The following is my 2009 St. Patrick’s Day entry. I thought I’d share it again…

Today is St. Patrick’s Day. For those of you who know me well, you are fully aware that this is my favorite holiday. Of course, I prefer the secular-style celebrations that focus on great food (Irish stew, bangers and mash, etc) and wonderful beverages (a pint of Guinness). However, the true celebration is to honor St. Patrick (a former slave in Ireland, turned missionary in Ireland…taking the message of the Cross to the very people who had enslaved him…pretty incredible stuff). I do believe we can honor St. Patrick while enjoying our food and drink! So, today let us honor St. Patrick and celebrate with great joy with friends and family!

I thought it would be fitting to end this post with a prayer that has been credited to St. Patrick:

May the Strength of God guide us.
May the Power of God preserve us.
May the Wisdom of God instruct us.
May the Hand of God protect us.
May the Way of God direct us.
May the Shield of God defend us.
May the Angels of God guard us.
– Against the snares of the evil one.

May Christ be with us!
May Christ be before us!
May Christ be in us,
Christ be over all!

May Thy Grace, Lord,
Always be ours,
This day, O Lord, and forevermore. Amen.

DT Kirby’s is pretty much my favorite place in the Greater Lafayette area.

It’s a humble joint…just a small bar, a handful of tables, a tiny kitchen, a ton of TV’s, and some Cubs and Bears memorabilia.

However, it’s in this humble pub that I continually experience examples of radical hospitality.

As soon as you set foot inside the door, you are warmly greeted…especially if Don is in the bar…and Don is usually in the bar! I kid you not…it’s very much like Cheers. You walk in and your presence is recognized…in a positive manner (unlike some places when you walk in and the staff looks annoyed that they will have to actually work)…I continually wait for someone to yell out, “Norm!”

The DT Kirby’s staff wants to make sure that you have a positive experience. Whenever I’m there, someone continually checks in…seeing if everything is to my liking, if I need anything, etc. They go out of their way to do all they can to make your visit great!

And, I’m far from a regular. I can only imagine that I’d be treated like royalty if I were on a first name basis with the staff (sort of like when I would walk into the Heorot on a Friday and the bartender would start pouring a Guinness and put in an order for a mushroom pizza before I even sat down).

I’ve been in DT Kirby’s when there is not a seat available. This is when Don and his staff truly work their magic. He notices the order people come in…he entertains them and tells them that if they’ll just give him a little time, he’ll get them a seat…he gets them menu’s and drinks while they wait. Then, when something opens up, you get a seat…and he won’t let anyone snake you!

But, he has his limits…for example…don’t ask for a Jameson and Coke. He’ll simply look at you in disgust and say, “We don’t do that here. I can sell you a Jameson. And I can sell you a Coke. But, I won’t put them in the same glass!” I like that. It sort of feels like High Fidelity when Jack Black says, “Do we look like the kind of record store that has ‘I Just Called to Say I Love You’? Go to the mall!” The man has principles! I also get the impression that he won’t let you treat his staff poorly.

The folks at DT Kirby’s go out of their way to make sure you have a positive experience. And, if you are not having a positive experience, they will work hard to fix that. Of course, if your poor experience is because you order drinks like a teenage girl, well, that’s your own problem! Como hombre!

I’m continually amazed at how the staff makes each person feel like they are welcome…that they are important…and that they are highly valued. Don has a way of talking to people that makes you feel like you’re long-lost friends. He makes you feel like you are his most important customer.

To top it all off…it’s genuine. I’ve never felt like someone is just working for their tip. I’ve always felt like when I’m asked how I’m doing…the person asking actually cares…to the point that they stop and take the time to actually listen. I know, it’s crazy!

Then, your food comes out and there is so much of it that you could feed a small village. That’s the kind of hospitality that says…”we don’t want you to go hungry!”

In all honesty, every time I go to DT Kirby’s, I find myself thinking about how we can make the church feel as warm and inviting as this little pub. How can we make people feel welcome? How can we make people feel at home? How can we make them feel like they are surrounded by long-lost friends? How can we make people feel that we truly do care about them? How can we make people feel like we are concerned that they have a positive experience?

