When we welcome each other and visitors to worship, we hope and pray that our place will feel like their place. We always hope that our welcome is a reflection of God’s welcome because there are few things more important than belonging. As much as we hold Auburn First Baptist Church dear to us, it becomes even more meaningful when we offer it to others as their place.
Following Promotion Sunday, when we gave our first graders Bibles in worship, I found my first grade Bible in my office. It was purchased by the Timothy Bible Class at First Baptist Church of Augusta. The cover is bright red, the pages have stains on them, and the binding is falling apart; but I still remember that feeling when I received it and I felt like I belonged to the community of faith.
We find the gospel of Christ in that feeling of belonging. It returns us to the love of God, which holds us, sustains us, and sends us forward! We need a home to return to as well as to launch from. This is part of the gift of the church.
On Promotion Sunday, I was thankful for all of the familiar faces in the sanctuary. The children getting their fourth or fifth button in a row to put on their backpacks. The church members preparing pancakes and refilling glasses. The sixth graders receiving a tree, which they had watched so many others receive before them.
I also give thanks for the unfamiliar faces. Visitors coming to church for the first time. College students returning to campus. Family members watching their grandchild receive a Bible.
We all gathered for fellowship and worship! We hope everyone felt like Auburn First Baptist was their place. We give thanks for the kindness we can offer to visitors through giving directions, offering introductions, and sharing the welcome of God. We give thanks for each opportunity to be together, remembering that we all belong to God!
-Tripp