Gracious Welcome

Scripture

Colossians 4:5-6

 ⁵Conduct yourselves wisely toward outsiders, making the most of the time. ⁶Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer everyone..  (NRSV)

Devotion

 Have you ever wondered what "outsiders" think about your church?  Judging by the information they send out to others, the members of most congregations tend to think of themselves as Christians think that their congregations are warm, welcoming, mission-oriented, and Spirit-filled.  But would visitors from out of town agree?  What about the person who stopped by seeking help?  Or the lifelong resident of town that knows a particular church by name or location only?

I still cringe when I think about a service I once attended in another where I didn't yet have a church.  I was looking for a worshiping community near my university, and a friend had suggested I try hers.  My friend was in the choir, so I was went in and sat down by myself.  For the first two weeks, no one outside the clergy and a couple choir members spoke to me.  The third week, I tried a different seat... one in which I could hear two women behind me spend the entire service whispering about who I might be and whether or not I "belonged" there.  Neither ever introduced themselves, but both of them glared at me when I walked into the church's monthly breakfast.   I didn't return for a fourth visit.

My story is not unique.  Many congregations are so focused on loving the people they already have that they don't make time to welcome outsiders.  People unwisely inform visitors that they are sitting in someone's spot.  Or they say that they welcome everyone but then go on to talk and act in ways that make it clear that that welcome is actually reserved for people with a certain skin color, socio-economic status, gender and sexual identity, etc.    Such unwise decisions and unwillingness to make the most of our time with with others turns them away from our doors.  Then, we bemoan the fact that people just don't seem interested in becoming members of Christ's Church. 

Paul's letter to the Colossians encourages Christians to take a different approach.  Rather than being cliquish, members of Christ's church should show newcomers that all are welcome and then make the most of the time we have with them.  Such welcome could include going out of our way to invite a newcomer to sit with us and then take time to get to know them after the service ends.  It includes monitoring our thoughts, words, body language, and actions so that we may truly reflect Christ's love and not our own biases. And when we are called to speak a word of challenge to someone's (especially a newcomer's) assumptions or actions, we do so with love and graciousness so that our Spirit-filled words may soften someone's heart instead of hardening it.

A couple years after my frosty reception at my friend's church, I found myself once again in the position of being in a new town and needing a new church.  This time, though, I was blessed to drive by First Presbyterian Church of Bowling Green on my second day in town.  Emblazoned across its sign were the words, "Christ Welcomes All."  And though I wasn't sure that I was up to being rejected just yet, I decided to see if the church truly meant what it said.  My first Sunday there, an usher invited me to sit with his family if I would like to.  Then, he took me to coffee hour where he got to know me a little and then introduced me to some folks with similar interests.  Several days later, a random person at the grocery store stopped to tell me that though we hadn't spoken, she remembered seeing me at church.  When she learned I was new to the area, she told me some places I should go for basic needs, gave me her number in case I needed help me adjust to my new home. and said I was always welcome to sit with her.  This church definitely made the most of its time with outsiders... and I definitely went back.

About a year after I officially joined the church, I learned that its members knew that while there would be times in which they failed to live of up to Jesus's example, Christ truly did welcome everyone through the doors.  They felt that their mission to the community was to offer Christ's welcome to any "outsider" who was looking for a place to belong.  It was a place wehre people who did not occupy the same spaces in that town came together and made the best of their time with one another;  where young college students sang in the choir beside elderly townies; straight and gay couples chatted over coffee, and people with mental health issues shared their stories in Bible study with people who had no idea what it was like to experience depression, anxiety, etc.  And it was a place where those who had been welcomed into the fold and treated graciously learned how to treat others wisely--to speak graciously as we inspired one another, challenged one another, and grew together in Christ's love.

First Presbyterian Church of Bowling Green's all-in, Christ-centered sense of welcome transformed my life.  It continues to transform its portion of Northwest Ohio.  And I believe that through Christ, it can transform the world.  For whether someone is an insider or an outsider in a place, we are all changed for the better when we experience the unequivocal love and welcome of Jesus Christ.  So let us make the most of our time with people who are strangers...people who are different...people who may be getting their first experience of Jesus during their time with us.  And if  we speak graciously and make the most of the time we have been given, Jesus will work through us to make this world a better reflection of God's love.
 

 

Prayer

 Jesus, you love extends to everyone throughout Creation.  Help us to make the most of our time with every person we meet .  Through your grace, may we build a house where all are truly welcome to hear your Word, grow in your love, and act as your hands and feet in the world.