It all starts within, of course. We need to have a heart of hospitality. We have to possess a desire to look beyond ourselves…beyond our own experience…beyond our own comfort…and truly have a concern for the other.

It’s my prayer that I might be able to get out of my comfort zone and practice the kind of old style hospitality that I have experienced firsthand at DT Kirby’s.

If you’re in the Greater Lafayette area, I suggest you experience the old style hospitality at DT Kirby’s. Order a tasty sandwich (like the Uncle or the Triple Hog) or an amazing hot dog (my favorites are the Sonoma and the Sweet Carolina) and, of course, an Old Style! By the way…it’s a bar…21 and over!

Romans 12:13- “Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.”

Hebrews 13:2– “Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.”

1 Peter 4:9- “Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.”

3 John 1:8– “We ought therefore to show hospitality to such people so that we may work together for the truth.”

This morning, I was reading an article about pilsner beers in the latest issue of All About Beer magazine. It’s actually a fascinating read on the incredible history of this beverage.

It appears that when the pilsner first hit the scene, it truly captivated the world. It was something new, something refreshing, something different, something wonderful.

Then, as one would almost expect, the pilsner had its name dragged through the mud as numerous sub-standard, cheap imitations began to hit the scene.

These cheap imitations had an almost disastrous impact on the few true and noteworthy pilsners in existence.

Brewing experts talked about how people were slapping the pilsner name on just about anything that remotely fit the specifications of the genre. This resulted in thousands of variations…most of them an insult to the original.

However, the future looks bright for the return of the true pilsner. There are some powerhouse pilsner brewers who have stayed true to form for a long time. Today, there are new breeds of brewers rising on the scene who take their brewing seriously and are doing their best to craft pilsners that rival the real thing. And, there are conscious consumers who understand that not all brews that claim to be “pilsners” are truly pilsners.

As I read the article, I found myself thinking about the Christian faith.

We have this beautifully rich faith that calls believers to a certain way of living and interacting in this world. When Christians attempt to get it right, it can be an amazing, transforming, awesome thing.

However, when Christians get it wrong, it simply becomes a cheap imitation.

There are many cheap imitations of the Christian faith out there. These cheap imitations drag the name of Christianity through the mud. These cheap imitations take something beautiful and turn it into something hideous.

And, it’s not just Fred Phelps and the Westboro Baptist Church. It’s not just the Christians who think the most effective way to promote their agenda is to blow up abortion clinics and murder doctors who perform abortions. It’s not just the extremists who are dragging the name of Christianity through the mud. It’s also yours truly.

You see, every time I settle for less than what God would intend, I’m just another cheap imitation. Every time I fail to help out a neighbor in need, I’m just another cheap imitation. Every time I make a snap judgment based on one’s outer appearance, I’m just another cheap imitation. Every time I fail to speak on behalf of those who cannot, I’m just another cheap imitation. Every time I fail to work for justice in the face of injustice, I’m just another cheap imitation. Every time I make the choice to “fit in”, I’m just another cheap imitation.

The truly disgusting part is that sometimes I’m okay with being a cheap imitation. I mean, on paper, I’d deny it. But, my actions (or lack of actions) seem to say that I’m okay with it…And, I do my best to justify my role as a cheap imitation. I’m like the brewer who puts a “pilsner” label on my beer in order to help move more product, knowing I’m settling for less than the real thing…less than the best. I’m like the Pharisee who prays, “God, I thank you that I am not like other men – robbers, evildoers, adulterers – or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get” (Luke 18:11-12).

However, like the new breed of brew masters who are emerging on the scene attempting to do their best to brew a worthy variety of pilsners, I long to become more than a cheap imitation. I long to become a high quality imitation, a clear reflection of the One I claim to follow. I desire to get it right!

What kind of imitation are you? High quality or a cheap knock-off?

3 John 1:11- “Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good. Anyone who does what is good is from God. Anyone who does what is evil has not seen God.”

Romans 12:2 (MSG)- Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.