I have a fondness for old time country music. If you dig down deep enough, you find my Southern Appalachian redneck roots which is why I guess I like country music. Sometimes I’ll listen to it in the car, which is what I was doing early this morning on the way to the hardware store.

One of the songs I heard was “The Outlaw’s Prayer” by Johnny Paycheck. Released in the late 1970’s he told about the time he finished up a show Saturday night and stayed over through Sunday waiting for a flight. On Sunday morning he went walking to “clear my head” and ended up in front of a large church listening to the music.

Boy, I could hear that singin’ way out in the street, sure was a beautiful sound.
So I just walked up the steps an’ opened the door an’ started to go inside an’ sit down.
But before I could, a young man walked over to me an said: “Excuse me, Sir,
“But I can’t let you in with that big black hat, those jeans, that beard an’ long hair.

Later the song becomes a rant about the excesses of money and privilege, typical of the themes in the outlaw country music of the time.

Still the words of the song jostles something inside me. How many times do we make it clear that some particular type of person is not welcome in church? Are they too over-dressed? Are they too under-dressed? Are they from the wrong tribe? Are they unwelcome because they don’t know the customs of our congregation or tribe? Are they an imposition because if we talk to them, we can’t talk to our friends?

How many times do my own actions say, “But I can’t let you in.”

May we have the heart of Christ to accept people as they are, as God’s precious children, even when really don’t want to accept them.