A few years ago there was a song that Casting Crowns made famous called "Does Anyone Hear Her?" It was a song about how we as a church often, whether intentionally or not, ignore or simply pass over and at worst turn our back on those that come into our churches to worship on any given sunday. They are people that may not look like us, they may not have on nice clothes, or they may smell like they just rolled out of the local tavern, but they are all human and they are all important to God.
I am just as guilty as anyone else of suffering with the same stigma. I have ignored people that I don't know. I have walked by, gave them a "fake" smile and kept on moving towards my preferred seat. (Seats are another story for another post) How many times do we stop and just simply engage with those that we don't know? We are quick to talk to a stranger in an airport that may be wearing the same college team's hat in which we cheer for, why then is it so hard to interact with strangers in God's house? Is God's house not a house of safety and fellowship? Is His house not a place of refuge from the world and from the judgement that gets passed so quickly?
I heard this story that I am going to include in this post a few years back. That said, I am not sure of the "validity" of the story but I felt it was appropritate with the message of this post.
I am just as guilty as anyone else of suffering with the same stigma. I have ignored people that I don't know. I have walked by, gave them a "fake" smile and kept on moving towards my preferred seat. (Seats are another story for another post) How many times do we stop and just simply engage with those that we don't know? We are quick to talk to a stranger in an airport that may be wearing the same college team's hat in which we cheer for, why then is it so hard to interact with strangers in God's house? Is God's house not a house of safety and fellowship? Is His house not a place of refuge from the world and from the judgement that gets passed so quickly?
I heard this story that I am going to include in this post a few years back. That said, I am not sure of the "validity" of the story but I felt it was appropritate with the message of this post.
"Pastor Jeremiah Steepek (pictured below)
transformed himself into a homeless person and went to the 10,000 member
church that he was to be introduced as the head pastor at that morning.
He walked around his soon to be church for 30 minutes while it was filling with people for service....only 3 people out of the 7-10,000 people
said hello to him. He asked people for change to buy food... NO ONE in
the church gave him change. He went into the sanctuary to sit down in
the front of the church and was asked by the ushers if he would please
sit in the back. He greeted people to be greeted back with stares and
dirty looks, with people looking down on him and judging him.
As he sat in the back of the church, he listened to the church announcements and such. When all that was done, the elders went up and were excited to introduce the new pastor of the church to the congregation...."We would like to introduce to you Pastor Jeremiah Steepek"... The congregation looked around clapping with joy and anticipation.....The homeless man sitting in the back stood up... and started walking down the aisle... the clapping stopped with ALL eyes on him.... he walked up the altar and took the microphone from the elders (who were in on this) and paused for a moment.... then he recited
"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.' Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'
"The King will reply, 'Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.'"
After he recited this, he looked towards the congregation and told them all what he had experienced that morning... many began to cry and many heads were bowed in shame... he then said... Today I see a gathering of people... not a church of Jesus Christ. The world has enough people, but not enough disciples... when will YOU decide to become disciples? He then dismissed service until next week.."
As he sat in the back of the church, he listened to the church announcements and such. When all that was done, the elders went up and were excited to introduce the new pastor of the church to the congregation...."We would like to introduce to you Pastor Jeremiah Steepek"... The congregation looked around clapping with joy and anticipation.....The homeless man sitting in the back stood up... and started walking down the aisle... the clapping stopped with ALL eyes on him.... he walked up the altar and took the microphone from the elders (who were in on this) and paused for a moment.... then he recited
"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.' Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'
"The King will reply, 'Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.'"
After he recited this, he looked towards the congregation and told them all what he had experienced that morning... many began to cry and many heads were bowed in shame... he then said... Today I see a gathering of people... not a church of Jesus Christ. The world has enough people, but not enough disciples... when will YOU decide to become disciples? He then dismissed service until next week.."
Please take this post for what I believe that it is, simply a call to reach out to those who may not look like you, may not have the same means or education that you do, and simply walk across the aisle, hold out your hand and tell them how glad you are that they chose to worship with you that day.
As an old pro wrestler (or wrassler as my grandma used to say) so eloquently put it, "All you gotta do is walk that aisle!"
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