Welcoming Church Conference

I was privileged to lead prayers at the start of the Welcoming Church Conference organised by the diocesan Council for Mission of the united dioceses of Limerick and Killaloe on Saturday 4th November in Adare. The conference was well attended and we were blessed to hear the experience of Rev Alastair Graham (Mullingar), Ven Wayne Carney (Birr) and Canon Liz Beasley (Adare).

The Lord be with you – and also with you

As we begin this conference on ‘How to be welcoming church’, in a few moments of calmness, we listen to the words of Jesus Christ in scripture, we pray that his Father will be with us in our discussions, and that his Spirit will inspire us, and we dedicate ourselves to the service of God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

A reading from Luke 14: 1, 7-11

On one occasion when Jesus was going to the house of a leader of the Pharisees to eat a meal on the sabbath, they were watching him closely.

When he noticed how the guests chose the places of honour, he told them a parable. ‘When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, do not sit down at the place of honour, in case someone more distinguished than you has been invited by your host; and the host who invited both of you may come and say to you, “Give this person your place”, and then in disgrace you would start to take the lowest place. But when you are invited, go and sit down at the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he may say to you, “Friend, move up higher”; then you will be honoured in the presence of all who sit at the table with you. For all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.’

This is the word of the Lord – thanks be to God

That was the lectionary reading set for today, and it’s particularly apt for this conference, I think – it is about hospitality and about humility. We must never forget that when we welcome others to church it is not our church – it is God’s church. We must humbly recognise that we are not the host, we are merely servants who open the door to God’s banquet. God is our host, as he is the host of all who enter in.

Let us pray

The Collect prayer for the 20^th Sunday after Trinity

Almighty God,

whose Holy Spirit equips your Church with a rich variety of gifts:

Grant us so to use them that, living the gospel of Christ and eager to do your will,

we may share with the whole creation in the joys of eternal life;

through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

We pray for the speakers and facilitators of this conference, that their words may sound a bell with us.

And we pray that, called by that bell, we may respond by building a vibrant and welcoming church.

God our Father,

as we meet in the name of your Son Jesus Christ

make us to know your presence with us,

and in all our thinking and speaking

keep us in harmony with your will.

Give us a vision of your kingdom,

insight into your purposes,

and understanding of the needs of your work.

We place ourselves at your disposal.

We are fellow workers,

eager and ready to carry out your wishes.

Use us, O Lord, as you will, and for your glory. Amen

Let us join together in the prayer Jesus himself taught us:

Our Father, who art in heaven …

To God, who by the power at work within us, is able to do far more abundantly than all we ask or think, to him be the glory in the Church and in Christ Jesus, to all generations for ever and ever. Amen

Let us get down to work.