When All You Want Is Connection

A year ago, our vicarage Wi-Fi started failing. The router had grown tired, and the signal wouldn’t reach my study. I just needed a new router. Simple, right?

Not at all. Vodafone told me I had to switch to “full fibre” to get one — something I didn’t need. Then they said full fibre wasn’t available. Could I just get a new router for my current connection? No. Could I buy one? No. In the end, I had to switch providers. The new router worked perfectly on the same line, but only after I jumped through unnecessary hoops.

All I wanted was connection.

Paul writes to the Romans about a comparable situation. Christianity grew out of Judaism. Some early believers assumed anyone wanting to follow Jesus had to adopt Jewish laws, customs, and calendars first.

Paul’s response is clear: don’t make Gentiles become Jews to follow Jesus (Romans 14:13–14). But he doesn’t let Gentiles feel superior either. He urges:

“We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak… Each of us should please our neighbour for their good, to build them up.”(Romans 15:1–2)

In short: don’t insist on your way. Build each other up. Meet people where they are, as Jesus did.

The gospel doesn’t require cultural conversion first. Christ has already welcomed you, and we are called to extend that welcome — not with grudging tolerance, but with open hands, hearts, and doors. Paul envisions a church of harmony, encouragement, and hope, not judgment (Romans 15:13).

This principle underpins our Worship Streams. BCP, Common Worship, Allsorts, and Celtic services all point to Christ. None is superior. Differences in worship reflect history, personality, and way of encountering God — and we learn from one another.

As we enter Advent, the challenge is extending that welcome to visitors:

• Welcoming different generations: Making families and newcomers feel included without expecting them to conform.

• Helping visitors feel confident: Guiding them through unfamiliar spaces and routines.

• Creating belonging: Moving beyond handing out service sheets to forming a genuine sense of community.

  
  

This Advent, our mini-course “A Welcome That Reflects Christ” (Fridays at 2 pm, Thursdays at 7.30 pm on Zoom) will explore practical ways to live this out.

If Vodafone frustrates me, I can switch. The gospel doesn’t work like that. Jesus alone welcomes, saves, and restores — and we are entrusted to make that welcome tangible.

The church’s connection should be like good Wi-Fi: clear, strong, and accessible for everyone. No hoops, no hurdles — just the life, hope, and grace Christ offers, freely available for all.