A Return Visit

I returned to St Bede's Santa Fe today. Because I no longer feel like a tourist, I have not given it that title here. Someone on the HOBD list serv recently quoted Verna Dozier " The institutional church found out that following Christ was hard work. It was much easier just to worship Him." I think this sums up the difference between the two churches here.

I think that Gideon's Garden is about following Christ. If our worship does not produce such fruit, then it is just a lot of (well performed) hot air. But worship can nourish human beings and help send us out to perform the work that the Gospel compels us to do.

I have visited a lot of churches and know what it feels like to walk into an unfamiliar one. We are fortunate in the Episcopal Church that our ritual and common prayer help to bind us together. It can ease the anxiety and create a sense of belonging and familiar structure even when details are not the same. But without a warm welcome all this is for nothing really.

Today I received a very warm welcome as I returned to St Bede's having visited for the first time two weeks ago. Several people greeted me by name. Many who did not remember me offered a smile or other friendly greeting as I entered the church. They do not ignore the stranger here! The octagonal shape of the Sanctuary helps to give a sense of being embraced by a community.

I hope that everyone at St James gets a chance to visit other churches and experience what it is like to be a stranger. Of course it is easier for some than others. But I hope that every time I see an unfamiliar face in our congregation that I am able to in some small way make them feel welcome. Otherwise we will end up being a bunch of Mrs Beamishes.