]

MY REVIEW:

What is hospitality? Why should I be hospitable? Who should I invite over? How should I practice hospitality when I...{insert reason}? What does the Bible say about hospitality?

If those are any of your questions - or you have yet other questions - this book will answer them all. Pat and Lisa have written a thorough volume from a Biblical foundation that I dare say will answer all your questions, hesitancy, fears, and more! In this book they have taken the vague idea of hospitality and made it simple by addressing the why, who, when, how, what, and where of practicing hospitality. However, these ladies don't stop there! They don't just tell you how to do it, but through out the 248 pages of this book they show you how to do it and equip you to become a woman of hospitality with practical tips and ideas.

I really enjoyed this book because it taught me, as the subtitle says "The Joy of Serving Others". While it armed me with a great amount of tools to better host and make impromptu hospitality easier, it continued to direct me back to the heart of hospitality and to what my motives in hospitality should be. I learned that hospitality is not just something I do but is a character trait, how to put my family first, that my home is the starting place for my ministry, and how to not miss the people for the plan. And that is just listing a few things of the many that challenged my heart.

Practicing Hospitality may be just a bit deep at times or slightly wordy to wade through, it is a fabulously enjoyable read loaded with Biblical truth and the connecting application. I would recommend it to any woman - young to old. This would make a wonderful Bible study or curriculum for a class setting or for use in home-school.

[Erin Moore · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is basically a textbook for a home ec class. Lots of examples from real women, TONS of bullet points. I was hoping for help to examine the issues of the heart in regard to practicing hospitality and this book was more of a how-to-give-the-perfect-tea type of read. Very helpful for practical tips, recipes, etiquette, but light on the heart issues (I.e. Reasons why we don't practice hospitality, why it's difficult, how we can work through thigh like selfishness and other sins that make hospitality difficult). I would recommend it to those who struggle with the logistics of having people in your home (planning, cleaning, etc.) or maybe people who are very uncomfortable with their skills at home (managing, cooking, etc.). There were definitely nuggets of wisdom I took away though. Ive especially enjoyed some of Pat's articles for the Gospel Coalition, which lead me to this book.

[Elizabeth ‘Andy’ Terrall · Rating 2 out of 5]

There is an obvious hard complementarian attitude present throughout the book. It is reminiscent of many conservative, fundamental practices in circles from my childhood. Take, for instance, their quote from ‘Feminine Appeal’ on pg 76 that sets forth an unrealistic “gospel jewel” who “gladly submits to her husband’s leadership.” Chapter 3, on family, is ripe with “headship” and “submission” language—the dance you have to make when the home is supposedly the woman’s realm but she still has to take every cue from a man. The authors have to balance hospitality being a woman’s job with the belief that women shouldn’t, well, actually *have* a job… While they briefly mentioned that biblical hospitality is a command to all Christians, not just women, there is little practical talk about partnering with your husband or even expecting his involvement. Maybe I shouldn’t be surprised when the book is written by two female professors of Home Economics, female-only classes, at John MacArthur’s college.

Also present is a clearly western attitude to hospitality. Chapter 4, on management, suggests keeping the pantry stocked with extra food at all times (pg 110). Ugandans can’t do this—they have food for one day at a time, with no refrigeration—and yet they share whatever they have made with however many people show up. A global perspective on hospitality would say to share whatever you have, whenever you have it. It doesn’t have to be complicated. For a book that claims to be biblical, I had hoped it to have less of a post-modern cultural attitude. Add on outdated etiquette, which may be fun to know but has no place in the casual serving of others, and you’ve got a weird conglomeration of old-fashioned and western-centric entertaining rules. Chapter 5 goes into great detail on how to plan an elaborate tea, something no needy person would feel comfortable at, and chapter 7 suggests that your international guest might need help navigating your formal table setting. Da frick — how is this approachable, others-focused hospitality? And yet, pg 226 suggests “it is all right not to have everything perfect …. hospitality does not have to be a grand affair,” in direct contrast to the previous seven chapters. “It’s okay to keep it simple,” a sentiment from a survey responder, not the authors themselves.

Legalism aside, there were some practical tips and lessons that I appreciated. Some are obvious and straightforward, like keep your house ready for guests by doing some cleaning every day, while others were challenging. On organization over perfection, “your goal is simply to make cleaning and organizing a regular habit so that you experience greater freedom in opening your home.” There is some good in this book, but I found most of the advice either obvious and simplistic or over-complicated and unrealistic. Written by two home economics professors, this book reads like a series of lectures. The writing is by no means engaging, and be prepared for lots of lists and bullet points reminiscent of note-taking.

[Tammy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has some practical help in learning to be hospitable.

[Jonelle Yates · Rating 2 out of 5]

I couldn’t finish the book. Though I will keep it for the recipes. It was so cheesy. Some of the things mentioned would not work in today’s society. The premise is excellent and being hospitable is wonderful but I believe that you don’t need to have a fancy tea to be hospitable. It is just having a heart ready to listen and create a safe space for those ready to talk. It doesn’t matter if your bathroom is clean or the toys are picked up. It is just that you are ready to listen and be present with those the Lord leads to you.

