Planning for the Parade

A Lesson in Radical Hospitality

If people do not welcome you, shake the dust off your feet when you leave their town, as a testimony against them." Luke 9:5, NIV

I went to our community’s Holiday Parade last week to kick off the season and its many festivities, the one in which Santa arrives giving great hope to all little girls and boys. Stood next to two sweet ladies who got stuck in the traffic passing through town and instead of fighting it, chose to stay and watch. I was though embarrassed.

I don’t know about your local parades, but for ours, you have to be a local to really enjoy it. We have floats and entries “only a mother could love.” The many entries included at least five different tow truck companies (Don’t know why really. All I can think of is their lights were pretty.); eight different scout troops simply marching behind handmade, poster board signs; a motorcycle gang (Their bikes weren’t even decorated this year.); and the local pet groomers with a brood of their clients (Dogs from every color and tribe.).

Looking out of the corner of my eye, I would periodically check to see if my new-found friends were still there. They were so polite, though it was obvious, they weren’t too impressed.

The Scriptures are unequivocal: our welcome of others measures our welcome of God.

How then are you preparing for the parade of people that will come through your church’s doors this Holiday Season?

What if the above admonition from Luke wasn’t originally written for the disciples when they would visit a new town, share their faith and get rejected, but a rule for all in Middle Eastern hospitality who showed up at someone’s door and got treated anything less than kings and queens?

Are we giving people a reason to come back and join us?

How can we go out of our way to extend the welcome of God this holiday season?

I have a feeling, when my two, sweet, little-old-lady friends got back in their car, they didn’t think twice nor look back. Will our guests and visitors in worship?

Some things I tried to do over the years especially at this time of year: Preached my butt off…Sought to make worship as inviting and inspiring as it could be…Formed extra hospitality teams to add another layer of welcome other than just our tried and true ushers…Gave out gifts, often just symbolic, that brought home the message…Planned the worship series to kick-off the New Year early and started promoting it. You see…

Dust doesn’t stick. Give them something that does.