"Hospitality That Remembers"

Sermon by The Rev. Kelley Hudlow

August 31, 2025

This morning’s gospel reminded me of Downton Abbey, where seating at the table showed power and honor, much like the Pharisees’ dinner Jesus attended. He taught not to seek the best seat, but to humble ourselves, and he told the host to invite the poor and powerless who cannot repay. These parables are about more than dinner parties—they point to the Lord’s Table, where all come humbly, receiving grace we cannot earn or repay. Hebrews calls us to remember those who suffer, as though we were with them, and to act with love and hospitality as God remembers us. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever, calling us outside our comfort to share what we have and bear with those the world forgets.