I concluded my series on There’s No Place like Home yesterday. After spending the past six weeks on that theme, I finished with something I wrote several years ago that I believe is still pertinent and viable. I thought I’d share it with you.
WE’RE GLAD YOU ARE HERE!
If you are happy we want to celebrate with you.
If you are tired and need rest;
If you are hurting and need comfort;
If you have failed, feel guilt and shame and wonder if God still loves you;
If you feel you are at the end of your rope and need a lifeline;
If you think you are too great a sinner and feel hopeless;
If you are here but can’t raise you eyes, head, or hands in worship…
That okay. We want this to be a place where you find strength to go on. Let us pray for you, stand beside you and even carry you to God’s throne where you can find new hope.
{Note: The church should be a place of grace. Acceptance. Hope. Healing. A place to find new life in Jesus. Not a place of judgment and condemnation, of rules and regulations. If the place you worship is not that, it should be. Let it start with you}.
That’s exactly what the church should always be about, Bill. Thanks for sharing these inspirational words to get the week off to a great start.
Blessings!
Thanks Martha. I was hoping they would do just that.
I love what you wrote Bill. If we want to bring new followers to Christ and make them disciples, we have to first listen to their story with an open loving heart. Encouragement should never have judgement attached to it.
I like that last statement Gail: encouragement should never have judgment attached to it.