Come as you are...

I remember an old A&W jingle, that used to play all the time on radio and TV: "Hop in the car, come as you are, to A&W".  I always used to envision our entire family getting into the car, all of us dressed in our pyjamas, going to A&W - after all, they did say come as you are...

READ:  Mark 10:14

Jesus was telling His disciples that they needed to let the children come to Him, that people needed to be like children in order to come to Him.  What Jesus meant was that people needed to just be themselves - no pretenses, no masks - so that when they came to Him, they would be real.  Come as you are...

Churches are those places, or at least they ought to be!  People ought to be able to come as they are, not worry about being judged or ridiculed or condemned or... well, anything negative.  People ought to be able to feel comfortable attending church, to come as they are, knowing they will be accepted and loved.  If a church isn't able to be that place, then where will they be able to go!

"Come as you are.  You will be loved."  This is our slogan at McKernan Christian Church, but that's not all it is.  It is our way of doing things, or at least it ought to be!  As a pastor, I don't want to see people come to church, only to be turned off by a offhand comment, or a rude gesture, or a unloving attitude.  I want people to see Jesus in me, in us, in the Church, don't you?  Of course you do!  So at MCC, we strive to be what we feel Jesus wants us to be - loving, welcoming people.  Come as you are...

So if someone sees this slogan on our Facebook page, or on our website, or in our bulletin, I hope they know we mean it.  I hope they know we accept and love whoever walks through our doors.  I hope they feel they can come as they are, that they will be loved.  I hope they hear the old A&W jingle as they experience our church, our people - the words 'hop in the car, come as you are' that means they are welcome - and yes, even if they show up in their pyjamas!

PRAYER
God, thank you for loving us.  Thank you for giving us such a love that we can give to others.  Help us to accept anyone, to love anyone, to be your hands and feet and presence in this world.  Help us to be the type of people who will show others that they can 'come as they are', that they 'will be loved'.
Amen.