My husband and I went to a different church last Sunday morning since our oldest son would be the guest preacher that day. Before we’d made it halfway down the sidewalk to enter the church, three men who were outside spoke to us, with hellos and “We’re glad to have you this morning.”
They didn’t know who we were or that we were with the guest pastor that morning, they just knew we were visitors and they wanted to make us feel welcome.
We walked up the steps and entered the foyer. Six or seven people spoke to us, with smiles and warm greetings. During the fellowship time, there was an endless stream of people, shaking our hands, inviting us to come back and telling us how glad they were that we were there.
We felt so welcome.
Contrast that with an experience we had awhile back when my husband and I went to a large out-of-town church with a friend who was also from out of town.
We went to a Sunday school class before the morning service. I smiled at several people. Nobody smiled back. Literally dozens of people walked right by us at the beginning and end of the class. Nobody spoke. Not one soul.
Along with several hundred people, we walked down numerous hallways on our way to the main auditorium. Other than a nursery worker waiting at the door for the little ones to arrive, not one person spoke to us.
I smiled at people. Again, nobody smiled back. During the fellowship time, not one person came to shake our hands or to welcome us.
It was such an odd feeling. We felt so unwelcome.
You know what bothered me the most? What if I’d been a prodigal who’d finally worked up the courage to come back to church? What if we’d been a family whose lives were shattered, who were looking for hope, comfort and somebody to care?
Friends, if ever there’s a place where people should feel welcome, it’s at church. Let’s determine today that we’ll be the ones who’ll provide the smiles and the warm greetings.
Let’s slow down in our rush from Sunday school to the morning service and speak to those who are new. Let’s be reflections of God’s love for those who are searching for a hospital of hope, for folks who will care about them.
Let’s make sure that everyone who steps foot on our church grounds will leave that day knowing “You are welcome here!”
Use hospitality one to another without grudging. (I Peter 4:9)
