One of the great and surprising things about summer are the visitors. While a number of us all go away on holiday (remember the postcards, it's always great to get them) a number holiday here. Over the last few weeks we've had a steady stream of visitors from Australia. But they aren't strangers because they already all get Mucky Paws which is our monthly e-mailing of liturgical what-nots and bletherings offering some of the creative stuff we do (what creative stuff? Is that not what everyone does?) and contemporary readings and alternative settings of worship. There are about 225 folk around the world who receive Mucky Paws which is fabulous so when folk who receive it, turn up on your door step the world suddenly feels very small and we know each other already.
There is something about being one community, sharing together, and indeed worshipping together, sometimes using the very same words. That's a good place to be for the church - not always using the same words all the time but that we can start a journey together.
But it's not just the entire nation of Australia who are coming to our door but various friends from other places too. These are folk who have just popped in or others who have asked others for a place to go and been directed to us. The question is: how do we welcome folk, what do we do to step out and include folk who are strangers? This is the real gospel for gospel as Jesus read it was about including and welcoming all the time. It's easy to broadcast who you are through Mucky Paws and CAOS and eco-congregation and stuff like that, but much more difficult to include those who take up the invitation to arrive on our doorstep. That's the place where gospel is given a face and I saw a few folk doing that today.
O, and by the way, some folk from Australia this morning were looking for Christine, Tom and Sandra. I think this was the only week all three of you were elsewhere! I hope you were welcomed wherever you were. There is always something we can learn in the work of welcoming.
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