“This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.” John 15:12
Tonya sat in her car, trying to keep from being so anxious. It had been a long time since she had been to church. This wasn’t even an actual church service, but it was a block party. The 42nd Avenue Baptist Church was having their Annual Saturday Block Party, and one of her co-workers, Cathy, had invited her to attend.
Tonya had been purposely staying away from church, even though she had grown up in the church, and had actually given her life to Christ as a teenager. A few years ago, she had joined a new church. She had been excited about the expectation of meeting new people, and getting involved in different ministries.
She found though, that she wasn’t being welcomed with open arms, like she had expected. In fact, it seemed like some people were actually drawing back from her. She made a couple of friends, but overall, she just did not feel very welcomed.
The final straw came when she saw a few of the ladies she knew from serving in the Women’s Ministry, while she was at the grocery store. She was happy to see them, but they acted very cooly toward her. They generally never had much to say to her in their monthly meetings, but she thought with running into them outside of church, they might be glad to see her. Even as she tried to strike up a conversation though, she could tell by the expressions on their faces, that they were just not interested.
It turned out, as she later found out, that one of the ladies in the Women’s Ministry had a birthday, and they were going to have a little party for her, and they were at the store shopping for food for the party. Although it wasn’t a church sponsored event, all of the ladies from the Women’s Ministry had received an invitation. Well, all except Tonya. This hurt Tonya, and she never went back to that church, or any church. Jesus told us to love one another as Christ loves us. She just wasn’t experiencing that Christian love at this church, and it hurt her deeply.
Tonya slowly exited her car, and headed toward the blacktop where the block party was taking place. When she got there, she received a warm greeting from everyone she met. She was very surprised. People introduced themselves to her, and really made her feel at home. When she caught up with her co-worker, Cathy, she commented on how welcoming everyone was.
A couple of hours later, she walked back to her car feeling rejuvenated. She had such a wonderful time. She decided she was going to attend the church service the next day. As it turned out, the church, although not perfect, ended up being everything she was looking for. The Word of God was taught, and the people were warm and welcoming, and she looked forward to taking part in the ministries at the church.
Thought: In a world that is so divided, we must remember to love others, as Christ has loved us.