Grace Notes 2025-01-22

A Pastor colleague of mine in the South Wisconsin District shared with me some of the things his congregation has been trying in recent years to meet folks in their surrounding community. He believed their congregation’s recent numerical growth could be attributed to their success in ‘Meeting and Greeting’ more people. I love that expression: Meet and Greet.

If we wait for people to come to us, especially on Sunday Morning at the Divine Service, we will not likely have the opportunity to meet many folks in the surrounding community. Certainly, individually we have a chance to meet people all the time in the places we live, work, and play. And this should count for a lot if we are learning, endeavoring, and finding the boldness to witness to Christ.

That said, there is also great value in our congregation being able to meet and greet people in the surrounding community. That is because the very vitality, adventure, sense of belonging, fun, and caring of our congregation family is an effective witness to the Gospel of our Lord Jesus. Christ is seen in his full body, with all the members working and playing in harmony.

There are ways we can be very overt in our witness together, as in presenting a Christian concert, having a Bible Study, doing a presentation, or ministering in service to those with various needs. Here the Bible is read, spoken, proclaimed, and taught. Here also helping hands minister to others in the Name of Jesus.

There are also ways we can meet and greet people less overtly, with less of an overriding agenda, and accordingly with less intimidation to those who are either unfamiliar with Christianity or who have grown cold or antagonistic to the Faith. But the point is simply to encounter people and then to meet and greet them in a low key but fun way. An ice cream social, or the showing of a family movie might be two examples. But the point is, we need to come up with plans for meeting and greeting people in our community.

Since You Asked…

What does the Pastor’s Stole signify? (the stole is the colored strip of cloth that loops around the back of the neck and hangs from both shoulders)

The stole represents a yoke such as would be used to link and employ an ox with a plow or cart. When a work animal is yoked to a task, that animal comes under the rule and guidance of its master. As Christians we are to be yoked to Christ (cf. Mt. 11:28-30). We are to fear, love, serve, and obey the Lord Jesus Christ. The Pastor’s stole is therefore not only a sign of ordination in the Lutheran Church, but it visibly reminds the whole congregation of our servant hood to Christ.