The book of Psalms gives us glimpses into God’s character and his love for us. Though some people view God, as portrayed in the Old Testament, as angry and vengeful, a more careful read gives us a different perspective.
We see his love and his patience; he is slow to anger. We realize his desire to enjoy community with us.
One such example of God’s character comes through with poetic elegance in Psalm 30:5. Here we read that God’s “anger lasts only for a moment.” Even better is what comes next, that God’s “favor lasts a lifetime.”
And now for the poetry part: “Weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning” (Psalm 30:5, NIV).
Yes, we may suffer through some dark times (nighttime), but light will always follow (daytime), just as surely as morning follows evening. And though each day is made up of half night and half light, God’s anger is not in equal proportion to his favor.
Remember that we sleep through most of the darkness and therefore experience mostly light. In this way, nighttime seems brief—at least most of the time.
Just as we experience mostly the light of each day, we will also mostly bask in God’s favor.
Nine times the Old Testament reminds us that God is “slow to anger.” This occurs three times in Psalms and twice in the Law of Moses, along with Nehemiah, Joel, Jonah, and Nahum.
That’s a lot of people reminding us that God is slow to anger.
If we view God as a good parent (recall that God is our father, and we are his children), we realize that there will be times of needed correction. But if we respond appropriately, our time of discipline will be short.
Then we emerge from it and return to right relationship with God, experiencing his favor and his love, just as every good parent wants for their children. So, too, God wants this for us.
God is slow to anger, but his favor lasts a lifetime. Praise God!
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
Get the Bible Reading Tip Sheet: “10 Tips to Turn Bible Reading from Drudgery to Delight.” Enter your info and receive the free Bible Reading Tip Sheet and be added to Peter’s email list.
Focus verse: For there are three that testify: the Spirit, the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement. (1 John 5:7–8)
The Old Testament gives a rule that to convict someone requires two or three witnesses (Deuteronomy 19:15). The testimony of one person is not enough. Two people must agree; three are better. This principle of multiple witnesses repeats throughout the Bible.
John builds on this standard of three witnesses by telling us of those who testify about Jesus. These are not human witnesses but supernatural ones. In this case, the trio testifying of Jesus is comprised of the Spirit, the water, and the blood.
The first witness is the Spirit, as in the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth. The Old Testament testifies often about Jesus, but most people in Jesus’s day miss it (John 5:39–40).
It takes the work of the Holy Spirit for them to understand what Scripture says about Jesus. The same is true today. The Holy Spirit serves as Jesus’s first witness.
The second to give testimony is the water. This references Jesus’s baptism. Many were baptized around the time of Jesus and many more have been baptized since. What makes Jesus’s baptism special?
First, sinless Jesus doesn’t need to repent for his sins, which is the purpose of John’s baptism.
More important is that after John baptizes Jesus, Father God speaks from heaven. He testifies about Jesus, as his Son whom he loves and is most pleased with (Matthew 3:16–17, Mark 1:10–11, and Luke 3:21–22).
The Father, speaking at Jesus’s baptism, serves as the second witness.
The third to give testimony is the blood. This references Jesus’s death. Though not common, it’s possible one person—any person—could choose to die in place of another.
Yet this sacrifice would be incomplete, just like the annual sin sacrifices prescribed in the Old Testament.
What makes Jesus’s sacrificial death different? What makes his death the ultimate sacrifice to end all sacrifices? Quite simply, Jesus doesn’t just die. He overcomes death by rising from the dead.
His resurrection shows his mastery over death, both his and ours (Romans 6:9).
This serves as the third witness.
These three witnesses—Spirit, water, and blood—agree in their testimony of Jesus.
If we’re willing to believe in the witness of three people, we should put even more confidence in the testimony of three supernatural witnesses.
Jesus died so that we may live.
Questions:
How willing are we to believe what God says over what people say?
What does the witness of the Holy Spirit mean to you?
What does the witness of the water mean to you?
What does the witness of the blood mean to you?
Which of the three witnesses for Jesus do we best connect with? Why?
Discover what else John writes about witnesses for Jesus in John 8:18.
Tips: Check out our tips to use this online Bible study for your church, small group, Sunday school class, or family discussion. It’s also ideal for personal study. Come back each Monday for a new lesson.
Discover practical, insightful, and encouraging truths in Love One Another, a devotional Bible study to foster a deeper appreciation for the two greatest commandments: To love God and to love others.
