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