Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ at Monroe UMC,

Grace to you and peace from Christ, who welcomes us to his table with unconditional love.

Recently, one of our members shared a story that stayed with me — and I want to share it with you.

A couple visited us for Sunday morning worship some time ago. They were moved by the warmth and friendliness they encountered — genuine, gracious hospitality that reflected the best of who we are. So when they heard an invitation to stay for the Potluck Dinner, they did. They were excited. They expected more of the same.

What they found instead broke my heart.

As the room filled, they watched table after table claimed by friends catching up with friends — including people who had greeted them so warmly just an hour before. No one invited them to sit down. No one waved them over. They eventually made their way to an empty table in the far corner and sat alone. Our member told me that someone finally did join them — and it was me, their pastor. No one else came.

They told our member: if they had only attended worship, they would have joined our church. But the Potluck told them a different story — that the welcome didn't extend past the sanctuary doors. And they never came back.

I want to be clear: I am not telling this story to shame anyone. Every one of us has done exactly what those folks did that day — settled in with people we love, without noticing who was sitting alone. It is human. It is understandable.

But we are called to something more.

Scripture reminds us, "Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers" (Hebrews 13:2). And Jesus himself said, "Whatever you did — or did not do — for the least of these, you did for me" (Matthew 25:40, 45). That couple in the corner wasn't just a missed connection. They were a moment with Christ that slipped through our hands.

The good news is this: we already know how to do this. The warmth you showed in worship that morning was real. It was beautiful. It just needs to follow us out of the sanctuary, into the fellowship hall, into the parking lot, and into every space where someone might be wondering if they truly belong here.

Let's make sure no one ever has to wonder again.

In Christ's love, Pastor Jeff