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
May We Never Become Indifferent toward Our Spiritual Practices and Faith
Consider the adage that familiarity breeds contempt. While I hope that our familiarity with God will never breed contempt toward our Creator and Savior, I do wonder if our familiarity breeds complacency, that is a smug indifference or even apathy toward our faith.
Recall Jesus’s warning to the church in Laodicea. He criticizes them for being lukewarm, that is, for being complacent. His response is to want nothing to do with them, to figuratively spit them out of his mouth (Revelation 3:16).
I wonder how many of Jesus’s followers today have become lukewarm. Have they grown too use to the marvelous wonder of their faith? Does their familiarity with God and his ways produce a lukewarm reaction?
Consider areas where familiarity breeds complacency:
Familiarity with Church
I’ve attended church all my life and have sat through thousands of church services. It’s easy to slide into the familiar—showing up, going through the motions, and leaving—without truly engaging with what’s happening, with others, or with our Lord.
Our familiarity with what takes place at church each Sunday can produce indifference, even boredom.
More specifically are the two major subsets of a typical church service: the worship music and the sermon.
Does the worship music failed to move us? Though we tend to want the songs we know and like, it becomes too easy to mouth the words without contemplating their meaning.
Yet too often when we sing a new song—as the Bible says to (Psalm 149:1, Isaiah 42:10, and more)—people complain.
In like manner, do we tune out the sermons with a I’ve been-there-done-that boredom? Perhaps this is why some preachers resort to yelling. They’re just trying to get people’s attention.
Familiarity with Scripture
When we read of familiar passage in the Bible, it’s easy to dismiss it because we know what it says. Yet Scripture is layered.
If we’re willing to dig into it and contemplate its nuances—as guided by the Holy Spirit—there’s always something new we can pull from it.
Yet doing so requires diligence. Otherwise, familiarity breeds complacency toward the word of God
Familiarity with Communion
A particular area I struggle with is celebrating the Lord’s Supper. Though I strive to recall the wonders of God’s greatest gift to us, the routine of the ritual fights against that.
Most often I fail to fully contemplate the life-changing significance of what Jesus did for me—for us—when he died for our sins.
Some churches celebrate the Eucharist on a weekly basis. Yet even gatherings that do so monthly or quarterly can still fall victim to where familiarity breeds complacency toward Holy Communion.
Instead of giving God my renewed appreciation, I too often end up offering him my apology over my failure to engage in this practice.
Familiarity with Celebration
This thought that familiarity breeds complacency came to mind when I heard a minister chastise his congregation for not better engaging with a holiday celebration.
How many Christmas, Good Friday, and Easter services have we gone to in our lives?
They should be a celebration, but too often they’re not. Jesus came to earth, died, and rose from the dead so that we could be saved. Each is worthy of celebration.
This is certainly something to get excited about. But complacency seems to be the more common response.
Familiarity Breeds Complacency
Your list may be different than mine, and you may have more things to add, but this is a good place to start. Consider your attitude toward attending church services, reading Scripture, partaking Communion, and celebrating God.
How can we reform our practice of each one of these events to make them meaningful and help us grow in our faith? Though we may struggle to do so on our own, with God’s help we can.
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
Get the Bible Reading Tip Sheet: “10 Tips to Turn Bible Reading from Drudgery to Delight.” Enter your info and receive the free Bible Reading Tip Sheet and be added to Peter’s email list.
Discover How to Attract Visitors and Keep Them Coming Back
On our year-long journey of visiting churches, we witnessed more than a few oversights, errors, and blunders that could turn off visitors. Sadly, many occurred more than once.
Here are some tips for improvement to consider to not scare away guests.
The Church Facility
Realtors stress curb appeal. So should churches. Make the outside of your building inviting for visitors, and make sure the inside continues the positive experience.
Clearly mark the entrances. For big facilities, make the path to the sanctuary clear.
Unlock the doors. And if there’s a reason you want a particular entrance locked, make it apparent before people reach it.
The facility needs to be clean, open, and well-lit—unless you’re going for a subdued mood. At one church the pews were so dirty I didn’t want to sit, even though I wore jeans.
Address building problems and consider the décor. After a while, members overlook a building’s flaws, but those are the first things visitors notice.
Some buildings, especially older ones, have an odor. Eliminate them. And don’t use one scent to cover up another.
Online Presence
In today’s culture, an online presence is critical to attract visitors. Short of a personal invitation, today’s younger generation won’t visit a church that lacks an inviting online presence.
