An Answer to Prayers?

I think I have been reading too much fiction lately. I'm letting my imagination run away. Recently I gave a big talk on the need for the church to more actively and intentionally invite people in-- remembering our commission to make disciples for Jesus Christ. The next morning, we had two visitors. It was almost spooky.
The first visitor was a man who walked in through the 23rd Street doors, well dressed, and walked up the aisle to sit in the second row. He never broke eye contact with me, participated in worship, and stuck out like a sore thumb in our all-white church. I was thrilled.
About ten or fifteen minutes later, one of our senior members walked in, and a teenage male trailed her. He was wearing a t-shirt and torn jeans, carrying a skateboard. Pretty much everyone in there assumed he was her grandson, I think.
After the worship service, I spoke with both visitors, learning that the first one needed some financial help and food to feed his family until his paycheck came. He had walked from 40 highway to 23rd street in the cold to get help. Of course we welcomed him, fed him, prayed with him, and made sure we could meet his needs as well as possible. He stayed for Sunday school and the second service, then somebody took him home, so he wouldn't have to walk. We haven't seen him again, so I hope he is doing well.
The second visitor had disturbingly blue eyes, and when I welcomed him, he said he had been skateboarding on church parking lots on Sundays, waiting for someone to invite him in. He said we were the first to ever do just that. Of course we welcomed him, fed him, (we feed people well-) and he got a personal teen escort to Sunday school and stayed for second service. He didn't fill out a visitor form, and the teen girl said he lived near her grandparents, members, but we've never seen him again.
I know logically that it's been snowy several Sundays, and that we should have insisted on him filling out a form-- but I can't help wondering (in my imagination, at the least) if he wasn't some kind of divine visitor. I know it's goofy, but he seemed to show up right after we talked about how we needed to welcome everyone, not just those who look or act or dress like us-- and he and the first man were definately not like us! It just felt like a test, sort of, and now I worry whether we passed it or not. I think I've been thinking too much. I do hope and pray we showed good hospitality and that these people will tell others about us and come back. And that we passed the divine test--

Numbers and Follow-Through

It's a good thing I take my running more seriously than my resolution to blog! I haven't written since January 17th, and then didn't post it. Pretty pathetic.
I have been busy , never the less. I'm trying to figure out how to energize and motivate the folks at church. They just can't seem to stay consistently fired up. I don't know why. They don't stay fired up over two weeks, at the longest. And I know they mean well.
It seems to me somehow we need to reach our church neighbors, by getting to know them, but how, I don't know. I'm chicken to go by myself to visit, and can't get anybody to go with me. What to do?
Some of the newer ministers are undertaking an online covenant group; I have joined it, and hopefully we'll somehow help each other. On the upside, at least when it's my turn to write, someone will actually read the blog!
Last week's service for Ash Wednesday only had 9 people. And it was a good service! I had changed the altar to a simple array of pillar candles and the cross, and dimmed the lights, hoping to do something different. The 9 there noticed... whoopee. Something has got to give! Or maybe I should be asking to be moved, I don't know.
I do wish I could increase my congregation attendance like I increase running mileage. Even at 10% per month, it would be great. We did have a new member join last week-- that's a bright spot! Maybe we can reach somebody else this week! I'd like to say I have new folks when I go before the BOM, and they ask why I lost 8 folks last year and attendance is down 10 from last year...