STUDY

Confession: I’m an intellectual omnivore. I read widely and deeply. I read for ideas that can be tested against other ideas because as Albert Einstein said, “I want to know God’s thoughts, the rest are details.”

Martin Luther was not only a reformer of religion; he was a reformer of education as well [if this was a scholarly paper I’d put in a footnote here referring you, gentle reader, to some letters he published – but that’s what Google is for]. The two went hand in hand for him. He was convicted that the knowledge of the liberal arts provided the best context for the study of scripture. Not only would ministers who were educated in this manner better serve the church, the members of the church would better know God and His work in this world by means of such learning.

 

Einstein again --"All religions, arts and sciences are branches of the same tree. All these aspirations are directed toward ennobling man's life, lifting it from the sphere of mere physical existence and leading the individual towards freedom."

The Bible is interwoven with and is seminal to Western history and culture. From the majority of the visual arts, to music [from Bach to Leonard Cohen], and to literature, philosophy, and law -- the Bible is an undercurrent that flows inexorably from our past to our future.

I have the opportunity to acquire wisdom, the wisdom of those who have gone before when I dip into that undercurrent. Others have faced the same struggles that I have about God, life and its meaning, why bad things happen to good people. When I have studied, I began to see the ways the current flows in, under and through our culture, our institutions, our communities and our lives.

There was a time when I thought of myself as spiritual but not religious. I didn’t need to study much if at all. Then I discovered that that is like picking up a musical instrument for a few minutes each week and expecting to become a virtuoso. Study is practice. I had to create time to learn. Like any document that has its roots in another age, I needed to understand the context in which the Bible was written. Adult Education classes, reading commentaries – these are formal ways of learning, but it was the informal ways; conversations with friends, hearing a speaker make a reference I wanted to understand more deeply, listening to music that captured my imagination and seeing a story played out that resonated with me.

God’s thoughts still elude me, but I sometimes get a glimmer of the breadth, depth and majesty of them when I see His work in this world through the hands and words of those who have studied before me.

Paul S.

We Invite You to Come and See

Invited into Community…

You and ……..

This month two excellent blogs have been written about what inhibits us from inviting people to church and how we can extend an invite.  Reflecting on these messages, I’ve been thinking about the meaning behind inviting someone to church or worship.   

This past Sunday, during worship, we sang ‘All Are Welcome in This Place’.  A few days before we had a wonderful Facebook insert, inviting everyone and anyone to come to our church. Both the song and words are quite meaningful.  Still I ponder, what do these words really mean to you and to me?

The Gospel stories tell of Jesus walking the countryside, calling out to a group of assorted men of  different backgrounds who did not know each other, to follow him.  So….who did he invite to walk with him?  Men who looked like they had something to offer socially, politically or economically?  I don’t think so.  Nope….Jesus invited some pretty grubby and quite possibly smelly fishermen, a tax collector, a doubter, and least (or most) of all a betrayer to walk with him, and alongside one another.  A lot of adjustments here in this new ‘community’ of invitees.  I call this a ‘community’ because after one day, Jesus did not say ‘glad you joined me today, hope you’ll come back sometime’.  Instead he invited them to stay with him as he worshipped, taught, prayed, ate, and journeyed onward.

This past September, during my drive to our Sunday Riverside Service, I passed three homeless people walking nearby. I thought about stopping the car and calling out to them to join us for worship and good food; and to my regret I didn’t follow through.  I know I missed a great opportunity, and I believe our church did too.

So what is this Invitation we are asked, and seek to extend to others?  I believe it goes further than asking someone to come and check us out for a day.  I believe it means we are inviting others to consider being a part of a community of folks, who gather to explore their individual and communal faiths through worship, prayer, study, discussions, laughter and tears; encouraging one another in our daily walks. 

I recall several years ago, driving up to my new La Crosse home, tired from packing and loading the night before, as I stared at this group of church folk waiting for me, standing outside at 8pm, ready to help me unload my belongings and arrange my furniture. They had brought coffee and breakfast for me for the next morning. Strangers to me, they had extended an invite,‘Welcome to our community’.

I share this experience only to emphasize that our invitations are not about us. They are merely an open door, asking others to check out our community of ordinary and extraordinary people like you and me.  And, they say I/we will be in community with you for as long as you wish. 

