Welcome to "Tuesday Morning"—always "fair and balanced" encouragement for Christians everywhere. And biblically sound! Thanks for joining us today.

 

Several years after we were married, Madelyn and I returned one Sunday morning to visit the church of her childhood in her home town. She had not been back to her home church for a number of years—in fact, this was the first time since we were married that we had an opportunity to visit her church. After completing high school she moved to California to work at Pasadena College (now Point Loma University), where we met and eventually married. That Sunday I parked our car in the church parking lot and we were about to open our doors when I saw in my rear-view mirror a man standing near the rear of our car, between our car and the one parked next to it. My first reaction was, "Wow! They've got greeters right here on the parking lot, poised to welcome us to the church!" I was impressed. When I stepped out of the car, I expected the man to say, "Welcome to First Church. We are so glad you are here today." Instead, the man nodded his head in our direction and said nothing. Actually, he was not there to greet us. He was waiting for us to step away from our car so he could remove something from his car parked next to ours. We proceeded into the church and signed the guest register.  No one recognized Madelyn as a former member, and no one said anything to me at all. Eventually an older lady in the church recognized my wife, and we were directed to a Sunday school class for adults. The morning went down hill from there.

 

That was nearly 50 years ago, but the memory of that morning has never faded. First impressions are lasting impressions. What would have happened if that man had been a greeter, welcoming people as they parked their cars? What would have changed if someone—anyone—had recognized that we were not regular attendees and had tried to make us feel at home? What if someone had introduced themselves to us, or even asked us if we were visitors? The story might have had a different ending. Neither of us have had a reason to re-visit the church since then.

 

In a church or in a business, it is so very important to be aware of strangers, to engage them in conversation, to explain in positive ways what we do and why we are there, and to extend a hand of fellowship to them. The topic of this week's "Tuesday Morning" is "Clueless." It is attached below. It is not a video game. It is not "theater" of any kind. It is a call to pull the uninformed—the "clueless"—close to our side. For what purpose? To introduce them to Jesus. Basically, that is what the Great Commission is all about—introducing people to the Savior. Continue reading below whenever you are ready, and then go out looking for the clueless. As I say at the end of the attachment, "They are everywhere."

 

Tom Barnard

A Senior Encourager

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Clueless

Tom Barnard

 

I

 used to think that the term “clueless” was a synonym for the word “stupid.” I have changed my mind on that one. The term implies a lack of information, misinformation, or a certain naiveté. And in some cases, it can be a very good thing. I’ll explain.

 

I love stories in the New Testament where the people were clueless about Jesus and his mission to the world. In Jerusalem it was the first day of the week leading up to Passover. Unknown to most of the citizens of Jerusalem, Jesus was about to enter their city. He had been in the city before, and whenever he came to town, something memorable happened. When he approached the city this time, he was riding on a donkey—not exactly a politically correct thing to do. Early risers near the entrance to the city that day spotted him, and a crowd soon gathered. Excitement was beginning to build. A friendly mob formed and followed him into the city. Here is how Matthew described it:

 

“He was the center of the procession, and the crowds all around him were shouting, ‘Praise God for the Son of David! Bless the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Praise God in highest heaven!’ The entire city of Jerusalem was stirred as he entered, ‘Who is this?’ they asked. And the crowds replied, ‘It’s Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.’” (Matthew 21:10, 11)

 

They said the right words, but the mob had no idea about what was going to happen. Jesus would be dead in five days. But the mob didn’t see it coming. They were clueless. The contrasts that day were stark:

 

The mob shouted praises…Jesus wept.
The mob looked for a warrior riding in a chariot…They got a carpenter riding on a donkey.
The mob wanted hype…They got a healer.
The mob wanted a prophet…They got a man who fulfilled prophecy.
The mob wanted a guy with a scepter…They got a guy who would die before he would rule.
The mob got nothing they asked for, but everything they needed. If they had only known….

 

Last week a Christian College president reported to some of his colleagues on the events of the first week of classes at their school. A few days earlier he had met socially with a group of incoming students who had transferred from other universities. He asked them to tell about the most surprising thing they had experienced during that week in the new setting. One student said the thing that impressed her most was the fact that professors prayed before class. Praying before class was a surprise? Yes. And many in the new-student group agreed with her. There were other things that impressed them, of course, but the fact that professors began each class with prayer was at the top of their list of lasting first impressions. Until that first day in class they had been clueless about one of the differences between a Christian education and a secular education. They had been uninformed, but that was about to change…for the good.

 

What’s the point here? That Christian colleges encourage prayer before classes and other colleges don’t? No. The point is that wherever Christians meet, caring happens. Where Christ’s followers gather, people are accepted for what they are. People who don’t understand this aren’t stupid. They are just uninformed.

 

When people enter your place of business for the first time, what sets your workplace apart from other workplaces in town? When people enter your church for the first time, looking for a place to worship, are they treated like VIPs, or strangers? When new clients do business with you, is there something about the transaction that separates you from other business people? There should be.

 

Wherever Christ is present, the uninformed or misinformed or naïve should find openness, caring, and a commitment to the Savior. In Jerusalem that day, the mob was clueless, but that was about to change. You can create that change where you work or worship. Watch for clueless people. They are everywhere.