As we are nearing our first Friday Night of the Season. I can't help but ask myself the question... "what are we doing?". Friday Nights at McMenamins is not a common practice. It certainly can raise some concerns about the financial cost on the church for hosting a feast at a "northwest staple" for anyone that comes through the door or the time just being spent relationally around the table.
But "What are we doing" isn't a statement of confusion...
It's a remembrance of our intention.
In the gospel of Matthew, Jesus tells the story of a wedding feast. What He's really talking about is the Kingdom of God. At the feast there is the prime of everything; laid out by the King to celebrate His Son. The King tells His servants...
Go therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find.’ And those servants went out into the roads and gathered all whom they found, both bad and good. So the wedding hall was filled with guests.
// Matthew 22:9-10
So what are we doing... we are inviting everyone. We are celebrating Jesus by obey God's instructions to invite all in our daily life to experience what He has for His Kingdom. Sometimes we get boggled down with trying to figure out who to invite. Are they ready for a conversation about Jesus or not? It doesn't matter. Your King has given you an order! Bring everyone. So when we bring our neighbor, our friends, co-workers and others to Friday Night... we are bringing them to experience the life that is in the church. We except nothing more from them, other than to enjoy being in relationship.
We are a relational church. Questions will follow and then we can give the answer to the hope that we have. Why will they ask? Because they've seen the hope first hand in the way we are relational to each other because what Jesus has done for us and the way we invite others into what we have been blessed with.
This is why we invest and create space like our Friday Nights at McMenamins, for relationships to flourish. Friday Nights are a place to invite friends, family, and neighbors to just spend quality time with the church body... and you.
We want to let your friends experience relationship first and let conversations about faith and God happen naturally through your friendship. Friday Nights are about supporting you being a disciple maker.
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