The parable of the Prodigal Son is part of a triptych of things lost and found: a sheep, a coin and a son. The parables are an attempt to show us the extent to which God rejoices when we are found. In the first two parables God is the one who is doing the seeking. In the third parable it God who is doing the welcoming, standing there with arms wide open to embrace the one who found himself – and returned to the Father. The gospel tells us that the son came to his senses, but it can also be translated that he found himself or came to himself.
In the searching and in the finding there is much joy. The picture painted is one of mercy and compassion, a loving acceptance of the one who returns, an unbridled joy in the finding.
I am wondering if we can apply these two aspects of searching and finding to our parish community, and to the way in which we fulfil our mission as Church. It seems to me that we need to be the kind of community that goes out in search of the lost. Another way of putting it is that we need to be an invitational Church. The invitational Church is the one that seeks those who may have been part of the community but for whatever reason have left. Maybe they were hurt or disappointed. Maybe for a season they needed different experiences and spaces to grow. Maybe there are those who need reminding of the peace and joy that being part of the community of faith can be. And maybe there are those who do not even know that they are lost, or who do not realise that they are looking. A simple invitation to a special celebration, or an event at church, or to attend ALPHA with you could be all that they need in order to be found.
In Paul’s letter to the Romans we hear: “Now how can they call on one in whom they have never believed? How can they believe in one of whom they have never heard? And how can they hear unless someone proclaims him? And who will go to tell them unless he is sent?” In the invitational church, each of you is the one being sent, to invite to this spiritual home, those who are lost and those who are seeking.
We also need to be a welcoming Church. Once people have accepted the invitation to be here it would be pretty pointless unless we also made them feel welcome. We are not a community of the perfect, so it strikes me as somewhat hypocritical to condemn those who accept the invitation for not being perfect. Welcoming means making it easy for people to fit in. It means smiling at them when they come to the door and receive the bulletin or hymn book. It means braving your own shyness to talk to someone you notice is new. It means encouraging them to take part in the many different aspects of our community life, and then making room for them to do just that.
To be both invitational and welcoming is what we as a parish community needs to strive for, so that we can build God’s Kingdom, God’s reign, here on earth.
