As I write this message, I am on my last day attending the General Board of Global Ministries’ Board of Directors meeting. Welcome is the word that describes the week I spent in Mozambique. It reminded me of the times I have been in other countries connecting with other United Methodists or Wesleyans around the globe. Although we do not agree on all matters and are different in many ways, when we get together, we worship and can celebrate collaborative work. Still, more importantly, we can learn from one another and dream of ways we can grow as disciples of Jesus Christ.
I experienced welcoming during this time by listening to each other’s stories, struggles, and hopes for the future. Also, I learned from the work of missionaries and their projects in Mozambique and around the globe. I also had the privilege to visit four projects: A support Center for Girls, a United Methodist Middle School, and a UMC-related Center for Conflict Transformation and Human Rights Center. Every place offered an overwhelming welcome to the group. We sang, ate, danced, and prayed together. One of my peers in the group described beautifully what we experienced: “This is indeed a taste of heaven.”
I agree with him. It was a taste of what Revelation 7 describes. As we gathered, we could rehearse what the great banquet, the great fiesta, might look like. They welcomed us, and we embraced each other as we celebrated our connectedness through Jesus Christ. I wonder if we can do this in our everyday interactions and not only on special occasions or events.
Very soon, pastors and churches will learn about pastoral transitions. I invite you to see this time of change as an opportunity to welcome each other. May Churches welcome their new pastors. May pastors welcome their new church family and community. Our world needs to experience the power of welcome – the power of hospitality. May we embrace the opportunities to taste heaven here on earth that we often ignore.
Welcoming God, grant us courage and discernment to identify and respond to the opportunities in front of us to taste heaven here on earth. Amen.
