Aches and pains in youth group games, hurt feelings in the sanctuary, disruptions in Godly Play, and stretch-marks ripping away at every corner of the church calendar… What is wrong with us? Dear friends, in my eyes it seems that our church has been suffering from a serious case of growing pains. Ben alluded to this a few weeks ago in his Contact piece when he gave us advice for dealing with a packed calendar. Today I want to add to that conversation from a different point of view. It’s not just the calendar that is full, but also our pews and classrooms. There aren’t just new things happening, but new people with us. We have new teachers and new children in Godly Play, and with nearly a dozen new youth in Youth Group, we are seeking more adult advisors for youth group as well. New visitors walk through our doors every week, some just to visit, and some to stay.
Some of these people don’t know our expectations. Some may be young and not yet know how to keep themselves calm and quiet in exciting new places. Some may not be sufficiently reverent about old traditions we hold dear. Some may not be on time, or in the right place, or living up to any of a thousand other tiny standards we hold for them. None of these standards are terrifically important, but when they are repeatedly trampled on, it causes a situation where half of us feel right and righteous, and the other half feel wrong and embarrassed.
Disruptions are hard, and we often experience disruption when new people join our circles. Jerome Berryman, the wise guru of Godly Play, writes that we should not see disruption as bad. It does not mean that the teacher is not teaching well enough, or that the students are not “good listeners.” Rather, it is an opportunity for teaching and for strengthening the circle. We may have to repeat a simple lesson several times. We may leave the “advanced” material out of the lesson, so that we can include those who are just beginning. The old-timers among us may roll their eyes and ask why those newcomers are wasting our time, and the teacher may have to remind them that they were newcomers once too.
If we are to be a church that truly welcomes the immigrant, we need to start by more fully welcoming one another. So when we experience disruptions in church, think of it as an opportunity to practice the spiritual discipline of hospitality. The epistle of the Hebrews says “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing so, some have entertained angels without knowing it.” God chooses to hide Godself from us, disguised in the faces of the stranger, the poor, the unsophisticated and unaware – and especially, in the little children. May God find welcome with us.
Blessings,
Talitha