Yes, this is really true…
I recently became reacquainted with an old pal from college who I had not spoken with for over 20 years (says the geriatric pastor). We’ve been enjoying our renewed friendship, and he’s intrigued by the fact that I went on to pursue ordained ministry. To more fully understand this development in my life, he decided to attend an Episcopal Church last Sunday (we live in different regions of the country.)
Why is it a big deal that he went to church? The rub is he has never, ever entered a church in his life. Any church. Any worshipping community. And off he goes to St. Swithens…this is how he described the experience:
I looked in the phone book and found two Episcopal Churches listed. I went by the first one, but there was no sign and I thought it was abandoned. I wondered, “Can a church go out of business? I didn’t think they could.” I then went on to a larger church a little further on. I sat in the parking lot for a long time with my knees shaking, watching as people got out of their cars, and wanting to go in a little late to just sneak in to the back. However, when I finally mustered the nerve and entered the courtyard where I had seen people enter, I was faced with two closed doors. Not knowing which to choose, I opened one and entered. Unfortunately I had selected incorrectly and entered the front of the church. Trapped with everyone staring, I quickly found my way to the first row.
I was unable to follow anything anyone was doing, and no one brought me the program that they all seemed to be using. I was kind of freaked out--everyone stands, then they sit, they say prayers and words, they cross themselves, they change books. I didn’t know what on earth they were doing or what was going to happen next. Increasingly intimidated, as I sat in the front row the preacher suddenly decided to “preach” from the center aisle, right next to where I was sitting. As he was preaching he then said something that made everyone start mumbling some phrases again, and the preacher, still in the center aisle, totally freaked me out and grabbed my hand. I thought I was being singled out, but then realized that everyone was getting up and moving all around the church hugging and shaking hands with each other.
Next, something happened at the table up front, and then everyone got up to leave. But they all headed for the front door where I’d entered. As I followed them up I realized that they weren’t leaving; instead, they all kneeled and someone brought around some bread, then we all went back to our seats.
Finally, after it was all over, someone came up to me with a card and asked me to write my contact information and answer a question. The question asked what my interest at St. Swithens was. As I really didn’t know what to put, I remembered that I’d often heard Christians talk about baptism, so I wrote baptism. All the people then disappeared off into another building, I watched, and then left in my car.
That evening, when he shared this story by phone, I couldn’t help but want to redeem the situation. I asked if the preacher perhaps said something that made him think, or that might be relevant to his life (he has recently began to care take his elderly mother). He said that the preacher mostly talked about something called a diocese, and asked me what a diocese was. Sigh.
While his story reads like a farce, it is, once again, instructive to those of us who profess to be followers of Christ. We never know who it is that will walk in the door (maybe even the wrong door), what issue that person may be experiencing, and if this is the only opportunity they will ever have to be introduced to the transformative love of Jesus Christ.
What guest might you have among you this Epiphany?
6 comments:
I really enjoyed you article/blog.
I hope to copy it and read it in our congregation tomorrow during morning prayer.
Larry Maxwell
lwmaxwell49@sbcglobal.net
Thank you Larry. I'm honored that you would consider sharing it--if you do let me know the reaction. His experience really reminded me how inwardly focused we can become with out even realizing it.
And an adendum...no one from the church has yet called to ask him about his response of "baptism" on the card he filled out!
Suzanne
The idea about the sign and labeling doors is something we need to do.
During the service we already go out of our way to tell what we are doing. We even have visitors stand up and introduce themselves. This is one of the real benefits of being a small congregation.
We also take the guest book to the people who visit and ask them to sign. I do think our priest goes out of his way to write. He then follows up with a telephone call, etc. Nothin' out-of-the-ordinary--just good manners.
Follow-up
Today before the service, members of the congregation at our church in ad hoc style agreed we needed signs on the doors, etc. This will be done this week.
Thanks you for putting this on the blog site!
Great re. the signs. I was thinking about what they might say, and recalled one congregation that put up the sign "sanctuary" on one door and "sacristy" on another. Sanctuary and sacristy would not have helped my friend. Good to be crystal clear in signs designing them for our guests, not our members.
Thanks for sharing this story. It's priceless! I think I'll read it to the congregation on Sunday. We are actually in the process of installing signs in our building and thankfully we designed them for visitors!
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