“I was a stranger and you invited me in..” (Matt. 25:35b)

Dear friends in Christ Jesus:

Jesus describes the Last Day when He returns in glory in Matthew chapter 25. Those who are blessed by God the Father are the ones who fed the hungry, gave drink to the thirsty, invited the stranger in, clothed the naked, looked after the sick, and visited the prisoner.

As Pastor I am always interested in how our members greet the stranger who comes through the doors of our church. An unbeliever describes her visit to a local church recorded in Outreach (July/August, 2008 p. 116) magazine. She is a 20-something female with children ages 4 and 3. She is visiting a small church in Savannah, Georgia on March 23 at 10a.m. (Easter Day) She is asked these questions and her answers are recorded:

What were your first impressions of the church?

“A man standing on the steps leading into the church greeted me first. He introduced himself and welcomed me. Everyone was friendly and said hello. Some people even hugged me. The first man I met showed me where my children could go while I attended the service.” Grade? B*

What was it like inside?

“My first impression of the inside of the building was that it was old and outdated. The rows were made up of metal fold-out chairs. The sanctuary seemed more like a big room in someone’s house. No bulletin was given. As a visitor, I felt welcomed by the people, but turned off by the appearance of the establishment.” Grade? C-

Describe the service.

“There was no band, organ or any instruments whatsoever. The songs were led from the front and sung by the congregation. The lack of background music made the songs seem flat and not engaging.

The church had communion and the pastor then went up to the front to deliver his message. His wording was quite confusing. I didn’t really understand what he was trying to say, and he seemed to be repeating himself. The Bible was referenced many times during communion and the message.

My children went to the children’s program, and afterward I asked if they had learned anything new about God. The only thing they could tell me was that God made all animals. I wasn’t too happy about that. They may only be 4 and 3, but the whole point of church is to learn about God. Grade? D

Did you connect with anyone at the church?

“As the service ended, the congregation all stopped to talk to everyone else. There was no reference in the sermon to visitors being present, but most people did stop by to say goodbye. One member offered to call and give me information about upcoming events.” Grade? C*

Would you visit again?

“I am unsure. I enjoyed the people and their attitudes toward visitors. I am not sure that I like the setup of the church, however. It seems as if the members have just found a place to congregate and not thought too much about the necessity of the space. I wish the music was more upbeat, the message was understandable and the children’s program offered more of a message.” Grade? C

Overall Grade? C-

What impressions do strangers have when they walk through the doors at St. John Lutheran Church? It seems that not a Sunday goes by when I don’t see somebody “new.” Hopefully we continue to watch for the “stranger” in our midst and show compassion and understanding. The stranger still needs to hear about sin and grace. The stranger still needs to hear about Jesus bearing our sins with His body on the cross so we might have forgiveness and eternal life. The stranger still needs to hear that being a disciple of Jesus means living out our faith from day to day. If ANY ONE of us were to stand before God just as we are we would all receive a failing grade! Were it not for the grace of God in Jesus Christ we would have no hope. We were once strangers and aliens (Eph. 2:12) to God until Jesus came and made us friends with God.

During these summer months I pray that we are keenly aware of the stranger in our midst and welcome them, as Jesus would do. May your eyes always be open to the stranger-remember, you were once a stranger too!

In Christ’s love,

Pastor Mueller

“For I resolved to know nothing while with you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.” (1 Cor. 2:2)