![[Photo of two women embracing]](https://www.deankwilson.com/Blog_images/friends_embracing.jpg)
| Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. |
| —Romans 15:7 |
During this COVID-19 Pandemic, many of us have had to forego worshipping together in order to maintain social distancing and bend the curve of transmission of this dreaded virus. As the “king of social awkwardness,” I have not missed seeing my fellow believers as much as many of you have missed this weekly experience. But, I am not so selfish that I do not understand the importance of meeting togther for worship. In fact, I am one who champions the absolute necessity of Christians gathering together for worship.
By the time you read this blog post, the church that I am privileged to attend will have begun meeting for in-person Worship Services two weeks ago. As I write these words, I have no idea how this “new normal” will actually unfold. But, I do have every confidence that many of my fellow Evangelical Presbyterians will be very glad to see each other. At the same time, they will fight hard to keep from hugging each other, as they are so mightily inclined to do.
The warmth of fellowship we feel when we meet with other believers is profound. That is exactly the spirit within which the Apostle Paul writes to the Christians in Rome in the verse at the beginning of this blog post.
“Let me give you a word of advice,” Paul writes. “Welcome one another in the same way that the Lord Jesus Christ has welcomed you into His Kingdom. His gracious, loving, and enthusiastic welcome for you has come about as a way of giving glory to His Father, God. In this same way, when you welcome each other, you do so to bring glory to God.”
We need to keep this admonition in mind. When we welcome each other with tender hearts and great joy, we bring glory to God. He is our Father, too. And, He delights in the joy of His beloved children. We welcome each other as brothers and sisters, bonded together by the blessed hope that God has given us, through His dearly loved Son, Jesus.
So, when you see one of your fellow believers this day, greet that one warmly. Welcome them in the same way that Christ has welcomed you. If you do, you will bring glory to God. And that, dear ones, is a very, very good thing.
