On the outside, looking in leaves all feeling left out.
What does that feeling feel when you get to the mailbox, open it up, and find what appears to be an invitation? Speaking for myself, the first thing I do even before opening the envelope is to read the return address, hoping it has the sender’s name.
This idea of being influential in another person’s life has such a positive effect on my life. I am no different than anyone else; don’t we all want to be valued by other people? We all want to feel we have people in our lives who think of us in ways that make us feel valued.
I think this is why fellowship at church is so important. When we fellowship with others, we feel a commonality, a kinship, and from those feelings, we feel a sense of belonging. The bond of a shared experience gives us all a sense of belonging.
What happens when we are not invited to a wedding or a party? It can leave us feeling empty or even doubting our friendships. Why is it? Could it be FOMO ( a condition where the “Fear Of Missing Out” becomes an obsession)? It could be the harsh reality that we have overestimated our value in the relationship. No matter the reason, not getting an invitation impacts those around us.
This whole thought has me pondering who I have not invited to church. Does this leave them feeling left out? Could this leave them feeling “too far gone” to be invited to church? Do they think the “walls might fall” if they come?
I want to encourage or embolden you to invite someone to church this week. The simple invite might be the encouragement you get when invited somewhere. I found a great article titled “18 Ways to Invite Your Neighbors to church.” I think it is essential to understand the “Three Nots” as we learn to be bold and invite people. We all want to fit in and have a place to belong.
I’ll see you Sunday as we celebrate Palm Sunday at 9:30 am. I pray that we can all bring someone to church and allow the Holy Spirit to move and do what He does best.
In Him,
Pastor Chris