The Reason for the Welcome

This past Sunday was not exactly a regular church day.  It was a travel day which meant finding a church along the way for worship.  I tried a local Methodist Church, but when I arrived at the front door about 11:10 am, one of the ushers told me the organ music I was hearing was the closing hymn.  So, I went across the street to the Baptist Church.  This time I was told the service had already started, but there was plenty more to come as they usually finished up around 12:30 pm.  I mumbled some excuse as I turned away, but the truth was I feared there might be more church there than I wanted.    

One thing about showing up in some strange place is that you never know what you are going to get.  I know some who always make sure they go to a different denomination than their own while traveling, but I still find myself seeking out the Wesleyan crowd first.  While I have experienced a lot of different things in different places, one of the constants has been the way the churches I have visited gave flesh to the word "welcome. I was not welcomed by the few, but swarmed by the many.  It is heart warming when it happens and gives me hope for our church.   

It is easy to get comfortable where we are and to hurry to the local restaurant after the benediction.  The Bible reminds us often about the care we should offer to the strangers in our midst.  They are to be received and made to feel at home.  We are called to go out of our way to serve them.  Caring for the stranger in our midst on Sunday morning is not just something we should do as a part of our desire to grow our church, but something we should be doing because God is calling us to do it.