Mine is the Church Where Everybody's Welcome

Mine is the church where everybody’s welcome.
I know it’s true ‘cause I got through the door.
We are a dazzling bouquet of every kind of flower.
Jump in the vase, ‘cause we’ve got space for more.
-"A Dazzling Bouquet" by Bret Hesla

Officially all the transfer paperwork was taken care of by late November, and I became a member of Salem the Sunday of the blizzard. But the blizzard kept a number of us (myself included) from making it to church that day, so we were publicly welcomed into the community this morning.

On the one hand, it was a sad day, entailing the loss of an official connection to people I still care about back in Pennsylvania, and another little death to be endured in this transition from pastor to PhDland.

On the other hand, it was a joyful day to become a member of this amazing part of the body of Christ here in Minneapolis.

I love this congregation for many reasons. I love that they are indeed a dazzling bouquet where everyone is welcome, and worship reflects that as people of diverse ages, ethnicities, genders, sexual orientations, socioeconomic statuses, talents, interests, etc, gather every week to praise God and support one another in this life of discipleship.

I love that they are radically committed to ministry in their neighborhood, so much so that they are continually willing to die to their old selves and blossom into the new life that God is working in them and through them and with them.

I love that they are in the wilderness. Increasingly I am convinced this is the best place for a church to be, because the wilderness is where the people of God are truly shaped into the people of God; it's where our utter dependence on God is unavoidably and sometimes painfully obvious; it's where we are most focused on essentials (and least distracted by the crap) and most open and receptive to the Spirit; it's by living on the margins that we become more attuned to and empathic with all who are marginalized. This wilderness wandering is all the more impressive and intriguing considering the congregation physically exists in what is functionally the center of American Lutherandom.

I love that Jen is a great preacher and a great leader who makes it easy to be back in the pew instead of up front and in charge. I also love that she's a great colleague who welcomes my gifts and invites opportunities for me to keep playing in the sandbox of congregational life.

I love how friendly and welcoming pretty much everyone has been since the first day I walked in the door.

. . .so jump in the vase, 'cause we've got space for more!