The Extravagant Welcome of a UCC Church

No matter who you are, or where you are on life's journey, you're welcome here!
I am currently on the road in San Diego traveling to see my second opinion doctor. Whenever I travel I usually take the time on Sunday to go to church. So I looked up a church on the UCC website and decided to attend the Mission Hills UCC since it was not far from where I was staying.
I arrived early because "I woke up this morning with my mind stayed on Jesus". The latter is the title of a negro spiritual which is in the New Century Hymnal and has become one of my favorite hymns. I suspect we will sing it some time in Christ Church.
When I got to the church at 9:45 for a 10:am service, the greeters were already at the door and getting ready to great members and visitors. They filled out a name tag for me, members name tags were at the door. I went in and sat down in time to catch the choir rehearsing. They have both a choir director and an organist, I suspect because the organ console is up in the balcony in the back of the church. While I was sitting the the pew the minister came over to greet me and introduce himself, although I knew who he was from the photo on the website.
They had a guest preacher that Sunday because they had run a workshop on the Open and Affirming process. This church is O & A. The guest preacher was Dr. Mary Tolbert Professor of Biblical studies and Director Center of Lesbian and Gay Studies in Religion and Ministry at the Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley CA. She preached on Mark 4:33-41 titled "Risking Faith in the World of Fear" This is the story of Jesus resting in a boat after a day of preaching and a storm came up and the disciples were afraid and woke Jesus who calmed the storm and told them not to be afraid. As Dr. Tolbert said the Greek translation was "Why are you such cowards have you no faith". Well this sermon hit home because I am facing cancer treatment and it scares me. Dr. Tolbert said most people say "I don't mind taking a risk as long as I know what the results will be" But she also said "Fear is banished by faith" therefore we should put our trust in God.
After the service I went to the coffee hour. They had a lot of food left over from the weekend conference so they served it. I was invited to sit at a table with some people and I recognized Ron Bufford who was responsible for the UCC television ads and the God is still speaking campaign. He was in California visiting with the senior minister. As I sat and talked to a woman at the table, I mentioned I needed a ride back to my hotel. When I travel I usually take a taxi to the church but I always get a ride back to my hotel. Well Ron had volunteered to drive me back to the hotel, but this woman and her husband volunteered to take me. Not only did they take me to my hotel to pick up my luggage, and then move to another hotel.
Also I had made a prayer request for my visit to my doctor at the Moores Cancer Institute and it turns out that the person who drive me to the hotel is a pharmacologist at UCSD and he volunteered to drive me to my doctors appointment pending on his schedule. A real extravagant welcome. When they drove me to my new hotel they helped me put my luggage in my room.
At church I made a prayer request for my doctor's visit and the minister later said to me they would put me on their Prayer Partners list.
I truly hope and pray that Christ Church members offer this kind of welcome to strangers who come to our church. I guess I know we do.
No matter who you are, or where you are on life's journey, you're welcome here!
Jeannette Brown
San Diego CA