Here are some tips for improvement to your internet presence.
Keep websites and social media pages up to date. Though closed for two years, one church’s website was still up and looked current. Avoid “coming soon” website pages, especially on sections relevant to visitors.
Ensure a consistent message. We witnessed many glaring differences between churches’ websites and Facebook pages (and bulletins).
A visitor wants to know service times and location. Provide a street address, as many will use a GPS. Also provide both a map and a written description, as some will prefer one over the other.
Let visitors know how to dress and what to expect.
Have outsiders review websites. Two churches had sites that were off-putting and downright spooky. We thought one might be a cult. Seriously.
Posting personal prayer requests online, in an unsecured section, is foolish and completely disregards privacy. Think through privacy laws carefully.
The Church Service (Ideas for Leaders)
People attend a church for the service. Make it easy for visitors to participate.
If you don’t provide Bibles, display the words overhead, as the Bible visitors bring—if they even bother—will not likely match yours. Visitors may also use a Bible reading app, but they’ll need to know which version of the Bible you use.
Make sure visitors know you don’t expect them to participate in the offering. You don’t, right?
Clearly state communion expectations and traditions since practices vary greatly.
Don’t continually address “visitors” as a special category. It’s okay to welcome visitors and inform them they’re exempt from certain expectations, but don’t single them out or preach just to them—especially when it’s obvious there’s only one visitor.
To attract new people, be accessible and user-friendly.
Remove—or thoroughly explain—any practice or procedure that could confuse a visitor or keep them from engaging in the service and meeting God.
Appoint friendly and outgoing people to seek out and engage visitors.
Have a Visitor-friendly Focus (Ideas for Laity)
To remain viable for the long term, a church needs to look outside themselves. This includes having a visitor-friendly focus.
Here are some ideas:
Invite a visitor to sit with you.
Once you know a visitor’s name, introduce them to others.
Keep visitors informed. If you offer coffee and donuts, make sure they know where to find them.
Ask if a visitor has any questions or concerns.
Show, don’t tell. If a visitor needs to find a certain room or asks about the restroom, don’t point, gesture, or offer vague directions. Whenever possible, take them to their destination.
Just because the church has appointed greeters, that doesn’t relieve everyone else from also welcoming guests. Offer a smile and a friendly face to those you don’t recognize. You may be the only one to greet them.
Protect visitors from members who lack boundaries or don’t comprehend social norms.
My wife and I visited a different Christian Church every Sunday for a year. This is our story. Get your copy of 52 Churches today, available in ebook, paperback, hardcover, and audiobook.
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
Focus verse: As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them. (Luke 24:15)
John doesn’t mention that two of Jesus’s followers make a trip to Emmaus.
While Mark mentions this briefly, Luke gives us the full story. And a most delightful story it is. It’s so packed with interesting details that we’ll take the next several days to cover it.
Luke tells us that the same day of Jesus’s resurrection, two of his followers head for the town of Emmaus. This is the only passage in the Bible to mention Emmaus.
All we know about it is that it’s seven miles (10 kilometers) from Jerusalem. It would take about three hours to walk.
One of the two men is Cleopas. The Bible doesn’t tell us any more about him either. But at least we know his name, which is more than we can say for his traveling companion.
As they walk along, they talk about what’s on their mind. Jesus, the man they followed as the expected Messiah, died. This single predominant thought preoccupies them.
Like Mary Magdalene, they wonder what to do next. This may even be why they’re headed to Emmaus. It might be where they’re from. At the very least, they have friends or family there.
How dejected they must feel as they plod along on their journey.
And as they walk, Jesus comes up alongside them and joins them on their trip. But they don’t recognize him.
It may be they don’t see him because they don’t expect to. In their mind he is dead. Or perhaps his appearance in resurrected form is different enough to confuse them. Or maybe Jesus blocks them from seeing who he really is.
Regardless, he asks what they’re discussing.
They stop walking, their faces downcast. Incredulous, Cleopas asks the man if he’s the only one visiting Jerusalem who doesn’t know what happened.
By design, a Roman crucifixion was a public event. They wanted everyone to know what happens to dissidents and troublemakers. This knowledge would serve as a most effective deterrent for anyone who wanted to oppose Roman rule.
In addition, Jesus was a public figure. Surely everyone in the area knew of his crucifixion—everyone, that is, except for this mysterious stranger.
Questions:
How do we respond to someone we meet who doesn’t know about Jesus?
