Invitations at the Edge // Rev. Matt Kennedy // Sep 07 2025

Even the most introverted of us probably know the pain of "not being invited" to a party. It's hard to get through life without feeling left out at some point. Exclusive groups are common to human nature as we tend to gather with people most like us. But just because something is biologically or sociologically "natural" does not make it entirely good. The gospel often prods us to move beyond our natural instincts to exert ourselves into the supernatural. More than once Jesus compared God's Kingdom to a great party where invitations are extended not just to "family and friends" or those who can benefit you, but to invite, "invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind..." to those on the margins of society (Luke 14:12-14).One of our priorities in this congregation is to be people who are Reaching Out to our neighbors with the good news of Jesus by sharing our resources and creating a hospitable atmosphere, but also to have "habits of invitation" to come and see what Christ is doing in our lives. Our natural inclination will be to extend invitations to those we're closest to (friends and family), but scripture frequently tells us God has a special affection for those far from society's center. So our effort this week is to consider where and how we are reaching out to those beyond the comforts of what is familiar, to look for the overlooked, especially to those who's invitations elsewhere are sparse.