Welcoming Guests

Imagine you join me and a person you do not know as we converse with one another. Politely I nod to you and acknowledge your presence, but the third person says or does nothing. After about five minutes I say, “Bob shake his hand and tell him that you are glad to meet him.” Socially this situation would be awkward. Why did the third person have to be told to greet you? Did he not want to talk to you? You see, greetings and introductions, if sincere, should be natural not manufactured. Have you ever noticed that in church most of us don’t greet our guests until the preacher tells us to? From the “inside looking out” this is the way it has always been. If you get up too soon someone may steal your spot! From the “outside looking in” this may seem awkward and manufactured. Do they have to be told to greet me? Would they have welcomed me if the preacher didn’t tell them to? I know that this may be a radical idea, but I encourage you to try something. First, put your Bible down to save your spot. (And if someone’s Bible is already in the pew don’t steal their spot!) Second, go greet your church family and welcome our guests. I think this will provide a much more welcoming atmosphere for our guests, and you might enjoy it too.