"The Power of an Invitation"

He sat in her salon. As she was cutting his hair, the conversation turned to the topic of family. His story was not a pretty one. It was a story of brokenness and estrangement from his grown children. This normally strong and gruff man now seemed sad and small as he expressed his regrets. Tonya, then shared her story. It too was a story of estrangement from her dad, but one to which God has brought healing. She then said to the man, my husband and I would love you to spend Christmas Eve with us. She handed him an invitation. If you would like to come to worship with us, we'll even pick you up.

Bud came to me with a big smile on his face and full of praise to God. "Everybody I have put on the wreath has told me they will come to the Christmas Eve service with me." He was so excited to see God working first-hand in the lives of those he loves.

Rose said, "My friend does not go to church. I told her I would come and pick her up." Her friend said, "Yes."

Brenda used Facebook as her invitation. She invited one who said that he was not good enough to come to church. She assured him that at LH you did not need to clean up before you can come. He sent her a message back saying he would be there.

Sometimes I think we underestimate the power of a simple, but personal invitation. Even if the person we invite turns us down, the invitation still shows that we thought enough of them to invite them. Furthermore, personal invitations removes barriers that would otherwise not be overcome. Think about it...all of the people who have been invited to the Christmas Eve services would not have a reason to come with out an invitation. An invitation is not as much about a Christmas Eve service as it is about relationship. When people respond to a personal invitation out of a personal relationship with us, it opens the door to a personal relationship with Christ.

On the first Christmas, God sent an Angel to invite shepherds to come and see the Savior born in the city of David lying in a manger. The shepherds would have never have felt comfortable to go into the presence of the Savior without an invitation. But once they received the invitation and saw the Christ-child, they then went to the streets inviting others to come and see the one they had seen.

Never underestimate the power of an invitation. When we invite people to share with us in our faith journey, we do not go it alone. God is right there in the midst of that invitation because he is the one who seeks and saves that which is lost.

This week we continue praying for the names you have placed on the wreath and we invite you to keep inviting your friends and family to be with you for the Christmas Eve services.