I believe this changes the emphasis of our invitation.  It also allows us to be perhaps a little vulnerable, because we are also sharing ourselves.  Yes, it may challenge us to grow as our community becomes more diverse, and to receive in ways we might not have anticipated.  

The person you invite; and I would challenge you to invite someone with different experiences, is also part of God’s community, even if s/he is not yet part of yours. To say we are part of a growing community, is to say ‘we are inviting more of God’s community into ours’.  Something to reflect on.

Each week during Worship our pastors invite all to take part in the Communion Feast, as ‘Christ is The Host”.  Next Saturday or Sunday, I invite you to say “Hello” to someone you do not know, helping those who are new or old time invitees to feel Welcome.  God is calling you and I to live out the words we sang last week, ‘All are Welcome (and Invited) in This Place'.

Shalom,

Susan 

Invitations... FREE SAMPLES!!!

The discomfort that can come with inviting a person to church is normal for many people, including me. One of my children loves to invite people to church and asked me why I don’t invite people to church much. I told him it made me uncomfortable.  He said to me, “Mom, you said that when you strip life down to its bare core, what you have left is God. So, don’t you think we should share that with others? ...if it is the MOST important thing ever?” I love kids. It is humbling to have them. 

Inviting is important. Think of the times you are invited to anything. Doesn’t it feel good to get an invitation? Now think of why you don’t invite. Most likely it is discomfort in how others may look at you for asking.  The invite is for them and about strengthening their relationship with God, not us. That is a worthy cause to put our discomforts aside and invite people to church. 

So, in order to help us all be more comfortable inviting people to church, I am going to list some sample one liners, many of which I got from my son. You can use one of these, or let these inspire you to come up with your own. Practice it, then when the opportunity comes up, you will be ready and confident to invite someone to church. 

Sample Invitations:

Hey! We have a great band at church playing this weekend that I think you would really enjoy, would you like to join us for church?

You mentioned that you all haven’t gone to church in years and we are doing an interesting study on the prophets (or whatever series we may be in) that I think you would like. We would love to have you join us. 

I have really been enjoying worship and fellowship at church and think you may like it too. Would you like to join us then we could all go out to lunch afterwards?

I am in an adult bible study at church that I think you would like. Would you like to go with me, then we could go to church afterwards? 

We go to church at 10:45 on Sundays (fill in your time you go), would you like to come with us? 

Would you like to come to church with me this weekend? I could pick you up at 9:30. 

We have been welcomed into the nicest community of people at our church. I really think you would enjoy it too. Would you like to join us for church this weekend? 

The music at our church has really reached me in a surprising way, I think you would enjoy it too. Would you like to join me for church this weekend. 

Hey kids (your own if you have them), why don’t each of you invite a friend over for church this weekend, then they can all come over for lunch afterwards. 

Okay, you get the idea. Basically, get your elevator invitation ready, practice it like you do your elevator speech for your work, and you will be impressed with how much easier it is to invite people to church.

I can’t wait to meet the people you bring! I will be looking for all of these new faces... and I will invite a neighbor I have been meaning to invite for 3 years. (I am going with one of the music lines because they love music - which one works for you?)

-Eva Marie

INVITE

The tune

Inviting. Something we do almost every day.

 “ Let’s go have lunch”.

“ Would you like to get a coffee?”

“ I’m having a little get-together this weekend”.

“ Wanna grab a beer after work?”

It’s easy – we do it all the time.

So why is it so hard to invite someone to church? Or why do we shy away from this spiritual practice?

There are likely as many reasons as there are members of our congregation. I’m going to hazard a guess here and wager that most of them boil down to fear of some sort. Fear that we’ll say the wrong thing. Fear that the offer will be rejected. Fear that we’ll damage a friendship or work relationship by taking it into another realm. Fear that we’ll come off sounding like a two-bit judgmental TV preacher “ Have you asked JEEE-sus into your heart?”

But mostly it may be because we haven’t done our homework.

By inviting, we’re not selling something. Just like our daily casual invitations, we are opening up the opportunity for a deeper relationship because you enjoy the person’s company. An invitation to church is an invitation to that person to share something that you find enriching to your life.