How do we react when our life takes an unexpected turn, as it did forCleopas and his friend?
Prayer: Jesus, when we don’t know what to do, may we always turn to you.
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
After Absalom’s coup attempt to take over his father’s throne is squelched, a troublemaker tries to lead a rebellion against David. Here’s what happens:
When Absalom takes David’s throne, David and his entourage flee the city. Safely away, his army fights against Absalom’s army. When Joab kills Absalom, his short-lived coup ends.
It’s time for David to return home and retake his throne.
David’s people—the tribe of Judah—take the lead in returning him to Jerusalem. The rest of Israel, however, takes offense that they couldn’t be part of his reunion.
That’s when Sheba tries to rally their support to follow him instead of David. The Bible calls him a troublemaker.
This is the only account of Sheba in the Bible. We know nothing more about him except that he’s from the tribe of Benjamin. His chief characteristic—the singular trait he is known for—is as a troublemaker.
Troublemaker
A troublemaker is someone who stirs up trouble or causes strife between people. This stands as an apt description of what Sheba does in this passage.
We’re left to wonder if his life is one of being a troublemaker.
Though Sheba could have been an instrument to bring about unity between the people, he chooses to bring about division by trying to divide the nation.
He may have done so to seize power and rule the ten tribes in place of David. But the Bible gives him no such motivation. It simply calls him a troublemaker.
We may know people who delight in stirring up trouble, causing strife between people. They’re a troublemaker. Conflict and division follow them.
We need to avoid being around such people lest we get sucked into their divisiveness.
Unifier
More importantly, however, is that we must take every effort to not be a troublemaker ourselves. We should look for opportunities to promote unity and bring about reconciliation between people.
Then we can be known as being a unifier and not a troublemaker.
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
Get the Bible Reading Tip Sheet: “10 Tips to Turn Bible Reading from Drudgery to Delight.” Enter your info and receive the free Bible Reading Tip Sheet and be added to Peter’s email list.
Focus verse:Everyone born of God overcomes the world. (1 John 5:4)
There is a lot packed into today’s passage, but most of it reviews what John has already written. He talks about believing in Jesus as our Savior (the Christ) for us to be born again.
How loving the Father is loving his Son. There’s a reminder to love others and obey God’s commands, which are easy to do and not a burden (see Day 18).
Then John slides in the word overcome. He’s already mentioned this word in two passages.
First, he said that the word of God lives in us, and we have overcome the evil one (1 John 2:13–14). Second, he said that since we are from God—that is, his children—we have overcome the spirit of false prophets, the antichrists (1 John 4:1–4).
For his third mention of overcome, John does not build on either of these prior mentions. Instead, he adds a third consideration, one even more grand. He says that everyone born of God overcomes the world.
Yes, we, through our belief in Jesus as God’s Son, have overcome the world. Not that we can, not that we might, but that we are actually doing so. We are overcoming the world.
From a spiritual sense we will overcome the world as we move closer to our time of joining Jesus in heaven. From a tangible perspective we overcome the world each day—at least that’s God’s expectation.
Yet many Christians don’t act as though they’re overcoming the world. Instead, they live defeated, dejected lives that prove how the world has overcome them. I get that. I’ve been there. But that’s not God’s plan; this is not his intent.
Everyone born of God overcomes the world. Not a few. Not some. Not even most. Everyone. Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Son of God has this overcome-the-world condition in them.
Then why don’t our lives show it? Or show it more often?
I wonder if it’s because we try to live a life that’s too close to the world we hope to overcome. If we act like the world and think like the world, it’s impossible to overcome the world because we are part of it; we’re fully immersed in it.
But this isn’t a call to segregate ourselves from our worldly neighbors, community, and society. If we do that, we’ll never have a chance to tell them about Jesus.
Yes, we must stay in our world, but if we’re too much like it, our witness will be ineffective, and we’ll have no hope of overcoming the world.
Questions:
Are we overcoming the world or is it overcoming us?
How can we move from living a defeated life to overcoming it?
What should we do to be less like the world?
How can we remain in the world and not be overcome by it?
How can we be a better witness for Jesus?
Discover what else John writes about overcome in John 1:5 and John 16:33.
Tips: Check out our tips to use this online Bible study for your church, small group, Sunday school class, or family discussion. It’s also ideal for personal study. Come back each Monday for a new lesson.
Discover practical, insightful, and encouraging truths in Love One Another, a devotional Bible study to foster a deeper appreciation for the two greatest commandments: To love God and to love others.
