Lutherans Invite!

---

Introduction

---

I was a stranger, and you invited me in. Matthew 25:35 

A father drives his daughter home from cheerleading practice and passes his neighbor's home and  reflects on the invitation he received from the neighbor to visit her church, Messiah Lutheran Church -- the small church at the end of the cul de sac.  He recalls the Sunday mornings he stepped onto the carport to get the newspaper and saw the Jones' heading to church.  A feeling of curiosity comes over him: "What do these people do at the Lutheran church?  What is a Lutheran anyway?"

The man reflects on his neighbors.  They are not weird, overly religious fanatical types.  In fact, they are like him in every way he can imagine, except one -- they go to church. "What do they find at the Lutheran church that they don't find anywhere else?  Why do they want me and my family to check it out?"

He asked his neighbor these questions.  She said: "Grace happens every day and we simply want to make sure we are able to see and appreciate it."

"What is grace?" the man asked.

"Something done for the sake of another person, with no strings attached," she said, as she handed him a DVD.  "Watch this and it will help you understand.  We can talk about it further then, if you like." 

The man looked at the DVD laying on his floorboard, the one with the word Lutherans Invite! on the cover.

"I'll have to check this out," he says, pulling into his driveway. "I'm curious. Lutherans invite, eh? Wonder why?"

Jesus says, "Come and see!" 

---

Living Faith in Daily Life

---

"Sharing one's faith involves conversations with friends, relatives, associates, and neighbors  about the presence and importance of God in our lives."

So begins a recent ELCA small group study guide on the important role of invitation in the life of Christian disciples  According to the ELCA-wide Call to Discipleship:

The experience of God's loving touch in one's life is a gift the maturing disciple feels compelled to share with others.  One way our faith becomes active is when we put into words what God has done for us.  Words of witness and acts of genuine hospitality directed toward our friends, relatives and neighbors create the opportunity through which the Holy Spirit brings others into a relationship with Christ and his church.

The biblical model for evangelism is relational: friends bring friends to Jesus.  "Come and see" are the operative words and find frequent expression in the Gospels, the story of the early church, and in the tradition of the church over the centuries.  The disciples plant seeds and invites; the Holy Spirit works the miracle of faith and conversion.  Part of a disciple's job description is to invite others often. 

---

Bible Focus: Acts 8:26-39 

---

Philip discovered that God had already been preparing an Ethiopian for his faith sharing conversation.  Since Philip was willing to go where the Holy Spirit sent him, the Gospel reached a receptive inquirer. This incident is also significant because it is the first record of the spread of the Gospel in Africa.

The Ethiopian was a man of high social standing and prestige, a court official with considerable influence.  Philip showed genuine interest in the man and his questions.  Philip shared the story of faith with the Ethiopian in his own words.  The story concludes with the Ethiopian responding with joy to his baptism!

In this story, God prepared the situation for the sharing of faith before Philip arrived. It was not up to Philip to change the Ethiopian.  It was his job simply to go and tell as the Spirit gave him opportunity.  There was no high pressure sales technique used, no forced commitments required, and no demands made by Philip.  There was simple telling and invitation.  And God did the rest, bringing the Ethiopian to faith and baptism.

Lutherans Invite! is not about high pressure sales, forced commitments and hard headed demands either.  It is based on the biblical standard of friend-to-friend sharing, care and outreach. In a nutshell, it is about hospitality