Everyone Welcome

Everyone Welcome

The sign out front of the church tells people who we are and the time of service. The sign has been there a long time; weather beaten with fading white lettering. It's been there so long that people driving by no longer take notice. It blends into the muted shades of sage that cover the foothills of Montana. The leaders have discussed doing something about it. But to date it is still there, reminding us that we are in need of a makeover.

At the bottom of the sign in the same fading letters it says "Everyone Welcome." When I look at that sign I wonder if our welcome is fading too. I say that because church is known for its resistance to change. "We have always done it that way" is the mantra holding back change. Was everyone really welcome when the sign first went up? Or was it a religious cliché? Did the church builders want a haven for saint and sinner? Was their intent to provide a home for all who were seeking shelter and solace?

Today's world, even here in Montana, is increasingly diverse. The migration of city dwellers to country living is changing the relational climate of our community. Gone is the quaint western town where people not progress were important. Not all change is bad but it takes some getting used to. For those of us who have lived here awhile, you wonder if the city fathers added "everyone welcome" signs at the freeway exits to the city.

Most of us don't do all that well with diversity. We lean toward hanging around with like-minded people. This is a criticism leveled toward churches. "Us four and no more" fosters an insular attitude to a culture that accepts just about anything and anybody. So, to put "everyone welcome" on a church sign can be a recipe for disaster.

Jesus came to tell humankind that everybody is welcome in the Father's house. He said that the Father's love was not just for a chosen few but for everybody. Church people of that time struggled with that invitation. They were taught that you had to earn your way for the Father's approval. Jesus practiced what he preached by hanging out with those whose didn't measure up. Finally, something had to be done about Jesus.

Can you see why I am a little nervous about a new sign? Someone might drive by and read that everyone is welcome. Maybe even come back on Sunday morning. Then what will we do?