Where everybody knows your name...

You could barely call yourself a child of the 80’s if you did not watch the popular television sitcom, “Cheers.”  It was about a sports bar in Boston and how the lives of the patrons and employees played out and overlapped.

As popular as the show itself was, what I think we most looked forward to each week was hearing—and singing along to-- the theme song, Where Everybody Knows Your Name. This song has received critical acclaim and was voted as the best TV theme song of all time by both a 2011 Rolling Stones Magazine reader’s poll as well as the editors of TV Guide in 2013.  Recently, that song ran through my head at a place that should provide an even greater welcome than a sports bar—church.

While walking across the auditorium on my way to sing with the worship team that Sunday morning, I spotted a newer friend and called him by name, adding how wonderful it was to see him that morning, then proceeded to take my place among the other background vocalists. Following the service, this gentleman made straight for me and with tears in his eyes, related how much it meant to him to have me greet him by name and say I was glad to see him there that day. He also stopped my husband and shared the same with him.

See, this gentleman has been walking a tough path lately. The road of life is often rough and steep and we sometimes feel lost and alone. Does anyone know or care about the burden we may be carrying? Does anyone even know who we are?

The popular sitcom tune’s lyrics read:

Making your way in the world today takes everything you’ve got

Taking a break from all your worries sure would help a lot

Wouldn’t you like to get away…

Sometimes you wanna go…

Where everybody knows your name

And they’re always glad you came

You wanna be where you can see

The troubles are all the same.

You wanna be where everybody knows your name

And isn’t that what we all want? Isn’t it what church should be all about? Reaching out to people around us, getting to know who they are and part of their story—letting them know they matter. That’s exactly what Jesus did—what He desires of us.

Wouldn’t it be great if we could turn church into a place that is so welcoming that people couldn’t wait to get in the doors? What if church was like “Happy Hour”… a place where people felt welcome, comfortable, able to share their struggles and receive support and encouragement (that didn’t come in the form of alcohol!). I think it would please God if we took more time to make church a place, “where everybody knows your name…” because He’s into remembering things like our names.

Isaiah 49:16 reads, “Behold, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands;…” Our names are that important to Him.