What about welcoming?

What does it take to welcome someone?  I've been hearing about people from our church not feeling belonged or included.  

To be able to show interest to unfamiliar faces requires maturity and effort.  It's never hard to stay in your own crowd, but church isn't for social purposes.  And if we're all brothers and sisters in Christ, wouldn't we want to know one another?  And if the church is a body, doesn't it make sense that the better we know our fellow hands and feet and eyes and ears... the smoother and effective our body will function?

I remember the sermon by Pastor Bill a few months ago on unity using the story of Cain and Abel and Cain's question of his role as his brother's keeper.  What struck a chord with me from that is the message to extend our welcome and friendship to one another, whether they are strangers or people who we seemingly have nothing in common.  We aren't expected to know everyone in one day, but as part of the family, shouldn't we be as Pastor Bill puts it, to show interest and care in one another?

The welcoming team does a great job in making people feel welcome especially for new people.  But that's not enough.  That mindset needs to permeate into everyone who claims to be in the family of God.  That's what the scripture talks about being in one mind. For me, I've long made it my personal policy to meet new people and catch up with those I don't get to talk to for some time.  My small group knows about this and everyone is encouraged to do the same.

Yes, it's not easy because it takes us out of our comfort zone.  And requires a focus that's on the 'other' and not 'us'.  With my moving around a bit in my earlier years, I've been to many churches.  You may have felt the same as I did when you step into a new church knowing no one and feeling a bit awkward or strange and not surprisingly opted to be the first one to leave after the service.  But the experience of people coming up to befriend me has blessed my heart and forever changed my way of treating others.  It makes me want to do the same to others.

Are you interested in those who you don't know well or have seemingly nothing in common? (btw, isn't having the same heavenly Father the most awesome common ground we share?)  Have you been looking around for those who're standing on their own and make an effort to talk to them or are you too absorbed in your own circle?  If you're serious about God's kingdom, won't you be your brother's and sister's keeper and lavish them with your interest, attention and care?