Being A Welcoming People
Roger Thomas
Luke 15:1-2
I have never forgotten the story Becky Pippert tells in her book Out of the Salt Shaker and Into the World (IVP, 1980; adapted with modifications) about a big southern church in the early 1970's. We will call the congregation First Church. The denomination doesn't matter. What does matter is this-the church was located down the street from a big university and near the heart of downtown. Lots of professors, administrators, as well as important town's people attended First Church. For decades, most people had regarded First Church as a pillar of the community.
John, the main character in the story, was as different from the crowd at First Church as night and day. He was not a Christian when he enrolled at the university. He was from the North; he was poor; and he was black. Then it happened. A spiritual revival swept across the campus as it did at many colleges in the early seventies. Through the encouragement of some friends and a campus Christian outreach ministry, John accepted Christ. It was for real! Though he had seldom gone to church when he was younger and never since he had been to college, John decided it was time to start. First Church just happened to be the closest church to his dorm, so he decided to show up on Sunday. The sanctuary was packed when John walked in about fifteen minutes late. If you had known John, you wouldn't have been surprised. He was seldom on time for anything. He was a college student!
Also, John didn't pay any more attention to fashion than he did to clocks. So when this young black man with a bushy hair do, faded bluejeans, tie-dyed T-shirt, and sandals walked into First Church, a room full of wide-eyed white faces turned toward him. As the congregation continued singing, John looked for a seat. Not finding any, he did what was natural to him. He wasn't trying to make a scene. He just wanted to go to church. So he walked right down to the front ...
Roger Thomas
Luke 15:1-2
I have never forgotten the story Becky Pippert tells in her book Out of the Salt Shaker and Into the World (IVP, 1980; adapted with modifications) about a big southern church in the early 1970's. We will call the congregation First Church. The denomination doesn't matter. What does matter is this-the church was located down the street from a big university and near the heart of downtown. Lots of professors, administrators, as well as important town's people attended First Church. For decades, most people had regarded First Church as a pillar of the community.
John, the main character in the story, was as different from the crowd at First Church as night and day. He was not a Christian when he enrolled at the university. He was from the North; he was poor; and he was black. Then it happened. A spiritual revival swept across the campus as it did at many colleges in the early seventies. Through the encouragement of some friends and a campus Christian outreach ministry, John accepted Christ. It was for real! Though he had seldom gone to church when he was younger and never since he had been to college, John decided it was time to start. First Church just happened to be the closest church to his dorm, so he decided to show up on Sunday. The sanctuary was packed when John walked in about fifteen minutes late. If you had known John, you wouldn't have been surprised. He was seldom on time for anything. He was a college student!
Also, John didn't pay any more attention to fashion than he did to clocks. So when this young black man with a bushy hair do, faded bluejeans, tie-dyed T-shirt, and sandals walked into First Church, a room full of wide-eyed white faces turned toward him. As the congregation continued singing, John looked for a seat. Not finding any, he did what was natural to him. He wasn't trying to make a scene. He just wanted to go to church. So he walked right down to the front ...
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