Sherbrooke Record e-Edition

Open to the Spirit

Today’s word: Welcome

By Revs Mead Baldwin, Rabbi Boris Dolin Lee Ann Hogle, and Rev. Carole Martignacco

1) In pre-pandemic days, my family loved to invite other people over for Shabbat dinner. As the sun would set on Friday night, we’d sit down at the table, offer some prayers and songs and enjoy a meal and good conversation late into the evening. It was always enjoyable and left us feeling connected with the community and with a wonderful sense of peace. This experience of welcoming others into our home, of sharing food and sharing stories, is considered in Jewish tradition one of the key commandments of the Torah.

I am reminded of a moment early on in the story of Abraham which describes his passion for welcoming. One day Abraham sees three men walking near his tent. As soon as he saw them, he ran from the entrance of the tent to greet them, and bowing down to the ground he said: “God, if I have found favor in your sight, do not go on past your servant. Let a little water be brought; bathe your feet and recline under that tree.’ ” Abraham — still recovering from his circumcision surgery — gets up, and runs to welcome these guests, making them comfortable and feeding them.

Abraham is the living embodiment of his tent. A story tells us that Abraham designed his tent intentionally to be open on all four sides — open to every stranger passing by from any direction in the desert. Abraham had an open heart and an open hand. He is not content to wait for guests, but rather seeks them out, runs to greet them, brings them inside and takes care of them.

We know that the act of welcoming elevates both the guest and the host. For the guest, they receive a place of comfort and possibly a bit of sustenance. For the host they receive the blessing of connection, of the power of kindness and compassion and the blessing of expanding our “tent” beyond our home. In some way, welcoming others allows us to find the godliness around us.

May we all be able to once again welcome others into our homes and receive the blessings that follow.

2) A few years I invited a new friend to join me at the graduation ceremony for the theological college where I was ordained. I had been invited to the evening ceremony, but we came early so I could show her around Montreal. It was a hot day so I wore shorts and a T-shirt, and packed away my suit in the car. I was showing my friend the college when I noticed that there was a dinner party going on, and the Moderator, the leader of out national denomination was there. Much to my friends surprised I walked right in and down to the dinner. She was nervous and didn’t want to come. We aren’t invited, she said. Everyone else is dressed up for the ceremony. We won’t be welcome. I am not very shy, and certainly don’t worry too much about fashion. I walked right up to the Moderator Gary and his husband Tim. He called me by name, and we teased each other a bit. Then I introduced him to my surprised friend. Other friends came over to talk. We were certainly made to feel welcome, in spite of our shorts and T-shirts. I’d like to think that Jesus wouldn’t have cared how we were dressed either, in the same situation.

That’s my vision of how the church should be. We don’t need fancy clothes, lots of money, or a special invitation. No one checks our skin colour, our language, or our orientation. Everyone is welcome. Jesus often used a banquet as a metaphor for the community of God. In his stories, even the thieves and robbers were invited. There was room

for everyone.

3

) First impressions are lasting. On my one and only trip to San Francisco, I was walking downtown in the early morning. The traffic had just begun. The streets were sparsely occupied and a stranger walking by said hello. I was shocked. Living in Montreal at the time, it had been a long time since a complete stranger had greeted me there. In fact, growing up, I was warned to never talk to strangers. Nevertheless I responded to this San Franciscan welcome as though the whole of the city had welcomed me. To this day I have the impression that San Francisco is a friendly city. It took only one person.

I could say the same for the little country church my family started attending when I had two rambunctious preschoolers. I had not been in church in a long time. I wanted my children to learn the same lessons about upright living that I had, but I was worried they would be disruptive. Have you ever tried to keep a two year old quiet for one whole hour? My first Sunday there, after the service, the lady behind me lent forward and assured me I needn’t be worried about noise. They were all used to it. Her husband had been notorious for spending his Sunday mornings scrambling under all the pews and running his toy trucks( complete with appropriate heavy vehicle sound effects) along imaginary the highway he had created there. It only took one person to make me relax and feel welcome.

We live in a world that has many ways to make us feel isolated one from the other. Things like poverty, lack of education, poor health, racism, sexism and homophobia have made us a society that is selective about the kinds of people that are welcomed. The pandemic has simply exaggerated tendencies that were already there. Yet our human nature thrives in community. We yearn to take off our masks, hug one another and go out and have a big party. Learning new ways to welcome one another becomes more and more important. Jesus teaches us that whenever we welcome the poor, the hungry and the stranger we are indeed coming closer to that sacred, holy part of life. Let us then make sure the lasting impression we give to the strangers we meet is a welcoming one.

BELL OF WELCOME

The narthex on Sunday morning Quiet, holy, empty,

Pregnant with possibility.

Small feet climb onto the chair Tiny hands grasp the rope. And pull.

A child flies upward, Ring, Ring Ring,

A sound of welcome echoes through the village

Eager running feet tear down the aisles

The smell of coffee fills the air Fingers play on the piano keys Laughter, smiles, prayers; songs, stories

God is alive here

The church resounds with joy It began with a welcoming bell

3 voices and a poem this week. How have you experienced welcome?

Rev. Mead Baldwin pastors the Waterville & North Hatley pastoral charge; Rabbi Boris Dolin leads the Dorshei-emet community in Montreal; Rev. Lee Ann Hogle ministers to the Ayer’s Cliff, Magog & Georgeville United Churches; Rev. Carole Martignacco, Unitarian Universalist is retired from ministry with Uuestrie and now resides in St. Andrews by-the-sea NB, but keeps one foot in the Townships by continuing with this column.

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2021-10-15T07:00:00.0000000Z

2021-10-15T07:00:00.0000000Z

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