Tweet

Viewpoint: A warm welcome has staying power

Zoe Miles
Special contributor

In the September edition of the Arkansas United Methodist, I discussed Dr. Seuss’ Whos down in Whoville who were rescued by Horton the elephant. Making the parallel between the Who’s and the emerging generation, I recommended that the United Methodist Church hear the Whos crying “We are here” and respond appropriately by not boiling them in a pot of Beezle-Nut Oil.

What happens when there aren’t Whos to hear? Surely, we would hear them if they’d come through our doors.

In conversations with my Christian brothers and sisters, I’ve identified three fragrances attracting them to the church body: warmth, authenticity and power. Over the next few issues I’ll discuss the significance of each aroma to the younger generation, providing practical ways each church can mist themselves with these scents.

Oxford English Dictionary defines warmth as “…strength or glow of feeling…” According to this definition, not only does being warm equate with friendliness, but being warm means to glow. We’re to be people of light.

A first place to pour the oil for your incandescent light is into your Sunday morning greeters. Though this ministry requires little commitment it should not be taken lightly.

When asked what a church can do to provide her a place where she feels comfortable, Krista Fisher, a 21-year-old student from Camden says that young adults “can feel when there are not people, really, who care whether or not [we’re] there. It’s the way that [we’re] welcomed.”

Take an honest assessment of your worship greeters’ spiritual gifts and character dispositions. Please be sure that the faces you put first before the hurting are the faces that you want to see in your moments when you need someone to care whether or not you’re there.

Secondly, radiating warmth is not to be left solely to the greeters.

Sunday morning worship is like hot chocolate: leaving us glowing at the end of a cold day. It washes us clean of our insecurities.

So, after your minister says, “stand and greet one another,” we should use that time as a mission to share our drink, for as a son or daughter of God, we have nothing to fear. Our cup overflows. Offer drink to the spiritually shivering young woman.

Let the thirsty vagabond drink deeply. Listen to them, pray over them, pour into them and watch the warm richness of God’s power melt away their frozen bonds.

Finally, we should follow the example of Moses. Exodus 24:29 says that “when Moses came down from Mount Sinai … he did not know that the skin of his face shone and sent forth beams by reason of his speaking with the Lord.”

Growing in the Lord’s company, we become glowing creations. Evaluate your daily talk with God. When you’re genuinely communicating with the Lord, you cannot help but reflect His radiant glory. It is my prayer, sweet person, that you shine as a person who speaks with the Lord. If we give people the opportunity to look us in the eyes and see the holy and radiant glow of the Lord of Hosts, let’s trust that they’ll want to drink in the warmth.

Tweet