A Light in the Window

A Light in the Window
Susan Hoyle, pastor Trinity United Methodist Church

We receive invitations nearly every day. Some invitations come in the mail or in an email. We’re invited to shop at a particular store or to support a local charity. We really appreciate the invitations to weddings, graduations and baby showers. Sometimes we receive an invitation over the telephone to buy a particular product or to come to a party at a friend’s house. Then there are those invitations we receive in person, face to face. We might be invited to go shopping with a friend or to join our neighbors for the big game. There’s one more personal invitation that really makes a big difference in our lives. It’s when someone cares enough to invite us to worship.

We learn how important this invitation is from Jesus who was always inviting folks into the Kingdom of God on earth. The first thing Jesus did as He began His earthly ministry was to invite people to “come and see” and to follow Him. He invited Zaccheaus to come down out of that tree. He invited Nicodemus to be born again. Jesus invited Martha to sit down for awhile and not complain about her sister Mary who wasn’t helping her prepare the meal. Even when Jesus was on the cross, He invited the two criminals on either side of Him to join Him in Paradise.

After His death and resurrection, His followers invited folks to open their hearts to Jesus and our faith ancestors have been inviting folks for 2000 years. Someone invited me to know Jesus and someone invited you to know Him, too. How do I know this? Because I’m writing this column and you’re reading it.

Now it’s our turn. Who will you invite to know Jesus? Maybe you’ll invite a friend or co-worker or neighbor, maybe even a stranger, to Sunday school or youth group or worship on Sunday morning. Maybe you will invite someone to join you at church for a Bible study, an ice cream social or movie night.

Oh, sometimes we can stumble over our words or wonder if we’re too pushy or too “churchy.” When we worry about how to invite folks we’re coming from our own insecurities and not from centering ourselves in God. You see, I’m a Christ follower today because a little girl cared enough about me to invite me to Sunday school a long, long time ago. Who do we care about enough to push through your own insecurities and invite him or her to worship? Remember, we stand in the gap for Jesus. Jesus trusts us so much that He holds our hand and we reach out with the other hand to invite someone to come closer to the Kingdom of God.

Perhaps no one has ever invited you to worship. Or it’s been so long it’s not easy for you to come back. So here’s my invitation to you. If you don’t have a church home, won’t you join us at Trinity for worship next Sunday? Our chapel service is at 8:30 a.m. Breakfast is at 9:30 a.m. followed by Sunday school for all ages at 10:00 a.m. Our second service is at 11:00 a.m. We also have a Wednesday evening service at 6:00 p.m. We dress causally and we are kid friendly. We have Children’s Worship during the 11:00 a.m. service. Next month I’ll talk more about worship at Trinity with some exciting news about 10-10-10. See you Sunday!