Come as you are

Friday 2nd February 2024 10:54

I want to say to everyone who reads this “We would love to see you down at the church.”

I love it when we have guests in church. Last Sunday one of the boaters came to church for the first time in his life and afterwards he said “I enjoyed it. I will see you next week!” Another couple popped in to look at the building and asked if they would be allowed a church wedding. We were pleased to be able to explain to them everyone in England has a local C of E church and they would be pleased to take their wedding.

The truth is we can only come as we are and we all come with baggage. Some may have had a privileged upbringing which means they have lives overly full with their social life and little time to think or to pray. Others are in the midst of challenging circumstances and don’t know what happening from one day to the next. Yet God still says to every one of us “Come as you are – warts and all” and God accepts us as we are and loves us despite our various faults and failings.

And that is not the best bit! The amazingly good news is that God loves us too much to leave us the way we are and week by week we are seeing lives changed among us. As people discover that they are loved by God and they are loved by the people of the church, we see their lives changed for the better. As people are greeted on the road and as they begin to socialise with us, slowly and surely their self-awareness increases and a smile appears on their face and they look forward to the next time we are planning to meet. Its almost like we are helping people to be human again.

So please come to see us down at the church.

Come as you are, after all that’s the only way we can come.

And remember God loves us too much to leave us the way we are, he wants us all to reach our full potential.