0507HHPL

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" height=120 BGCOLOR="#FFCCFF" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="0443f781egdyul.gif"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#009900" FACE="Arial" ><B>Proclaim His Praise in the Islands - the Hallowells</B></FONT> <B> </B><B>|    </B><B> </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Proclaim His Praise in the Islands the "><U><B>Home</B></U></A></div> <div>                                                   </div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" height=360 BGCOLOR="#CCFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> 0507HHPL</div> <div> <IMG SRC="19d65fa0.jpg" border=0 width="357" height="250" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> These BSOP students recently enjoyed a coffee break in our apartment.  Jay was using the empty chair (center, back) until he got up to take the photo.</div> <bR> <div> July 5, 2005</div> <bR> <div> Dear Prayer Partner,<FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <bR> <div> Xenophobia is defined as “fear and hatred of strangers or foreigners or of what is strange or foreign.”#   This English word combines the Greek words <I>xenos</I> (a person belonging to a socio-political group other than the reference group - 'stranger, foreigner'*) and <I>phobos</I> ('fear'*).</div> <bR> <div> Virtually all of us find it easier to spend time with people with whom we are familiar.  This tendency, unfortunately, can develop into a subtle but real type of xenophobia.  This human preference may help to explain why Paul included a simple but powerful command in his wonderful prescription for a healthy church in Romans 12.  There is something God's people are to <I>dioko </I>(“to do something with intense effort and with definite purpose or goal - `strive'”*).  What does Paul command believers to expend intense effort to do?  <I>Xenophilia</I>!  (<I>philia </I>means `love'*).  </div> <bR> <div> The NIV translates this as “practice hospitality” (Rom. 12:13).  Unfortunately, the NIV misses both the effort we are expected to give and the focus of such hospitality.  <I>The Amplified Bible</I> does better catching the effort required, with “pursue the practice of hospitality”.  <I>The Message</I> has “be inventive in hospitality”, helping to shift the focus of the hospitality.  Rather than only giving hospitality to our regular circle of family and friends, we must be inventive in extending our hospitality to people we normally would not invite over.  </div> <bR> <div> We usually enjoy giving <I>xenophilia.</I>   However, this July, our teaching, mentoring, and studying load, along with outside speaking and ministry, is more than enough to be a full-time job.  Good <I>xenophilia</I> can take a lot of extra time, time we feel that we don't have.  A seminary like BSOP, where we not only teach but live, attracts a lot of visitors, so <I>xenophilia</I> is a necessity.</div> <bR> <div> <I>Please pray for us to make the effort needed, in the midst of a heavy schedule, to be gracious and generous hosts to our regular, expected, and unexpected visitors this month.</I></div> <div> <I><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b7014000990000.gif" HEIGHT="21" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Regular visitors</I>: Seven students form a Care and Share Group in our living room each Thursday morning.  At different times we invite other students, faculty, and church members.</div> <div> <I><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b7014000990000.gif" HEIGHT="21" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Expected visitors</I>: An accreditation team visits BSOP July 7-9.  We expect visitors from members of supporting churches from Denver and Chicago.  A former OMF missionary from Australia is coming.  </div> <div> <I><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b7014000990000.gif" HEIGHT="21" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Unexpected visitors</I>: Sometimes called `divine appointments', God often surprises us with people to whom he wants us to give <I>xenophilia</I>.  May we respond wisely and willingly!</div> <bR> <div> Learning to pursue the practice of <I>xenophilia </I>in inventive ways,</div> <div> Jay and Amor</div> <bR> <bR> <div> # <I>Merriam-Webster Dictionary</I>, 2001, CD-Edition.</div> <div> * Louw and Nida, <I>Greek-English Lexicon Based on Semantic Domains</I>. 1988, United Bible Societies, New York. </div> <bR> <bR> <div> by Jay and Amor Hallowell</div> <div> Last update: July 6, 2005</div> <div> --------------------------------- end of Hallowell content ----------------------------------------------</div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>