We are handed our bulletin with the order of service when we arrive at St. Alban’s Church in St. Petersburg.  The back page often has articles that might be of interest to the congregation.  This was in Sunday’s one, and I love it.

” A Welcome borrowed from Coventry Cathedral in Coventry, West Midlands, England.

We extend a special welcome to those who are single, married, divorced, widowed, gay, confused, filthy rich, comfortable, or dirt poor.

We extend a special welcome to wailing babies and excited toddlers.

We welcome you whether you can sing like Pavarotti or just growl quietly to yourself.  You’re welcome here if you’re just browsing, just woken up or just got out of prison.  We don’t care if you’re more Christian than the Archbishop of Canterbury, or haven’t been to church since Christmas ten years ago.

We extend a special welcome to those who are over 60 but not grown up yet, and to teenagers who are growing up too fast.  We welcome keep-fit mums, football dads, starving artists, tree-huggers, latte-sippers, vegetarians, junk-food eaters.  We welcome those who are in recovery or still addicted.  We welcome you if you’re having problems, are down in the dumps or don’t like ‘organized religion’. (We’re not that keen on it either!)

We offer a welcome to those who think the earth is flat, work too hard, don’t work, can’t spell, or are here because granny is visiting and wanted to come to the Cathedral.

We welcome those who are inked, pierced, both or neither.  We offer a special welcome to those who could use a prayer right now, had religion shoved down their throat as kids or got lost in the city centre and wound up here by mistake.  We welcome pilgrims, tourist, seekers, doubters ..… and YOU!