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
As followers of Jesus, we shouldn’t judge others, but we do. Too often, we judge Christians for their theology. We must stop.
When we evaluate others based on what they believe, we diminish them in the process. And we smugly elevate ourselves over them. When we do this, our egos show through.
Do Not Judge
Jesus clearly teaches that we shouldn’t judge others. If we judge them, we too will be judged in like manner (Matthew 7:1). This judgment can cover anything.
It might be judging what others do or say, how they dress or where they live, but too often it is over what they believe. But we shouldn’t judge Christians for their theology. If we do, we will likewise face judgment.
Luke records it a bit differently. He writes that Jesus says, “Do not judge, and you will not be judged.” He continues by saying do not condemn and you won’t be condemned. Instead we are to forgive, and we will be forgiven (Luke 6:37).
It’s a simple concept.
A few translations use the word criticize instead of judge. This may help us to better understand what Jesus is saying. If we criticize others, we will likewise be criticized. We must stop criticizing our fellow followers of Jesus.
This includes their theology.
In James’s teaching about judgment, he also uses the word slander (James 4:11-13). To slander means to say something false or malicious about someone.
It’s a sobering thought to consider that when we judge others—that is, when we criticize them—we slander them.
Judgment Is Discrimination
James gives us some practical teaching about judging others. He says that judging others is discrimination, and it’s evil (James 2:2-4).
In his teaching, James addresses judging people over their appearance and their attire. But this is just an example.
Therefore, it’s not wrong to apply this to other forms of evaluation, such as when we judge Christians for their theology. By extension, we can call this evil.
Judge Those Inside the Church
Paul wrote to the church in Corinth that they were to judge those on the inside, their brothers and sisters in Christ (1 Corinthians 5:9-13). Does this mean we are to judge the people we go to church with?
Yes and no.
Paul specifically addresses wrong behavior, not theological differences. He teaches them to not associate with sexually immoral people, as well as the greedy, the swindler, the adulterer, and the slanderer.
These are moral issues, not theological perspectives.
To not associate with people who hold differing views on theology is a misapplication of Paul’s teaching about judging others within the church.
Don’t Allow Others to Judge You
Paul adds to the discussion by telling the Colossians to not let anyone judge them. Jesus is what matters (Colossians 2:16-17).
This includes what they eat and drink. It also includes their religious practices in how they celebrate and regard special days.
These are theology issues. Just as we shouldn’t judge Christians for their theology, we shouldn’t let them judge us for ours.
People sometimes try to do this to me. I understand why, but that doesn’t make it okay. They ask where I stand on various theological issues.
To them it’s a litmus test to decide if I’m in or I’m out, if they’ll read my words or reject them.
Sometimes they approach this indirectly, such as asking what type of church I go to, the style of worship I prefer, or how I regard the Sabbath. Even so, it’s still judgment. Just as Paul teaches the Colossians, I dismiss their attempts to judge me.
If we believe in Jesus and follow him, nothing else matters. Not really. Beyond the foundational truth of Jesus, it’s wrong to judge Christians for their theology.
Let God Judge
God’s judgment is the only judgment that matters (Romans 14:10).
It’s not our place to judge others for where they fall short, be it for their sins or their theology.
Our Lord will judge us (Hebrews 10:30). We must be content with that.
Judge at the Appointed Time
Yet there are also times Scripture talks about judging others. But this is a future-focused perspective. Paul writes that we are to judge nothing before the appointed time, which will be when Jesus comes again (1 Corinthians 4:5).
Then we will judge the world. Then we will even judge angels (1 Corinthians 6:2-3). But this only applies after our Savior returns. It doesn’t apply today. And it doesn’t give us permission to judge Christians for their theology.
Stop Judging Others
Until that time when Jesus returns, we should stop judging others.
Instead, we must hold our theological views loosely. After all we might be wrong—and they may be right. Therefore, it’s wrong—and foolish—to judge Christians for their theology.
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
Get the Bible Reading Tip Sheet: “10 Tips to Turn Bible Reading from Drudgery to Delight.” Enter your info and receive the free Bible Reading Tip Sheet and be added to Peter’s email list.
There are three opportunities for a church to interact with visitors: before, during, and after the service. Some churches failed at each occasion and only a few excelled at all three—though every church should.
Pre-Church Greeting
First, greeting people before the service is critical, as it’s the first impression a church makes on a visitor. Everyone should be a greeter.
