Musing some more on Welcoming!

Welcome this morning to Rev Cannon Ken Frewer.  When I asked what a Canon was, I was told a Canon is a big gun.  I’m not sure Ken would describe himself that way – feel free to ask him what a Canon is?Please make Ken welcome.Welcome too, to Elizabeth and Neil Pemberton and their girls, Cassie and Hannah.  Elizabeth is God’s gift to us to take on the work that Jenny has been doing with the children.Please make the Pembertons welcome!If you are visiting us today I pray that you feel welcome at St Philips.  Being welcoming is part art and part science, isn’t it?  If you try too hard it shows; if you leave it to chance, it shows.People regularly tell me stories about welcoming - good ones AND shockers.A couple of weeks ago I spoke about welcoming.In Galatians 4, Paul – the apostle-type Paul – had come into Asia Minor (Turkey today) and he arrived sick.  You get the impression he was a bit of a mess.  It would have been easy, as was common in those days, to consign him to the rubbish heap.Paul says the Galatians [Ch 4:12-15], who were not Christian at this time, did four lovely things: firstly [v12], they put themselves in Paul’s position – sick, far from home; secondly [v13], they suspended their judgment of him; thirdly [v14], they owned the choice to accept him – even if it was a bad call; finally [v15], their acceptance was sacrificial – they would have torn out their eyes for him.Verse 14 is my favourite and I think it should be our signature verse as we consider what welcoming means for us here at St Philips:You welcomed me as if I were an angel of God, as if I were Christ Jesus himself.I wonder how Ken and the Pembertons are feeling this morning?How are you  other visitors faring?  I am sorry if this column leads you to have people all over you!It’s more than church on Sunday though; it’s more than just a one off “special effort”.  It’s really about how I am in my neighbourhood - whether my eyes are open to what’s going on around me?  And a small act of welcome is so appreciated – just ask Peter de Blanc – he was a welcoming welcomer this week to someone. I know, I was there.Yours in the adventureMalcolm