We earn the right to invite. In order to do that we must invest in people first. Listen and learn their stories. Learn their passions, their longings and share with them the same. Then suggest something or talk about something to help you connect on a spiritual level. If the person gets to know you and wants to know more about why you live your life the way you do, they’ll make a point to find out. Once your conversation turns to things spiritual, the invitation will flow naturally.  You don’t need to answer their questions about God, evil, bad things that have been done in the name of religion, you are just inviting them to a place where they can explore those questions in the company of others with similar concerns.

Inviting is not about talking people into beliefs, it’s being ready to give an explanation for the hope you have and admit the doubts you have.  And that you have found a place that lets you do both and more!

Lord,  replace our fears with joy so that we may be hospitable members of your church, inviting and welcoming all.

Amen.

Paul S.

I can’t remember ever inviting someone to a church service.

Well, here I am again. Out of my element. The theme for September is ‘INVITE’, and I have to confess: like prayer, I’m not good at this either. When I think ‘invite’ and ‘church’ together I think of inviting someone to a church service. Better yet, some drifting, languishing, forlorn church-homeless soul who needs a safe place on a solid ship to help her or him weather the storms of life and find peace and faith. Or some dumb thing like that.

Not that finding a safe place on a solid ship to weather the storms of life and find peace and faith is a dumb thing. Actually, it’s good thing, a necessary thing, a life-affirming, life sustaining thing. It’s the smartest move any of us ever make in life.

But when the thought of inviting someone to church crosses my mind, some demon voice sneers at me and asks: ‘So who are you, then? The savior?’ Or some even dumber thing like that. So, I have another confession to make: I can’t, honestly, remember ever inviting someone to a church service. I’ve never had a problem inviting people to the Seekers, my wonderful Bible Study group. Or to book group, or the Sunday Adult Forum or a host of other activities and events at church. In fact, I’m excited to do that. And when I do, I wait eagerly to share those times and experiences.

So, I thought about this whole concept of inviting, of invitation, mumbling and muttering to myself as I walked the streets and trails of LaCrosse and dusted and vacuumed the house. Why do we invite, I asked myself. How do we invite? When do we invite? And, who do we invite? I didn’t get many answers, but I did get a couple of more questions.

What’s the best invitation you ever received? Even better, what’s the best invitation you ever extended? Chances are, like me, you don’t remember the instances. But for me, and I’m willing to bet for you, too, the best one was tied with the heartstrings of the inviter. Chances are, you were invited be with someone, be included in a group, begin a relationship. Chances are someone invited you to come with them, be included in their group. Perhaps begin a relationship.

Let me give you an example. Earlier this summer I spent a week at Holden Village with a group from our church. One evening one of the women invited me to learn to weave with several of the other women. I didn't realize until now, as I’m writing this, how important being asked and just being with those women was to me. As we learned, made mistakes, and laughed we also talked about personal, meaningful matters in our lives, I didn’t realize how hungry I was for that kind of fellowship, kinship if you will. I didn’t have to be accomplished, smart, witty or eloquent. I just listened and learned and enjoyed enormously being with those wonderful women. One with the others. Part of the group. Part of a little community.

We had withdrawn from the crowd, so to speak. Withdrawn to be together. I’m reminded of how often Jesus withdrew from the crowds with his disciples to be together. Is that why gathering to worship, to learn and enjoy fellowship is so important? I believe so. In my mind, in my heart, I believe it is the drawing apart with others, the breaking away from the world that creates an opening, that it is our invitation to God to reach down and touch us with those sudden moments of insight, understanding and discernment. That it is also our invitation to God to reach down into the world through us.

In those moments we suddenly feel our lives shift and we are never, ever the same again. And once we have experienced that, we want to experience it again and again. We develop, you might say, a ‘God hunger’, so we put ourselves out there again and again, hoping, yearning, striving to feel God-touched again.

Some moments are profound. Others so fleeting we become aware of them only in retrospect. In those profound moments the whole world lights up and suddenly we see and know and understand and are certain in a sure and deep way we have never before experienced. It is God, plucking the strings of our hearts. Playing a song we can’t remember the words to, until later. Come, they say. Come, we say, you’ve gotta have this experience. So we invite. To church, to Bible Study, to block parties, into a group, a community, a relationship.

I don’t know how all this works in our hearts and souls and our lives together. But it does. Trust me, it does.

~ Janet