Becoming a Person of Welcome

Becoming a Person of Welcome, Laura Baghdassarian Murray, foreword by Tod Bolsinger. IVP | Formatio (ISBN: 9781514011942) 2025.

Summary: Hospitality as embodying a posture that we carry with us rather than just an activity at our “place.”

Behind the Christian talk of “hospitality,” I think there is a lot of resistance. We think of hosting gatherings with exquisite food in homes that look like something out of the pages of Architectural Digest. And many of us just don’t have homes, apartments, or culinary skills to measure up. (We won’t even talk about cleaning!). Furthermore, often hospitality is treated as “women’s work,” an effort in which women bear all the burden. Martha, do I hear an “Amen!”

Laura Baghdassarian Murray grew up in a hospitable Armenian family who experienced generous welcome when they emigrated to the United States. In this book, she writes out of family, community, and church leadership to describe a vision of hospitality as a posture. Instead of something we do at a place, as much to impress as to host, she explores how we may become persons of welcome wherever we go.

She begins by exploring how our preconceptions of hospitality limit us from becoming a welcoming presence in all the places of our lives. Then she turns to consider God as first host, a theme to which she will recur. We welcome because God has welcomed us in creation and salvation.

She explores the difference between counterfeit hospitality, often a veiled form of hostility, and authentic welcome. Then at times, hospitality is a tit-for-tat exchange of gifts rather than uncalculating generosity. But sometimes hospitality is hard because of past hurts. Murray describes some of her own experiences of wounds and healing. Murray deals realistically with setting boundaries and creating guidelines

Behind all this is the inner work of hospitality. In addition to a discussion of our vision and inner preparation, each chapter concludes with spiritual practices that help us cultivate a welcoming presence.

The final chapter discusses how “closing the loop” helps lay the basis for new beginnings. And befitting closure, she concludes the books with these words:

“We can always find our home in God. And our world needs reminders that we can always come home. God constantly welcomes us home, whether he walks toward us or we walk toward him. May we become people who carry welcome wherever we go and help others find their home in God” (p. 125).

I most love the idea in this book that our hospitality is rooted in God’s hospitality. And Murray offers us spiritual practices to help us make that connection. The study guide makes this a great resource for groups. For this reason, I’d love to see leadership teams in churches read this. Wouldn’t it be great if we became known as the places of welcome in our lonely and disconnected society?

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for review.