Proper 8A - Welcoming

Good Morning! Welcome to St. John's at Home.

In our denomination we love our national slogan,

"The Episcopal Church welcomes you."

But what does it mean to really welcome someone?

Jesus pulls no punches in the Gospel passage from Matthew today. 

Its two sentences long and he says the word welcome as a strong active verb six times! 

There is no mistaking the theme of these two sentences. 

Welcoming. 

Apparently welcoming has a cascading effect, especially when welcoming Jesus.

When we welcome each other, we welcome Jesus, 

and when we welcome Jesus, we welcome God.

A three for one type of deal.

Because of this cascading effect, being welcoming, showing hospitality

is a discipleship trait. 

When we are welcoming in the name of Jesus, we welcome Jesus and God.

When we welcome others, even strangers, we are welcoming Jesus and God.

But what does it mean to really welcome someone?

Jesus doesn't set the bar very high.

No, its fairly low.

"Whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple - truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward."

Giving someone else a cup of water is a fairly low bar when it comes to hospitality.

But what does it mean to really welcome someone?

After a local festival in town when one of her children participated in a church skit, Clarice's children started asking about going to church. So Clarice and her family decided to try to go to church.

Clarice and her family visited the closest church to their house. They got up early on Sunday morning and put on their best clothes and walked around the corner to the nearby church. When they arrived, the greeter was busy chatting with someone else from the congregation and made them wait outside the door. When the greeter finally finished up their congregation, she said to Clarice and her family, "You can't come in this door, you have to go around to the back" and pointed around the building. Clarice's children were confused, but she held out waiting for some explanation. The greeter simply continued point around the building, so they slowly walked through the grass to another door. Unfortunately, they found that this door was locked. Puzzled Clarice walked back towards the front of the building. When the greeter saw Clarice, she made a face and gestured again, "You have go in through the other door." Clarice explained that the door they found was locked. The greeter looked exasperated and yelled inside at someone else. She turned back to Clarice and waved her to the back door. When Clarice got back to her family, someone was unlocking the door from the inside. As they walked inside they noticed that this section of the church was blocked off from the rest of the church but was labeled as the 'Visitor's Section'. There was music going on, so Clarice and her family sat down in the folding metal chairs provided, but they were unable to see much of what was happening. Throughout the service, they could hear the congregation saying and doing things, but they were unable to participate. At the end, the greeter came over to the Visitor's Section and asked if any of them had been saved during the service. As Clarice and her family walked home, her children said they were sad they couldn't see anything during the service. Clarice and her family had felt very unwelcome at that church.

The next week, Clarice and her family got up to visit a different church in town. This one was a little further away, so they drove. The parking lot had signs pointing the way to the front door, where a greeter said, "Good Morning," and handed them a bulletin. Already Clarice and her family were feeling better about this church. They found an open pew to sit down in and waited for the service to begin. As the service was starting, Clarice noticed a couple who came and sat down in the pew behind them. She heard the man grumble to his wife that there were people sitting in their pew. Clarice felt bad about sitting in someone else's spot, but the choir was already starting the first hymn. Her family was happy to be able to participate throughout the service and at the end when the preacher directed everyone to the hall, Clarice found herself pulled along by her children. However, once they were in the hall and had gotten their cookies, no one talked to Clarice or her family. All the congregation members stood around talking to each other. While Clarice liked this church better than the first one, she still wasn't sure it would work out for her family. As they drove home that day, Clarice discussed one other church they could try going to.

The third week, Clarice's children were a little less excited about trying to go to church, but they got up and headed to the third church. As they parked and got out on the street in front of the church, someone else walking towards the church smiled and waved at them. As they got to the door, the greeter welcomed them, asked all of them their names, gave them a bulletin, and suggested a good open pew to sit in so they had a good view. When they sat down, the woman in the pew in front of them turn around and said, "Good Morning, its a lovely day, isn't it?" When the pastor got started, he welcomed everyone and said he was happy to see them all. Clarice and her family followed along and participated during the service. At one point, her son got a little antsy and started saying he needed to use the restroom. Clarice was a little mortified that he was talking so loudly, but the lady in front of them turn back and whispered, "Don't worry, I'll show you where the restroom is." While they were waiting for Clarice's son to be done in the bathroom, the lady from the pew in front introduced herself as Sara and asked if Clarice and her family lived nearby. They chatted briefly and returned to the service. After the service was over, Sara showed Clarice and her family to the hall and introduced them to a few other people who happened to live in their same neighborhood! Clarice's children were much happier as they drove home that day. Later that week, Clarice showed her children a card they had received from Sara and the church inviting them back to church the next Sunday.

Jesus welcomed people everywhere he went by truly seeing them,

acknowledging them where they were, and

by talking with them about their concerns.

When we see people for who they are and where they are, 

we are able to welcome them with joy 

and share God's joy with them.

Who has welcomed you this week?

May you share Jesus' welcome with everyone you meet this week.

Amen.