A WORD FROM THE PASTOR….. “Then Jesus said to his host, ‘When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or sisters’ your relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.’’’ (Luke 14:12-14 American Standard Version)
Dear Friends in Christ,
I hope that you are each safe and well these days and that you’re continuing to enjoy this beautiful spring season! This past week I was delighted to find the wisteria blossoming at my “family home” in Franklin! It’s been years since it bloomed and I guess that having the root “cracked” last fall did the trick. I’m really enjoying the “welcome of those flowers every time I stop by to check on the house. Those blooms are reminding me of how important welcoming is and how much I, like you, have missed those times of visiting or hosting friends and family during the social distancing of the pandemic. I admit, that my skill set seems a bit “off” as I try to adjust to new realities – do I wear a mask, or not? – how close should we sit together? – is food to be offered or is it better not to? There is just so much to think about as I long for the relaxed and easy-going days when there was less to worry about.
I recall being in Israel some years ago and how, everywhere you went, at the doorway of hotels, restaurants, and homes, there was always a tray at the entrance-way with small glasses of some kind of refreshing juice. Traveling in the middle-east, even today on buses, is hot and dusty. While I was there, a sandstorm was blowing fine, talcum powder-sized particles of sand from the Sahara and they dried your skin, settled into your hair and made you incredibly thirsty. Those little glasses of juice were a way for your host to express kindness and caring for the visitor – customer or friend – as they entered their space. In our own part of the world it’s pretty common to offer a guest or visitor some kind of beverage – water, juice, soda, tea or coffee (I have drunk about a million cups of coffee during visits over the years as a pastor!) And when the visit is expected to be longer or carries some kind of special significance, food is offered. I had a friend who never let you visit without offering ice cream and who was deeply confused and disappointed if you declined. He would often say, “Who turns down ice cream?” Another story that sticks in my memory is of a family where the son went off to college and found a job in a city far from home. There he met the woman he intended to marry and like most young couples, they made their trips to each family for the “introductions” before the wedding. The young man’s family wanted to do their best at offering this special woman a warm welcome so they asked their son, “What is her favorite food?” Assuming perhaps, pasta or maybe steak, they were surprised to hear that she loved lobster. Though lobster wasn’t a food they ate or served in their home, they made the effort to put together a traditional lobster dinner for the “meet and greet” with their son’s future wife. Over the following years, it was a warm and happy memory for them all as they felt they had truly done all they could to welcome her and she felt deeply loved and cared for by the family she became part of through marriage.
Often, in church, we believe we’re being welcoming. In fact, I have never talked with anyone from a church who doesn’t tell me, “We’re a friendly church.” In fact, right along with that statement, usually comes this one, “We’re like a family.” And I get it. As a minister’s kid, I grew up in the church and I know that statement is intended to sound hospitable, but the truth is that not every family is welcoming. In fact, some families are down-right hostile, though often in subtle ways. Most often, it boils down to treating visitors and guests in ways that say – you can be in our house but you’ll never be one of us – or you have to earn your way into our family by being just like us – or you’ll never really understand what it’s like to be in “our” family. In these cases, guests never make it beyond the doorway, even if they come all the way in for a while. These are the church visitors who come – and go. And sometimes, it’s church people who’ve been around for years who walk away because the church just isn’t offering them what they need. And what do people need? Radical hospitality – like juice at the doorway, or even going so far as to offer what amounts to a lobster dinner in church terms. It means putting aside our “family” preferences, likes and dislikes, and doing whatever we can to bring others into relationship with the God we love and serve – by making our relationship with them our priority.
As I recall searching for a church where my young son could be confirmed, I remember visiting churches in several towns in my area. My son wanted to be confirmed as a Methodist and the Methodist church in our town had closed years before. So we went from place to place and again and again we did not feel “at home”. In one place not a single person spoke to me except the pastor. At another place people said “hello” but then went over to their friends and sat or talked with them for the entire coffee hour, leaving us to stand alone. It took a while but we did find a church with “radical welcome” and the follow through that showed how they cared for visitors. On the first Sunday we were greeted, walked to a seat, introduced to leaders of programs we might be interested in. That week there was a follow up call – not from the pastor – but from a lay person, inviting us back again and asking if there was anything we might need to feel welcome. At that church we got the “cup of juice” and the “lobster dinner”! Radical hospitality is more than offering a “hello” – it’s putting ourselves “out” to bring the visitor “in”.
As we focus on what the church will be as come out of the pandemic and as you prepare to welcome your new pastor in July, I invite you to join together in daily prayer at 8 am and/or 8 pm as we seek to deepen our relationship with God through radical hospitality AND to join with me in reading the book, Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations, by Robert Schnase (available online – or through the church office where we have pre-ordered a few copies). Radical Hospitality is one of the Five Practices that Schnase writes about. A group discussion of the book will be offered in early June with a major focus on: Passionate Worship (chapter three) and Fruitfulness & Excellence (chapter seven). Please register online or by calling the church office – a separate informational announcement will be sent this week. I’m looking forward to wonderful blessings for us all!
In the meantime, stay in love with God through prayer and remember, you are in my prayers…. I love you and I need you to survive!
Peace,
Pastor Betsy
