Radical Hospitality at UUSF?

This program is about exploring what it means to be a “welcoming community” that practices radical hospitality. It encourages the group members to consider our church community and how we can make it more welcoming to each other, to other friends and members, and to visitors

Member Preparation

In preparation for this session, read “The spiritual practice of hospitality” by David Rynick in the Summer 2007 edition of UU World, and think about the communities in which you feel most welcome. Think about the qualities that made these communities welcoming; are these same qualities present in our UUSF church community?

These questions provide ways you may want to approach this topic. Remember to focus on just one or two of the questions, if you choose to use them, as this will allow you to explore the topic in more depth.

  • Consider UUSF as a community. What kind of community is it? Is it one community or several, or many? If you experience more than one community, do you experience these communities as unified or not? Are they in conflict, indifferent, friendly to one another?
  • Consider other communities in which you have participated. Did you learn anything in those communities that could help UUSF be more as you wish it were? And vice versa?
  • Many people at UUSF talk about this being a “welcoming community.” Is this a buzz word? What does it mean? Have you experienced this community as welcoming, either in your position as guest or host?
  • Are you comfortable being a host? Equally comfortable regardless of whom the guest is? Are some differences between you and the guest more or less likely to make you act as host? Do you know why you have your reaction, and would you share it with us?

Further Exploration