Brother Fred Mamaloff was an Alaskan Indian. His tribe, the Kenaitze, came from the Kenai Peninsula. Fred was an ordained pastor in our denomination. It seemed that Fred and I had paths that kept crossing for a while. When I pastored in Montana, Fred pastored in a church that was relatively near to us. When we pastored in Alaska, Fred came to pastor in Alaska as well. We also met up in Kansas and Colorado.
Brother Fred Mamaloff was an Alaskan Indian. His tribe, the Kenaitze, came from the Kenai Peninsula. Fred was an ordained pastor in our denomination. It seemed that Fred and I had paths that kept crossing for a while. When I pastored in Montana, Fred pastored in a church that was relatively near to us. When we pastored in Alaska, Fred came to pastor in Alaska as well. We also met up in Kansas and Colorado.
In Alaska, Brother Fred had been invited to be an associate pastor in Anchorage. It happened to be our denominations largest church in Alaska. He was called to do outreach ministry with the Alaskan Indians in the area.
Pastor Bill, the senior pastor at the church, told me about uncomfortable times that he would occasionally have with Brother Fred. It seems that Brother Fred would wander down the hall and enter Pastor Bill’s office. He would not say anything, or do anything. He would just sit down on the couch and stay.
Pastor Bill was used to people visiting his office, but they always had a reason, or a purpose. They needed information, counsel, or something. Brother Fred just sat there - not saying anything, not doing anything, and not wanting anything. Pastor Bill was very distressed by the situation. Finally, one day in frustration, Pastor Bill blurted out, “What do you want?” “Nothing,” Brother Fred said, “I just wanted to be with you.” It was an Indian thing that spoke of confidence, joy, and being comfortable with family and tribe. It was a form of hospitality.
Hospitality was an important thing in the early church. It is an important thing in the Bible. Romans 12:13 says, “Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.” Hebrews 13:2 says, “Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.” Also, 1 Peter 4:9 records, “Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.”
However, hospitality doesn’t always mean in- viting someone to your house or serving a meal. Sometimes, like in the case with Brother Fred and Pastor Bill, it can just be companionable being together. Henry Nouwen wrote, “Hospitality means primarily the creation of a free space where the stranger can enter and become a friend instead of an enemy.”
That was one of the beauties of the ministry Mother Teresa had in Calcutta, India. Many times there really wasn’t any medical help that they could offer the lepers dying there. But their just “being there”, caring and making their presence felt was enough. It was a way of making those dying people feel relaxed, realizing that they were indeed seen, that they were a person after all. Sometimes showing hospitality is nothing more than that, “being there” for another person.
That’s a lesson we can all learn from Brother Fred.
- Just a Thought Dale Fillmore is lead pastor at New Day Church.
