We Were Welcomed

Those were the words of one of the visitors to our worship last week, “we were welcomed.” It was said with such conviction that I am sure he meant more than, people were nice to us. I am sure that he meant that, in the name of Christ, he felt a holy welcome, like a brother returning home.

It makes me feel wonderful to be with so many fine people, to be with people who are trying to do as Christ commanded, to love one another.

There are two things to consider. First, some studies suggest that people will decide whether they will return to a Church community within 10 seconds of entering the worship space. No, that’s not a typo (10 seconds). That’s long before we can ever say or do something really stupid or offensive. That’s long before the sermon.

What can you detect within 10 seconds of entering a building? Our nose picks up smells. We know right away if a place is clean. Not everyone likes coffee but generally the smell of coffee would be considered a welcoming sign. Our eyes can see people. We can see right away if people are happy and if they will make eye contact. Eye contact is welcoming. Our ears hear sounds. We know right away if the sounds we hear are welcoming. Conversation and laughter sound more welcoming than silence.

Secondly, people tend to make judgments, like if they will return to a worshipping community, based on assumptions they already have. If someone grew up in a small rural congregation their assumptions about what to expect from a church community could be vastly different from what we are. We simply can’t control people’s assumptions.

What we can control is our behavior and we can be is authentic. We can be welcoming in the ways we know how. We might not be everyone’s cup-of-tea and that’s okay. What makes me happiest is that we are motivated by the love of Christ.