GREET ONE ANOTHER …

by Dr. Randy Tompkins

Paul admonishes the church at Corinth to “Greet one another with a holy kiss.” – 2 Corinthians 13:12. There have been many informal comments and jokes concerning this one verse. I would like to give you a unique view about greeting one another.

Several years ago, I was asked to conduct a training session at a church in northern Louisiana immediately following the morning worship service. When I pulled into the gravel parking lot there were only two other cars in the lot and two dogs that came to my car. One dog positioned himself immediately in front of the car, sat down, and stared at me. The second dog came around to the driver’s door, panting and wagging his tail. I was not concerned with the dog at the door. I was concerned with the dog at the front of the car. He was not moving, just staring.

After a few minutes, I realized I could not stay in the car forever. But what was I to do? I couldn’t outrun the dog. I probably couldn’t out flank the dog. However, a decision needed to be made. I decided the only course of action was to exit the car and acknowledge the dog staring at me from in front of my car. As I exited the car, I patted the dog who was wagging his tail and he went on his way. I then looked at the other dog. He did not move but followed my every movement with his eyes and head. I stopped and looked directly into his eyes and said, “How are you doing?”

The dog immediately nodded his head, stood, and moved to the next car that had just entered the parking lot. How interesting. I walked to the side of the building and watched. Each car that came into the parking lot of that church on that day was greeted by the dog. HE WAS THE CHURCH GREETER!

This was a unique approach to greeting one another. As I observed the arrival of church members, I saw a warm greeting exchanged between the greeter and the church members.

Visitors at first were not sure what was going on but warmed to the idea when a church member presented an explanation. Many visitors would go to the dog and give him a pat on the head. People who arrive at church should be warmly greeted, either by a “holy kiss”, a firm handshake, or a nod from the dog.

In Christ’s Service,