(Photo Credit Unsplash – Nick Fewings)
By Marrick Reeve
“Thank you for being open to the community and offering this.” A man sat in the foyer of the church, resting his legs and warming up for a minute while his brother and his nephew carried candles up to the front of the church during the Halloween Evening of Prayer*. “It’s my pleasure,” I responded as I offered him a hot chocolate.
A family entered the church, and out of reverence, respect, and recognition that this was a holy place, they removed their shoes just like Moses did, standing before the burning bush before carrying their candles up to the front and placing them at the feet of Jesus in the Eucharist. As the father helped his younger son, I struck up a conversation with the school-aged daughter as she put her shoes back on. They don’t practice another religion, but she does go to one of the schools in our area. They had recently moved here from India, and she was grateful for the hot chocolate to keep her warm.
As a student I work with at one of the schools exited the church, she loudly exclaimed, “That was awesome! I’m happy we got to do that.” I have visited this student’s classroom every week for a year, and those are the most words I have ever heard her say. “Why was it awesome?” I asked. “I got to light a candle. It was just different.” She responded.
All of these people, each with their own unique life story, were invited to spend a moment with Jesus – to meet Him face to face, whether they recognized Him or not. What they noticed was a welcoming and open environment, where they were greeted with smiles to warm the heart and hot chocolate to warm the body. We are body-soul people, and equitable care for both is of utmost importance.
“As I sat in adoration, I just looked at all those candles flickering and prayed for all the people who lit them. I want them to know Jesus.” A parishioner who had come to spend time in prayer made sure to pray for all those who lit a candle. It was a sentence free of judgment and reservation and so very full of care and love. Even though the parishioner didn’t know their names, their stories, or their beliefs, the hope in his voice was palpable – hope that each of these people would come to know and love Jesus and that their lives would be changed for the better.
As a parish, we are more than a building – we are a community. Each week, we gather at the Lord’s banquet to celebrate the great feast of the Eucharist – a weekly invitation to encounter Jesus face to face in the Eucharist and in one another. Whether they walk through the church doors on Sunday morning or not, every person has been sent an invitation to Christ’s feast. “For, ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.’ But how are they to call on one in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in one of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone to proclaim him? And how are they to proclaim him unless they are sent? So, faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the word of Christ.” (Romans 10:13-15,17). We are not asked to keep the doors closed and to stay inside. We are the messengers of Christ’s invitation, and it is our mission to go beyond the doors of our church building and to share the Gospel in the way that we live.
In this season of Advent, when the world trudges through the hustle and bustle of secular Christmas, may we as a parish extend peace, joy, love, and hope to everyone: the overworked salesperson, the person who does not drive well, the family members that aren’t easy to get along with, and the unfamiliar faces in our pews. May the heart of Advent touch all those who come through the doors for the first time or the first time in a while. May it also go beyond the doors of the church building and radiate into every crevice of our homes and of our lives, especially in this season focused on giving, sharing, and preparing.
We are Jesus’ hands and feet on this earth. Jesus didn’t sit in the temple and wait for people to come to him. He met people where they were. He met them on the street, at the well, and in their homes, and those who encountered Jesus face to face, with their hearts open (even just a sliver) were left changed for the better. May we, as the body of Christ, meet people where they are (which may even be in the pews), learn their names, and share Christ’s invitation to the great feast with every person we encounter in our daily lives. May we throw open the doors of the church and go beyond, taking the hope and love of Christ, creating a space for an encounter with Jesus for all, and allowing room for change in our hearts and others.
*Halloween Evening of Prayer is an annual event where trick-or-treaters are invited into the church to light a candle, say a prayer, and spend time with Jesus in Eucharistic Adoration. They receive treats and hot chocolate on the way out. The goal is for everyone to feel welcomed in the building and to provide an opportunity for an encounter with Christ.
Marrick currently works as the Youth Ministry Coordinator at Christ the King Parish in Regina. She spent two years serving with NET Ministries (one year in PEI, Canada and one year in Cork, Ireland), and misses being close to the ocean. When she’s not planning youth group, in the schools doing classroom visits, or running retreats, you can probably find her at a local coffee shop or at home working on her calligraphy technique.
