I have a pigeon coop that houses six adult white homing pigeons named Snowflake, Snowball, Snowstorm, Snowman, Snowfall, and Snowbank (OK, I’m kidding about the names. They all look the same to me). The birds have the freedom to fly, which they do during the day, always coming home to roost at night. I had a pleasant surprise recently when I entered the coop at dusk. At first I thought one of the pigeons was soiled, as if it had rolled in the dirt. Then I realized it was a new bird, we’ll call him (her) Dusty, definitely a bird of a different feather, color-wise.
Apparently Dusty met the flock out on one of their flights and decided to follow them home. I hope the same for my other flock, the flock I call Mayfair-Plymouth Church where I serve as pastor. My prayer for my church, and every church, is that each and every one of us would invite someone else, who may not necessarily be just like us, to come join the flock at our church.
Watching more closely, I noticed that Dusty keeps a distance from the other birds. When I shooed Dusty over to the others so I could take the group photo you see above, the white birds began to peck at the newcomer. It occurred to me that we can invite someone to join the local church flock, or they may just show up on their own, but that doesn’t mean they’ll feel welcome! Are we so comfortable with our little group of friends that the newcomer feels unwelcome? Do we so protect our corner of the roost (usually a certain pew or chair) that if someone new dares sit in our spot, or even near enough forcing us to move over, that they feel picked on?
I hope Dusty eventually feels at home with my flock. I hope the same for any who come to join my “other” flock.
Dave
Blog 
Pastor Dave,
I read with interest this posting. I have been a visitor with your “other flock” several times. No one pecked at me or made me feel like an outsider. To the contrary, everyone made me feel very welcome and invited me back. The church is quite a distance from home. My budget for gas is very small, but I did find a new church home a couple of miles from my home which is good as I previously visited there as well for quite some time and now feel at home again.
I shared with my co-worker that I will visit you and your flock again and wanted you to know although I am not in the flock so to speak I feel like I am as I get the print outs of your Sunday messages and read them on the bus to work. I wanted you to know when I finish with them, sometimes I leave them there for the next rider perhaps pick up to check out your messages. They are filled with spiritual renewal!
There is a song with these lyrics, “What if God were one of us?! Just a stranger on the bus!” I forget the rest, but I often see riders and wonder, God lives among us and could just be that rider next us on the bus, in the pew, on the planeto in the office, …..trying to get our attention, our time, our spirits to focus on Him. Have a great rest of the week!