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