June 1, 2026
Beloved of God,
Many of us have received an invitation to a party in which someone urges us to come “plus one”. “Plus one” means that the person throwing the party is hoping we won’t just bring ourselves, but a friend or a family member as well.
In other words, the person thinks it would be “the more, the merrier”.
God invites us to come to His party at church every Sunday. He loves it when we show up at it, and He loves it whenever we bring someone else with us to join in the joy of it. God takes pleasure in just our being there; but God always thinks it’s “the more, the merrier”.
As of late, many of the scriptures around which we shape Sunday worship have spoken of God’s desire that we practice evangelism and reach out to include others in our joyful life in God’s grace.
Some of us are trying to figure how we, in our context, and with our abilities and opportunities, can fulfill that call to make things “the more, the merrier”.
One thing any of us can do is participate in a church activity “plus one”.
If we find some church activity meaningful and delightful to us – whether it be worship, a service opportunity, a fellowship event, a music event or a church outing – and if we genuinely care about someone we think might also like it, we have all it takes to be invitational and to reach out to invite them to join us in it.
Of course, we won’t always have someone who wants to come along with us to an activity. But, even if our effort to bring a “plus one” doesn’t work out, someone will have been touched by our kind, well-intentioned efforts to include them in something by which we think they would be blessed.
Even when we can’t come with a “plus one”, God loves it when we join a party He throws. He’s grateful that we tried to share the joy of it, and He’d be further grateful if, without a “plus one” we brought, we’d take that as an opportunity to reach out to someone who came by someone else’s invitation or who came by their own initiative. He’d love to see us warmly welcome them, include them in our conversational circles, help them find their way around and bless them with the feeling of having been noticed, respected and valued.
The summer months provide extra chances to do such because June, July and August often occasion an extra number of visitors. For most people who move in a given year do so in the summer, and most newcomers are seeking to experience community and to make new friends. Some of them think of church as an opportune place for that happening.
As Genesis 12:1-3 makes clear, though God blesses us for our own sake, He also blesses us that we might be a blessing to others. Let us reach out however we can, that we might fulfill God’s call to invite others to join us in the joy of His loving grace!
Warmly in Christ,
Rob & Adele
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