All Are Welcome

“Let us build a house where all are named, their songs and visions heard and loved and treasured, taught and claimed as words within the Word. Built of tears and cries and laughter, prayers of faith and songs of grace, let this house proclaim from floor to rafter: All are welcome in this place!”
(Marty Haugan, All are Welcome, GIA)

We all have a desire to belong and to be known and connect with a group of people we can be ourselves with and know they will be there for us when we need them. As I hear this final verse of All are Welcome, this is what I envi- sion being the Body of Christ, Jesus’ church is all about. It is a community, where all are named and claimed by God. And, as God’s children we gather together to figure out what this identity means and to support one another as we grow up in the faith and discover what it means to walk as Jesus did, following God’s only Son full of grace and truth.

Even so, it is easy to lose track of people these days; even with all our synced up gadgets. As we run from here to there, juggle community activities, and experience life transitions … those who aren’t in our immediate circle of activity sometimes go overlooked. It usually isn’t anything personal. We just get focused in on the immediate needs and wants around us. Yet, the more time you spend with Christ and with early Christians in scripture, you discover community and relationships and mutual care of neighbor and stranger alike form the first living stones God places on the foundation of His Son.

The part of the construction I would like us to focus on is remembering who has made you a part of this community of faith and who named you. Then, remember this is true for every other person you encounter. While they have the same name, Child of God (Galatians 3:26-28), the path they have traveled is different than yours. The gifts God has given them and the ways God has called and brought them to this place are unique. God has something to teach you through their voice, their song, their visions, and story. Just as you have much to reveal to the world about how Christ’s love is dwelling in your life.

I would like us to intentionally focus on learning each others’ stories, creating space and time for us all to discover who we are and how God is working in our lives. As the song proclaims, it will come by building trust, seeking Christ within every person we encounter, and treasuring what we find. It will come as we share one another’s tears, laughter, prayers of faith, and songs of grace. Sharing, not because we have it all figured out, but because we don’t … yet, we trust God’s claim on our lives and the growth God will give us together in the Holy Spirit.
In order to do this, we need to know how to contact each other. If you have not received a call from one of the Council members, it may be because we don’t have an updated number or we called while you were out. So, please take the time to fill out the enclosed Information Form, so we can better minister to one another and sup- port each other’s walk with God. The information we gather will only be used by American Lutheran Church to communicate ministries, needs of the community, and help us stay connected through our joys and sorrows and all our lives will hold.
While we won’t be perfect at this, creating a community where all belong and all know they are welcome takes time, a willingness to reach beyond our comfort zones and usual circle of friends, and letting go of our assumptions, fears, and self-consciousness that may keep us from hearing God’s story in another person’s life. To help you do this, I would like you to remember each one of us is named and claimed by God. And, because we are still figuring this identity out, still have questions, still have moments and days when we trust other things and people more than this gift, we also recognize we are sinners and our only hope is Jesus Christ our Lord. It is upon this mutual hope and faith and forgiveness that we gather and dare to attempt being his body for the world; offering this gift of grace and welcome, which first gave us a place to call home and belong. May this chorus build until our homes, lives, and house of faith unite in singing, “All are welcome in this place!”

Peace to you in Christ, Pastor Lori