Cold on the Outside; Warm and Welcoming on the Inside
Oak Chapel sits on a plot of land that might well be one of the coldest spots in Wayne County when the winter winds blow. This past week, for example, just days before the official beginning of spring, the temperature plummeted below freezing, creating a blustery wind-chill of 15 degrees.
Fortunately, things are much warmer inside of our church, and it’s not just the setting on the thermostat that makes everyone feel comfortable. Our friendly and hospitable culture also helps to make everyone feel welcome.
As disciples, it is important for us to continue this mission by inviting others to come in from the cold and experience the warmth of a relationship with Jesus as well as a fellowship with other believers.
In I Peter 4:9-10, we are reminded that “we are to offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each of [us] should use whatever gift [we] have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.”
Hebrews 13:1-2 reinforces this theme by advising us that we are to “keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters,” and that we should “not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.”
I am happy to say that the people of Oak Chapel honor both of these passages in so many ways, including our robust outreach programs and our outdoor pantry, which plays a critical role in feeding the hungry in our community. We need to continue to reach out to them and others to also satiate their spiritual hunger — a hunger they may not even realize they have.
Let us continue to be a warm and welcoming congregation so that more and more people will find the Lord and develop a life-changing relationship with Him.
And speaking of hospitality, our monthly Fellowship Dinner will take place this Sunday. Please consider bringing a dish or dessert to share so that we can all enjoy the warmth of our relationship with the Lord and with each other.
Until we meet again, Be Blessed! – Pastor John