I went to St John's by myself on Sunday morning, and had a small insight into how it must feel for people who, for a variety of reasons, come to church by themselves.
Now remember that I know a lot of people at St John's, and I was welcomed at the door by an old friend. But when I went in to find a seat, it was difficult to see where to sit. The natural reaction was to look for someone I knew. But I didn't see anyone immediately, and sitting by myself didn't really appeal, though there were a number of empty rows. Yes, I could have sat next to a stranger, but I'm used to being the welcomer, not the welcomed, so that just didn't feel right.
So there I stood, feeling like a lemon, searching for a face I knew. And I realised that many people who come by themselves on a Sunday, must get that 'lemon-feeling'.
So we must pay special attention to those who have to come to church by themselves. If it's possible (and only those affected can answer this) we need to create a genuine sense of belonging, of family, of home.
Mike, only your physical self went to church alone! A thought: Welcoming needs to be done sensitively so the welcomed doesn’t feel categorised as ”special needs”.
ReplyDeleteYes, I think I know what you mean. I sometimes say to people, 'If you want to be noticed, we'll notice you; if don't want to be noticed yet, we won't notice you yet.'
ReplyDeleteWelcoming can be OTT, but it's far more common to be ignored than to be swamped!