Come and See

Who brought you to church? Did someone bring you? Did someone invite you? For many of us we started going to church because it is was expected of us. I remember a college-aged member at a church I served telling me that growing up, he had a drug problem - his parents drug him to church every Sunday. That is what I remember. It was a way of life - every Sunday was church day. 

When we grew up and moved out from under our parents' wings, we broke away from the habits of home, and established our own habits and priorities. Has church always stayed on your list of priorities? If church fell out of habit, you are not alone. As calendars get fuller, we often find that Sunday is the only day we might catch a break, catch our breath, or even sleep in! Church easily becomes the thing that gets dropped from the "To Do" list for the week. 

I believe that if we look at church as a chore, it can easily become a burden. We can do without because we need our rest more than another thing to do! But if we consider church to be a place of nourishment and strength to face the days to come, it would be foolish not to go. 

Mark Hanson, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, tells of a church that has several pastors on staff. Once a month, one of the pastors will go to visit an inactive member or two on a Sunday Morning. When the pastor arrives at the door, the first response he receives is, "Did someone die?" The pastor's response is, "No. But we are concerned because we have not seen you at the Lord's Table for quite some time. According to our records, you must be starving!"

What we have is exactly what the world needs - forgiveness, hope, welcome and life. Every Sunday (Saturday Night too) God promises to be present as we gather in God's name. We hear the good news of God's love, we feed on the Bread of Life, we are lifted up by one another in prayer and fellowship. We gather as the Body of Christ to be nourished, and we are sent out to do God's work with our hands. 

If you have been away, come home. If you know someone who has been away, invite him or her to come and see. Your invitation could be exactly what is needed.  Here is a video a friend shared with me. Why not be the one to invite?

Peace,

Pastor Charlie