All Are Welcome?

Categories: faith, musings

Tags: church, song, welcome

Date: 15 February 2011 13:53:04

This blog has been a while in the writing, so its not quite recent anymore, but I still felt I needed to say it.

In church last week we sang All Are Welcome, one of my favourite songs from the Common Ground songbook (the full lyrics are part way down this page), which was the first hymn at our wedding, so it now has added special meaning. We chose this song and put it at the start of the service very deliberately, because we wanted to say this to everyone there, regardless of age, faith (or none), gender, sexual orientation or any other factor. We wanted to get rid of all the preconcieved ideas anyone might have had about what was expected of them or anyone else, or of how 'the church' saw or would judge them. Here is a place where we come as we are, with all that that means, and its ok. The first verse goes like this:

Let us build a house where love can dwell
and all can safely live,
a place where saints and children tell
how hearts learn to forgive.
Built of hopes and dreams and visions,
rock of faith and vault of grace;
here the love of Christ shall end divisions:
All are welcome, all are welcome
all are welcome in this place

These seem to me to be the kinds of aspirations Jesus would teach us to work for. A place where "all can safely live", where saints and children each have something to teach us, and where everyones hopes and dreams are valued. "here the love of Christ shall end divisions" In this place, all distinctions, all differences, are stripped away, for we are all equal within the love of God and in Gods eyes.

It struck me even more recently, that the church, while we might have these aspirations, very often doesn't meet them. The frequency with which churches determine who is or isn't welcome, and erect barriers between different groups and denominations. Far from the love of Christ ending divisions, it appears to create them, as we decide for ourselves what God would think, and who he would welcome into his Churches. I believe this is wrong, that it is the worst kind of wrong that we can commit, particularly when it is done in the name of Jesus, who I don't believe would agree with it any more than I do. And if he would, I'm not sure he is a God I want to follow.

But while all these things are happening, there are also things which restore my faith and pursuade me that God is working in people's lives and bringing his message to us. I know of people who will take a stand to prevent such hurt and pain being felt by their fellow people, and to make sure the message passed on to our children is one of tolerance and welcome not of exclusion.

And the other week I saw via a number of links the image of Christians protecting Muslims at prayer during the protests in Egypt. I took notice- it was a striking image of the love of God at work, of a group of Christians acting on their beliefs. But then later, as I was thinking again about the song, and the line 'the love of Christ shall end divisions' came back to me, I realised that it shouldn't be striking. Why is it that a group of Christians acting to protect another group of people when they are vulnerable should be news worthy, even within the church community? Shouldn't this be 'normal'? Isn't this how we should live our faith?

The God I believe in and try to follow told us that we should love others as we would want to be loved. There weren't any conditions on that, no footnote with exceptions. Just love.

Let us build a house where all are named,
their songs and visions heard
and loved and treasured, taught and claimed
as words within the Word.
Built of tears and cries and laughter,
prayer of faith and songs of grace,
let this house proclaim from floor to rafter:
All are welcome, all are welcome
all are welcome in this place