Strange title for a blog, but that was my phone number when I was a girl.  The old black phone on the counter was to be used only for short important calls.  My mom taught me well, I had to memorize my number in case I was ever away from home and needed to call her.  I never did, but the number stuck.  A simple four-digit number.  I knew when the operator said, “number please,” I could proudly say 1018.

There were so few numbers to remember in those days.  Phone, house number (12), and the fire alarm box down on the corner (23).  With those few numbers, we could function quite well.  The grey cells in our brains could relax for many years, until a new phenomenon arrived – Passwords!

I’m wondering if we have passwords at church.  My first response was oh no, of course not.  But think about it.  Do we have a denominational password:  Lutherans over here, Catholics over there.  Shouldn’t be so in our one Christian apostolic church but let’s be honest.  Visit a church of a different denomination.  Would you feel uncomfortable, like you didn’t have the password?  How about visitors to our church?  Are they at home with our traditions or do feel like they need a password to understand what’s going on?  Can we keep the beautiful traditions of our worship, and still welcome all into the experience?  Food for thought.

Fortunately, our Jesus has made our faith very simple, no passwords needed.
“ I am the way, and the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.”  John 14:6

He is our password.  He is the key.  He opens the way for us.  Thanks be to God that he has made it so simple.

Judy