November 20, 2014
Meet & Greet
There is an on-going
conversation about church friendliness — or lack thereof. In the process of visiting
local churches, I’ve discovered each church has their own level of outreach. I’ve
observed that people who are shy, introverted, anti-social, disconnected, newer
members, or those carrying heavy burdens tend to sit around the perimeter of
the sanctuary. Interestingly, visitors also gravitate to the perimeter of the
room. Not surprisingly, those who meet & greet visitors are often the very people
who are most uncomfortable in that situation. It would behoove those of us who
are more outgoing to follow the example of Jesus and look at our perimeter. Passing
through Jericho “…Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to
him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today” (Luke
19:5 NIV).
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1 comment:
Gail;
-----Wouldn’t it be nice having Jesus’ ability to peer right into the heart and mind of a soul? But I really wonder what He would be thinking during these “greeting” times? I know the New Testament is full of “Give so and so my greeting,” and “Greet one another with a holy kiss,” etc. But those are just part of the greeting sections of letters. That’s what you do when you write or phone someone you’ve not seen for a while. Shoot, we do it on the street. “Say hi to Char for me!” I hear that one all the time. But I don’t take it as some principle. When I get up in the morning I say hi to Char. When I come home from work I say hi even when I don‘t feel like it, because those are principles going hand in hand with the principle of my love for her. And never does my cat have to pick up a microphone and go, “Ok, Steve and Char. It’s time to greet each other. So please rise and go about the living room greeting one another. When you see the TV program return from its commercial, please be seated again.” We just say, “Hi,” because that’s what people interested in each other do (good thing I didn't know that in High School, I might have missed out on Chari.)
-----So, I can imagine Jesus sitting there thinking, “When I came in here, most everyone was just sitting with their hands in their laps. Well, that’s nice and reverent towards Me and all, but gee, it looked like a long lonely, lonely time for them. Then, when it’s time to rock and roll the service, Joe takes the mike and has to inform everyone to do in a moment what they should have been doing instead of feigning reverence to cover unsociability?” But then, I guess Paul also had to inform his letter readers to go give one another a holy kiss.
-----It isn’t the “shy, introverted, anti-social, disconnected, newer members, or those carrying heavy burdens” sitting around the perimeter that I wonder about. It’s everyone sitting in their seats, hands folded in their laps, before the service begins. Where’s all the natural hugs, handshakes, and holy kisses when the time for doing them is because of who you’re meeting? Instead, the ritualistic, smiley, shaking hands get exchanged because Joe said do it! It’s sad to think not much of it would happen at all if we didn’t designate a time for pressing people into doing it. I don’t know about you or Jesus or anyone else, but every Sunday during that little “meet and greet” session I wonder how many of those white pearlies are bursting through those big smiles just because that’s what Joe said to do and “Who the heck were you, again?”
-----But, like always, Jesus isn’t going to crush any smoldering wicks or break any bruised reeds. He’s just very much that sort of stand up guy (by the right side of the All Mighty, no less!) So, even though He can see “ritual” painted all over many of those insubstantial greeting-time greetings, they’re yet precious to Him. He knows that’s about all He can warm up in some of us, stir up in others, and scare up in most.
Love you all,
Steve Corey
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