Outside a little white Presbyterian Church between the lakes not far from here is a sign: “Visitors Welcome… and Expected!” I love that sign, since it goes an extra step from the polite, socially-correct “Visitors welcome.” With just a twist of a phrase to catch drivers’ attention, it reminds the folks who walk through the doors every Sunday that they have an active role in preparing for and anticipating new attenders. After all, everyone has a first Sunday at a church! And there is more than just having the door open when a newcomer yanks on the handle: there is genuine commitment to make a person feel part of the family of faith, to be one of us.
Jesus this week adds another level beyond just saying, “Hi! Welcome to First Church, Anywhere. Here’s a bulletin.” We share figuratively and perhaps literally a cup of cold water with the souls thirsting for God’s presence. Perhaps we long in a church forget how soul-parched one can feel out there in the beating sun of life; perhaps we need to remember that finding the water of life is like downing a cold cup or bottle of water on a hot summer afternoon after working or weariness. When we do, we are like the volunteers reaching the water out to the runners at the marathon, giving them something to gulp or pour over their faces. Walking into a church should be like that.
It is common now in certain circles to press church behavior from “welcoming” to “inviting.” Welcoming is sort of passive; it unlocks the church door and waits for someone to walk in. Inviting begins outside the door, beckoning folks in, mentioning that your church is a place of refuge or of spiritual growth or a place from which to launch mission and ministry. Inviting happens Monday through Saturday; it happens at work, around the dinner table at home or in a restaurant. It walks around the mall or coffee shop. Inviting gets out there. It is often used in conjunction with people disaffected by conventional religion or simply unaware of religion’s benefits in “ordinary” life and interactions. Lots of those folks wouldn’t walk through a church door unless someone walked in with them as a friend.
But an invitational, expecting stance is also part of the UCC’s various affirmations about our generous, extravagant welcome as a denomination and as local congregations. Over the years the UCC has opened our door to… and welcomed… and invited… those from multiracial and multicultural backgrounds, tried to be accessible to all, open and affirming, peace with justice church. Anyone who needs cool water from Christ!
From my first interview here as a potential interim pastor, the non-passive, active, invitational, encouraging nature of this church was stressed to me, a point of great significance I feel and try to project each Sunday at the start of worship: “No matter who you are or where you are on life’s journey, you are welcome here.” This Sunday (and every Sunday of the summer, and every Sunday after that) invite someone you know to experience that invitation!
In Christ,
David
Many thanks to the children and youth and their families for presenting me with Letters to Children by C.S. Lewis and What Are People For? by Wendell Berry.
Texts For Sunday Worship:
From the Hebrew Bible Genesis 22:1-14
From the Epistles Romans 6:12-23
From the Gospels Matthew 10:40-42
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