“Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)

“Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.”  (Matthew 7:7-8)

Recently I visited First United Methodist Church, in downtown Birmingham, Alabama. It is a beautiful, old Methodist church that in recent years has experienced stagnation and decline but is now starting to find new life again. My niece had recently joined and started serving in the church and she was excited for us to attend, so she could show off her new church home and family. 

As I was leaving worship that day, I picked up a postcard that congregants are invited to take with them and pass along to others during the week.  It read:

First Church Welcomes You!  No matter the color of your skin, whether you are rich or poor; a high school drop-out or a graduate from the Ivy Leagues; gay, straight, or anything in between; love the Church or have been wounded by the Church; are male, female, transgender, or anywhere on the spectrum; Christian, Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim, Jewish, New Age, spiritual, or non-religious; conservative, liberal, or somewhere in the middle; have kids or don’t have kids; certain of many things or full of questions; able bodied or differently-abled; young or old, love Alabama or Auburn or neither; are happy, sad, or mad; an immigrant or a refugee; in a relationship or not; considered a big deal or no deal at all…our doors are open to you because we are  OPEN for ALL! 

For me, this statement of welcome truly represents the Church of Jesus Christ, at least what we strive to be; a place where anyone is welcome, where people are valued and treated as beloved children of God, a place that is “open for all”. 

This statement of welcome truly captures the radical inclusion of Jesus who said things like, “Come to me, all you that are weary and carrying heavy burdens…” and “…for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.” There are no exclusions or qualifications.  There are no litmus or holiness tests, all we do is come and seek him, and Jesus gives us welcome.  No one is excluded, all who seek will find.  That is the heart of Jesus.

First United Methodist Church is finding life again. The numbers are not what they were back in its heyday, and maybe they never will be again, but there is something moving in the halls and hearts of that church.  People seemed happy and excited to be there. They wanted to bring others to experience something of what they were finding. It was good.  It was holy. It was healing. It was welcoming. I saw it on my niece’s face and heard it in her voice. Life was stirring. 

We shouldn’t be surprised by this. Jesus told us it would be so, “…everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.” 

Together we are the hands and feet of Jesus,

Brett