Rosaria Champagne Butterfield

I never thought I’d enjoy reading a book about hospitality, but here I am after finishing this book, and I found it quite enjoyable! It was also quite challenging—I came away from this book saying, “Ouch! That might be hard to put into practice!” But the thing is…what Christ calls us to do is hard at times, but it’s in pushing through that and surrendering to His plan that we can touch others.

I loved Rosaria’s approach to hospitality, as far as the food side of things is show more concerned. If I were her family, I might get tired of the same meals over and over, but I love that she doesn’t over-complicate things when it comes to serving guests. That’s a much-needed message, in my opinion, and one I intend to take to heart!

If you desire to grow in reaching out to others, or just want to grow in being more hospitable, I’d highly recommend you check out this book. It was a good read, and now, several months after finishing it, I’m still mulling over the lessons I learned in its pages. show less

Rosaria's book is one of those stories that at first glance, seems impossibly exhausting. How could someone open their home to dozens of people each week, prepare food and worship together, and love seemingly unlovable people by giving away everything they have(including cars!)

The answer? It is impossibly exhausting, and Butterfield makes no qualms about the difficulties of true hospitality. But the payoff for such a life is the overwhelming joy that results; one that is rooted in the love show more that Christ has for us and what he has called us to live to all.

The challenge of such a book begs for a response for the reader; one that could possibly transform the way that you think about the space of your dinner table, strenuous family relationships(the chapter on her mother left me in tears), and the methhead next door. Reader beware. show less

This was an absolutely fabulous, balanced book on putting into practice doctrines we already know but have failed to live out in our day to day. Rosaria Butterfield calls Christians to walk what they talk, to welcome in the stranger, the poor, the needy with no expectation of repayment, and to do it with a well cooked meal and table fellowship. She did an excellent job addressing where and how one should begin (start small), who is one's neighbor, and where the boundaries for hospitality show more actually are versus where our pride tells us they should be. She intersperses exposition and explanation with helpful anecdotes which color inside the lines she draws around hospitality, and each of these anecdotes paint the Butterfields in a human light- she shares both their successes and failures, their virtues and sins, painting the overall picture of God's hand in their lives through their humble home service. The book does not only focus on her efforts with neighbors, but shares how her husband and children join in hospitality, dispelling any notion that hospitality is the housewife's work. It shows how to rethink prayer in the spectrum of hospitality, and shares even the practical, "here's what my day looks like".
Reading the book can be daunting if you're not a pastor's wife who stays at home and homeschools multiple children. But I think even here she recognizes and addresses that insecurity. She advises to start small, do what you can, bring others into your life. I would highly recommend anyone read this book, even if you think you have hospitality done right. show less

First sentence: The devil is a liar. And not just any old liar, a very good one. He normally avoid direct assaults. He prefers deceit, and misdirection.

I'm going to review in a slightly different format that I hope is at least as helpful if not more.

Who is the book for? Who is the intended audience? Butterfield's intended audience is Christian women. Christian women from all walks--backgrounds, experiences, viewpoints. She is writing to a) Christian women who are [very] likely going to agree show more with her on most if not all of these five lies, b) Christian women who MAY agree with her on some--though perhaps not all--of these five lies, c) Christian women who are likely to disagree with her more often than not. The book is written for those who profess to be Christian. It is not primarily written for the "world at large." She is not particularly seeking to change the minds of the whole, wide world--culture and society at large.

Why did she write the book? Why should YOU read it? (Should you read it?) Butterfield is, I believe, writing because she sees that these FIVE LIES are becoming more and more prevalent and embedded within the evangelical church. Not just the liberal, progressive, on the fringe churches. But becoming more and more common within "big eva" or the mainstream evangelical churches. Hardly any denomination exists that isn't facing at least the threat if not the actualization of these lies. Perhaps even coming from the top down--from the higher ups, the powers that be, the structural organization, the seminaries and schools of higher learning. Because this issue is embedded within the evangelical culture, within the mainstream churches, because even if you fence yourself off from the world at large and seek to live a bubbled-life, it's now becoming more common even within the church. There is no hiding from the lies addressed in the book. That is why you should read the book.

Is the book persuasive? I believe the book is well-written. I believe that the flow and layout of this one is logical, reasonable, biblical even. Butterfield uses Scripture AND testimony--her own--to write of these five issues, five lies. She writes clearly, in my opinion. She holds a VERY high view of Scripture. Because the evangelical church is losing that "high view" of Scripture, letting go of the notion that it is a) God-breathed, inspired, the VERY word of God, b) inerrant and infallible, always true, always faithful, always relevant, always authoritative, they are welcoming with open arms these lies from the world, from the devil. So is it persuasive? I think if you fall into the first two audiences (see above) those who likely already agree to a certain extent on a few of these lies, then the book will help affirm, reaffirm, establish, re-establish your position. Your confusion and doubts may clear up. If you fall into the third audience and are coming into the book with an I-don't-agree-with-this-this-is-nonsense attitude, the Holy Spirit might, can, may still use the book to enlighten. But if you are strongly opposed to everything Butterfield stands for, if you see her as "the enemy," then this one might not be persuasive enough. (But again, the Holy Spirit can work mighty wonders with hardened hearts, with the chiefest of sinners.)

So what are the five lies?

1) Homosexuality is normal
2) Being a spiritual person is kinder than being a biblical christian
3) Feminism is good for the world and the church
4) Transgenderism is normal
5) Modesty is an outdated burden that serves male dominance and holds women back.

Final thoughts...

Just as there are supposedly "four point Calvinists" or "three point Calvinists" I believe it is possible at least to approach this one believing several of these to be lies and yet not fully convinced that all five are equally lies or equally dangerous.

The book delivers on what it promises. It is about those five lies. If you hold those five lies to be true, to be your truth, chances are you will not particularly enjoy or find this one comfortable. If you recognize these five lies to be lies--to be false--then you will find this one (in my opinion) an absorbing, enlightening, engaging read. I particularly found the testimony bits to be incredibly moving and inspiring. show less