Invited

I walked among the congregation and called upon anyone who raised their hand. They were sharing joys and concerns with one another before we had a time of prayer. Folks shared about their neighbors and friends who were recovering from medical needs. Then a kind man raised his hand, and I walked over to him next.

“I’m glad you’re here!” he said.

I smiled and thanked him. I thanked all of them. “You always welcome me so warmly,” I added. I am a guest preacher for their congregation from time to time.

And that had me thinking back to something a colleague of mine once said. Rev. Denise Anderson said this (I’m paraphrasing from what I remember):

“There’s a big difference between saying, ‘You can come,’ and ‘You’re invited.'”

One is much more welcoming. In this community, I always feel the second. And I’m glad for any occasion when we can give from this message and receive from this message.

–Renee Roederer