Thought for the Week – Welcome

One thing we enjoy about a holiday away is to go to another church !. Things are always done differently and there is usually something new to learn. In July we went to church in Edmonton, and enjoyed the service benefiting from what was said and the hymns that were sung, several of them new to us.

After the service there was tea and coffee at the back of the church but no-one came up to speak to us. We waited awhile and then spoke to someone nearby to ask how long they had been there. “With the bricks” or a reply more or less to that effect !

This simply emphasised to us how important it is to welcome new people when they appear at a service.or in the hall over tea and coffee.

Hebrews 13:2 says “Do not forget to entertain strangers for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it”.

We did not look to be entertained as such there and then in that church and I don’t think we were angels…but we would have appreciated a friendly welcome.

Turning it back closer to home, it makes me ask the question do I always remember to go up to speak to a new person and give them a really genuine welcome ?.

I think I realise now how important it is to do just that and not hold back because I feel shy or I do not know the person or I have not seen them before.

Lastly, thanks to those who do welcome people on the door as they come in and also those who provide tea and coffee which oils the wheels of welcome. The point of this “thought for the week” is that each of us still needs to make an effort to speak to new people and make them feel really welcome.

Nigel Mansfield