This is in addition to the official greeters stationed by the front door, the minister and staff, and the ushers—for those churches that still use them.
Talking with friends before the service may be comfortable, but it’s not greeting, and it certainly isn’t welcoming to visitors.
Though a few churches treat their pre-service time with stoic reverence, you can always greet visitors before they enter the sanctuary.
At the friendlier churches, people even approach visitors already seated. But at too many churches, we didn’t interact with anyone before the service, leaving us isolated and alone. This is no way to form community.
Next, consider interaction during the service. When this occurs, it’s an announced time of greeting. This can range from awkward to invigorating. It can last too long, be too short, or feel exactly right.
The Art of Mid-Service Greeting
There’s an art to doing it well, but when done poorly, churches might be better off skipping it. Here are my suggestions for a successful mid-service greeting:
Make eye contact.
Smile.
A handshake is acceptable, but not everyone appreciates a hug—and to “greet one another with a holy kiss” is creepy. Though welcoming others with a holy kiss is biblical (Romans 16:16, 1 Corinthians 16:20, 2 Corinthians 13:12, and 1 Thessalonians 5:26), don’t subject visitors to this degree of intimacy.
Share your name and repeat theirs if they give it.
Don’t be in a rush to move to the next person.
Focus on visitors first and friends only if time allows.
When the greeting time is a rote interaction performed with disingenuous intent, either overhaul it or omit it.
Although there were exceptions, our general conclusion was that traditional churches struggled with greeting time, while charismatic churches excelled at it. Evangelical churches filled the continuum between.
One church redefined greeting time, making it more akin to an intermission, where people could roam around, get more coffee, or grab another donut, while having extended interactions.
This church made it work well, but not every congregation could pull this off. And although we didn’t see it on our journey, I’ve been to churches that provided time during the service for group discussion with those sitting near you.
Another way to extend hospitality during church is helping a visitor navigate the service—especially at liturgical services.
Give them your hymnal when they grab the wrong one, share your bulletin to read the liturgy, or let them follow along in your Bible. You can do this without saying a word.
As a final thought, if the official greeting time is the first time someone addresses a visitor, something’s wrong.
After Church Greeting
When the first greeting occurs after the service, it seems too late to try, but it’s better than not at all. Most churches did after-church hospitality reasonably well, but a few skipped this opportunity too.
Sometimes there was a meal or snacks; food fosters connection. Other times it was just hanging out afterward, getting to know one another, making connections, and sharing our faith journeys.
All too often, one person made the difference between us feeling welcomed or ignored, singlehandedly forming our key perceptions of the church, with preaching and worship being secondary.
While applauding the efforts of that one person, the lack of effort from the rest of the congregation is sobering.
Granted, some people are naturally outgoing with a knack for hospitality, but everyone can smile and say “Hi.”
My wife and I visited a different Christian Church every Sunday for a year. This is our story. Get your copy of 52 Churches today, available in ebook, paperback, hardcover, and audiobook.
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
Focus verse: Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb. (John 20:1)
With the Sabbath over, Mary Magdalene can again do manual labor. She returns to Jesus’s tomb, intending to anoint his body.
She and the other Mary prepared spices before the Sabbath, rested on the Sabbath, and now she’s ready to complete her work on the first day of the week.
Mark gives us the most detail about what happens.
He writes that besides Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James (possibly also called the other Mary) and Salome go with her. It’s early in the day, with the sun having just risen.
As the trio makes their way to the tomb, a critical concern occurs to them. “Who will roll away the stone from the tomb?”
Who indeed.
Just two days earlier, the women stood there watching Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus place Jesus’s body in the tomb and roll a large stone in front of the entrance.
Did the women forget this important detail until this moment? Or did they realize it and decide to keep their concern to themselves? Perhaps each one hopes one of the other two has a plan to remove this obstacle.
But the three of them are no match for this massive stone. They won’t be able to move it by themselves. Unless someone else does this for them, they cannot complete their mission. This would make their preparations and journey in vain.
Despite not knowing what they’ll do, however, they press forward.
Do they expect to find someone there to help them? Do they pray God will provide a solution to their dilemma? Might they have a backup plan if they can’t get to Jesus’s body this morning?
Whatever the case, they proceed. What other choice do they have? They can’t quit. Jesus deserves better.
Questions:
When have we planned something without considering the obstacles we would face?
How do we react when we find a stone blocking our path?
Prayer: Father God, when we face obstacles on the path you give us, fill us with the needed courage—and the faith—to persist.
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
