Merry Christmas, Sisters!

Right after I finished with services on Christmas Eve (around 9:30pm), Michael and I loaded up the car and headed south for a whirlwind family visit. Our first stop was Richmond Virginia to share Christmas dinner with Michael's best friend and his family. We ended up spending the night with Stephen, his wife, Gail, and his three adorable children (ages 3, 5 and 7) - good choice, as it afforded us some more focused time with these wonderful friends. As we were sitting around chatting, around 7:30, the phone rang. Gail laughed and showed me the called ID. It said "LDS Missions." The Mormon missionaries. She answered and said, "Merry Christmas, Sisters!"

Now, Gail and Stephen are not what I would call religious types. Not at all. But Gail treats these young people who frequent her neighborhood better than most "religious types" I know would (including myself!). She feels badly for these kids who are away from their families for 18-months to two years, and often survive on Ramon noodles. Being an expert cook and creative homemaker (they tell her she would be a great Mormon wife because she cooks, grows her own vegetables, cans, sews, etc.), she always invites them in for a home cooked dinner. She tells them to bring clothes they need mended and she fixes them. And even though she knows they will never successfully convert her, she lets them do their spiel, asks them questions, learns about their families - and then friends them on Facebook so she can follow up with them when they return from their mission. She is even friends with many of the young missionaries' family members. It is really very sweet.

And so it was that she invited the two girls, or "Sisters" as they are called, to come over and spend the evening with us. A few minutes later, two attractive, conservatively dressed 19-year-olds with very long hair and big smiles arrived at the door, carrying their Bibles, Books of Mormon, hymnals, and an assortment of pamphlets. Everyone greeted everyone else like old friends, with hugs and enthusiasm (except the men - the sisters are not allowed to hug men they are visiting).  

Christmas is one of the two days when missionaries get to talk to their families (the other being Mother's Day), so they were in high spirits. We sat around the kitchen table and asked about their families, and they were delighted to share. Soon enough, my inquisitive husband was asking them questions about their faith. When he asked about their services, they immediately invited him (of course!), and gave him resources where he could find more information. They knew I was a Lutheran minister, but we didn't talk much about Lutheranism, though we did talk about Protestantism in general, and also introduced them to the concept of Unitarianism, which they had never heard of. It was quite a lively and very respectful conversation. Even so, it didn't seem like anyone felt it necessary to act any differently than exactly who they are.

At one point, I asked if they are enjoying being missionaries, and they said yes, very much. I asked what they liked about it. One said, "I love teaching people, and having the chance to tell people about this thing that has made my life so great and meant so much to me." My first thought was, "That's what I get to do every day - for a living!" It is indeed a gift, though it made me a little sad that someone so fulfilled by that does not have the opportunity to do it for a living, because women are not allowed to be in the position equivalent to a pastor (though there are other leadership positions she can take, she said). I was also very interested in the other Sister's answer: She said she likes talking to people who believe differently from her, and hearing such a variety of perspectives and learning about new things and having her eyes opened in ways she would not have otherwise. I thought that was very mature of her, and again, I wished more people would have that same perspective on life.

I was also touched by their willingness to share their faith. As the first Sister said, this has been so important in her life, and made such a positive impression on her, and she enjoys telling people about that. Would my parishioners say the same, that their faith has played an important role in their well-being and happiness? If so, would they be so willing to tell other people about it? I'd like to think that I am willing (gosh I hope so, in this business) - but would I enjoy it enough to go door to door to do it every day for 18 months? Why or why not? And these particular Sisters don't just talk about faith - they have also weeded Gail's garden and done other things to help. For them, sharing their faith is also serving others. It is building relationships. It is being invited into others' lives and coming into them willingly.

Toward the end of our time together, someone suggested we should sing some Christmas carols. The sisters very excitedly also offered a reading from the Bible, and offered to share their hymnbooks with us. Stephen and Michael went to fetch guitars and a laptop to look up chords. And together we sang (in parts!) Hark the Herald Angels Sing, O Little Town of Bethlehem, and the First Noel. Then the girls asked if they could say a prayer with us (I quipped, "Someone else leading the praying? I'm in!") And so we held hands around the table - Mormons, Lutherans, agnostics, Catholics, Unitarians, Methodists, and everything else that the people at that table had experienced being - and we prayed together. It was a little bit awkward, but mostly I thought it was very beautiful. Despite the different expression of faiths present at the table that night, we shared in fellowship together, exchanged ideas, respected each other, and loved each other, and in that, I do believe that God was praised. 

So next time a missionary comes to your door, invite them in. Listen to their story. You might be surprised to find that they will listen to your story, too. And everyone might come out better on the other end.