Worship and Hospitality

Jesus lives again; earth can breathe again.
Pass the Word around: loaves abound!
~ FRED KAAN, 1975

At First Presbyterian Church, we strive to reflect the radical hospitality of God in all aspects of our common life and ministry—in worship (“our journey upward”), in faith formation (“our journey inward”), and in community life (“our journey together”). One way we live out our hospitality in our church life is through the regular practice of “open communion.”

We welcome everyone to the Lord’s Table—regardless of denominational or church affiliation. The invitation to the Table is extended to all, remembering that access to the Table is not a right conferred upon the worthy, but a privilege given to the undeserving who desire to follow Jesus Christ in faith, repentance, and love.

If you desire to see Jesus Christ more clearly, love him more dearly, and follow him more nearly, then you are invited to share in the Feast.

I hope those paragraphs are fairly familiar to most of you. These three paragraphs, or words similar, are usually included in the order of worship on those Sundays when we celebrate the Sacrament. These words remind us who we are and what we believe. “This saying is completely reliable and should be universally accepted: Christ entered the world to rescue sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15). God so loved the world. Everyone is welcome. No exceptions!

Let’s pass these expressions of hospitality and grace along to our friends and acquaintances and neighbors. Pass the Word around!

Let us build a house where love is found
In water, wine and wheat:
A banquet hall on holy ground,
Where peace and justice meet.
Here the love of God, through Jesus,
Is revealed in time and space;
As we share in Christ the feast that frees us:
All are welcome, all are welcome,
All are welcome in this place.
-MARTY HAUGEN