On a recent group cycle ride we stopped at a delightful café in Wivenhoe. It is compulsory to stop for coffee and cake. (We are called FCC – Friday cycle and coffee/cake for a reason). This café is run by a Syrian couple and they serve delicious Mediterranean cakes and VERY strong coffee! Our group was quite large with nine of us to accommodate, and they were only about 6 tables in the café. The owner rushed outside brought in extra chairs, tables were pushed together and everyone got a place.
Some time later we left, after consuming our delicious coffee and cakes, and I noticed the sign on the side wall, “hello we’re open.” It was bright cheerful, simple and inviting.
Is this what our churches are like?
Are we inviting?
Do we keep our message simple?
Do we go the extra mile to make people feel welcome?
Prayer: Almighty God you sent your Son Jesus into the world. He met with strangers along the roadside, he ate with the marginalised in their own homes, his message was simple “follow me.” Help us to live as Jesus did, to feed the hungry, to welcome the stranger, to speak up against injustice, to help the poor, to love our neighbour. And may our lives be a welcoming, cheerful, simple sign of what it means to be a Christian. Amen