[LanaDwire · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book provides plenty of great hospitality ideas to choose from to suit the various seasons of life. I loved all the scripture references it included, but I wish it also included the actual verses themselves. At the end of each chapter are some recipes and some helpful ways to apply what was just learned. I’m looking forward to practicing what I learned from this book!

[Erin · Rating 2 out of 5]

So far it's only ok. It kind of reads like the authors went to Bob Jones University for their Mrs. and that's all they've done. So it kind of makes me want to rip out my eyeballs but I'm going to keep trying and see where they go with it.
(for the record, this is for professional enrichment)

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I very much enjoyed reading “Practicing Hospitality”. I checked it out from my local library but Intend to purchase it the next time I read it so that I may add it to my personal library. It includes practical suggestions, fun stories, and a biblical basis. Loved it.

[Brandi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm marking this as one of my favorite devotionals. My enneagram 2 personality leads me to love serving others, and this book was wonderful at aiding me to connect earthly hospitality and biblical hospitality. It is a bit outdated, but the values are relatable even today. Although I’ll still have to work on the part about my home being presentable all the time. 🤪

More reviews: www.brandijolittlewrites.com

[Rhiannon Morris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love It

I reread Marie Kondo's magic of tidying up before I read this book. As my house is becoming what I want I am excited to extend hospitality.. This book gives recipes, practical advice and a reminder to begin hospitality with the family already at home!

Every woman should read this book.

[Sheryl Slot · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a great book! I struggle with hospitality and these authors gave me all the encouragement! Using both scripture admonishment and practical applications, this book is a well-rounded look at the how, who and why’s of practicing hospitality.

[librarian4Him02 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ideas Expressed - This book covers various aspects of hospitality from time management, involving family, and considering cultural issues. There are helpful recipes and tips that will inspire one to get started right away.

Why I picked it up - Now that we're settled in a new house, we've been wanting to be more diligent to open our house to others in various ways. This book was in our church's bookstore and it caught my eye.

Why I kept reading - Each chapter had such helpful advice. The questions at the end of each chapter helped me focus on the different aspects of practicing hospitality and showed me areas in which I need to grow.

When I finished the book, I was surprised to realize there are many things I'm already doing to practice hospitality, both at home and at work. I also came away feeling much more capable of carrying out some aspects of practicing hospitality that are new to me. I recommend this book to those looking to gain new skills in home-making and serving others.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is full of Scriptural references related to hospitality, and it has recipes and ideas for how to put it into practice. I enjoyed some of the practical tips for showing hospitality while the children at home are small, and I appreciated the reminder that hospitality through different seasons of life will look different. There are times when I think the author comes across as being too "Martha Stewart"-ish... especially with a story about how the two authors met at one of their neat, orderly homes with fresh coffee and homemade lemon bars, and they knocked out the outline for their book while the small boys took a nap (not a picture of life at my house!). Anyway, the author overall did balance the encouragement to avoid idleness as we manage our homes with the point that ultimately hospitality is about loving our families and the guests who come into our homes. There are exercises at the end of each chapter, and I would like to take more time and go through them. I would recommend this book to Christians seeking to practice hospitality.

[Mollie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The authors gave very practical application of what hospitality should look like, even including recipes and decor ideas. For a practical list maker, this was perfect. I was particularly struck by the chapter stressing hospitality for my own family and to treat them with the dignity and respect of a guest. It has defiantly challenged me to be more loving and hospitable to the family living in my own home. It was a great and easy read for any stay at home mom who is feeling limited by time and season of life. Embrace it and invite another tired mom over for coffee, it might be a bright spot in her day and an opportunity to practice hospitality.

[Rachel · Rating 2 out of 5]

A few small pearls, but overall written for SAHM without outside aspirations.

[Christa Cordova · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great, practical and scripturally-based advice on how to practice the art of hospitality. My only caveat (that prevented a 5-start rating) - the authors include recipe suggestions, but most are heavily laden with sugar, fat and other processed ingredients. I'd rather nourish my guests with healthy, wholesome foods. Other than that, I wouldn't change a thing about this book!

[Elaine Mazzo · Rating 4 out of 5]

The authors of this book show us that hospitality is something that is do-able for everyone...and is commanded in Scripture. Each chapter has practical ideas, recipes and concludes with a short Bible study. This book really delves into what hospitality is all about: serving others. And that we can have joy is doing so.

[Debra · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really wanted to love this book. I thought it would be especially good to read as we enter into the holidays. I couldn't even finish this book. It reads like a boring textbook, totally impersonal. I will just stick with Emilee Barnes and the likes of her.

[Danette · Rating 2 out of 5]

Although I loved the topic, the book seemed to be more of a text book.