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THE BIGGEST STEP
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07-09-03
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It may not be THE biggest step in life, but it’s a big one. It’s a step
that requires risk, courage, and a positive expectation or hope that the step
will be worthwhile. It’s the same step a lot of people take every week - and
for them, there’s nothing to it. In fact, since it’s so routine for them,
they might not even notice how big a step it is for the new person.
I just gave it away, didn’t I? The big step I’m talking about is the step
through a new doorway into an unfamiliar group of people. And the place that
step becomes the biggest is at church. Despite the bad press the church gets
sometimes, I think most people expect the church to be a place of acceptance and
love. They’re willing to give the church a chance and they come to visit with
high (though hidden) hopes that they will be received with openness and warmth.
We don’t usually carry that kind of expectation into other new places we
visit.
I was reminded of the Biggest Step this past Sunday as I visited another of
our adult Sunday school classes. It may take me a few weeks, but I plan to visit
each of our adult classes. As I prepared to take the biggest step into a new
group, I realized my senses were alert to see how I would be received. The first
two classes I’ve visited so far have passed the test and made me feel right at
home. Of course, being the new pastor and easily recognized, it’s pretty much
a guarantee that the classes would make me feel welcomed. So my visit is not
much of a test. But remember this, whenever a visitor comes to your classroom
door and contemplates the Biggest Step, it’s a real test.
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The biggest step is the step through a new doorway into an unfamiliar
group of people. |
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Our attentiveness to the new person is a test of our Christian love. That
applies to our teen-agers, our adults, and our age-enhanced adults. Our initial
actions to welcome, make a place for the new person, and help them feel at home
reveal whether we are channels of God’s love, or simply self-centered. The way
the new person is welcomed will have as great an impact on them as the lesson or
message they hear. What’s the old saying, “Our actions speak louder than our
words?” Maybe some of us have forgotten what a Big Step it is when a new person comes
to our door, but we can’t afford to forget the importance of making it a good
step for them. I am pleased to see a reviving of the Greeter program for our
worship services. When visitors come to Trinity, a Greeter can insure they are
welcomed at the door, and helped to find their way to the sanctuary, the
nursery, or to whatever they need. I hope to see more Trinity members taking
turns in this important ministry.
A few years ago I spoke with a visitor to the church I was serving. “I came
a year ago,” she said, “but I didn’t come back. People said hello, but I
could tell it made no difference to them that I was there. So I thought, ‘Why
make the effort?’” Fortunately, the longing in her heart brought her back
and that time she was greeted, welcomed, and helped – taking Big Steps into
the community of faith and service. The lesson? When anyone comes to our doors
and faces the Biggest Step, our Best Steps are the ones we take toward them, to
welcome them even as we would welcome Christ.
–Stephen
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