Dear friends
Isn’t it just lovely to be made welcome?
As an Elder of this church and a volunteer for the Tree of Hope (the Fairtrade shop) I am very aware of how welcoming a church needs to be. One of the passages from scripture that upholds my understanding of this is from Hebrews 13:2.
“Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it”.
Each week both through church members and those who come into our church on Thursdays and Saturdays for a coffee and scone or to purchase a gift or card from the fairly traded shop, those of us who have the privilege to work there meet many different people from all walks of life who love to share with us their hopes and concerns for themselves and the world.
Sometimes we need to support them, call a taxi, help with a telephone call or pray with them and this passage inspires me to do that too.
We are all called to act in this way. To reach out to those in need. For we never know who Jesus will introduce us to as we trust in his guidance in our lives.
We are known for our welcoming church family.
A friend recently sent me this note and I thought how true this is.
“Your life is a letter”
You are like a letter written by Christ.
Paul wrote to the Corinthian believers: ‘You are our letter…for everyone to read and understand…a letter written by Christ and delivered by us. But you are not written with pen and ink or on tablets made of stone. You are written in our hearts by the Spirit of the living God’
And you are a letter to the world from Christ, and about Christ, for what we do is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord.
Your life is a letter from Christ with the potential to change someone else’s life, so make sure you deliver it.
May we all ask God our Father to be an extension of his love and to be mindful of those who need us and indeed to be a living letter.
Val