I got to teach confirmation class yesterday. During the
class I said, “At the end of these classes you are going to make a choice about
whether or not you want to become a member of the church. Nobody is going to
force you. It’s going to be your choice.
“And let me tell you, if you don’t have any intentions to do
the stuff that church does, you probably shouldn’t join. That’s how seriously I
take church; that’s how important it is to me.
“If you aren’t going to worship every week, be active in a
small group, give proportionately, serve those in need, and invite others, then
you might think about waiting until you’re ready to do that before becoming a
member of the church.”
Why would I encourage people to join a church?
Honestly … I wouldn’t.
The truth is, I encourage people to follow Jesus, and if
joining a church is the best way for them to do that, brilliant. I’ve heard
plenty of people say, “I don’t need to be in a church to follow Jesus.” Who am
I to argue? I wouldn’t dare limit the capacity of God to work outside of the
parameters of church membership.
There are only two reasons to become a member of a church: support
and accountability. Both of these functions are focused on the church’s mission
- helping people become disciples of Jesus who are changing the world for God’s
sake.
I do not find it easy to be a disciple of Jesus Christ by myself.
The church is a group of people whose mission is (in part) to help me in
my discipleship. Their purpose for
existing is to help people (like me) follow Jesus. That’s a staggering thought.
And it’s reciprocal. At the same time my membership means that
I’ve promised to help others in their discipleship, as well. That means we
support one another and hold one another accountable to our task
- making the world a better place, a place that looks a lot more like God wants
it to.
If you need neither support nor accountability in your
discipleship, don’t join a church.
I’m serious. If you and God are just fine without being a
part of a church, don’t join one.
And if you are not
going to help people become disciples changing the world for God, then don’t
join.
And if you are not
going to accept the help being offered you in your own discipleship, don’t
join.
Said another way: if you are not going to do the stuff that
churches do, you maybe shouldn’t join one.
The church exists because the mission exists, and all the
church does ought to be geared toward that mission. Every activity should be
aligned with supporting discipleship.
And what does that support look like? Nothing revolutionary
here, plenty of books written on the topic, plenty of bishops preaching to
congregations on the subject - it looks like
- worship together every week,
- being a part of a small group for
growth and fellowship,
- giving proportionately of your
income,
- serving others by helping people
who need help, and
- creating a culture of invitation
and hospitality.
These practices are a congregation’s offer of discipleship
support and accountability to people. If you’re not going to accept that offer,
you probably shouldn’t join a church.
“But Andy, I don’t do that stuff, and God and I are doing
fine. Why you gotta be a hater?”
Again, let me assure you that I have no desire to limit what
God is capable of doing outside of the church. I intend no judgment one way or
the other; church membership is not “good” or “bad.” It is simply “helpful,”
for me and for many others, in providing support and accountability for
Christian discipleship.
At the same time, I cannot call a pattern of life Christian
discipleship if it really isn’t. If it quacks like a duck, it probably isn’t a
toothbrush. In order to clarify what I mean when I say Christian discipleship,
let me make five distinctions.
DISTINCTION ONE:
First, I’d make a distinction between weekly worship and
what I’d call “occasional” worship: once a month, once every six weeks, once
and a while. It seems that we often try to fit worship into our schedules, rather
than ordering our entire week around worship. Whether its sports, work, or a
weekend at the lake, worship just slips down the priority list and we tend to
become occasional worshipers rather than weekly.
DISTINCTION TWO:
There is a clear distinction between intentional small group
participation and the frenetic activity and hyper-scheduled lives we tend to
lead. Participation in a small group is where the deepest growth in
discipleship happens, specifically with regard to two practices: faith
formation and fellowship with others. But in order to grow deeply, we have to
slow down, create time and space for the Spirit to move, and truly be present
with a regular small group. When we are rushing from there to here and back
again, there’s no chance to experience that level of growth.
DISTINCTION THREE:
When it comes to our generosity, there’s a big difference
between giving “proportionately” and giving “conveniently.” Proportionate
giving is sharing a percentage of one’s income with the church each pay period,
with the Biblical 10% tithe as the goal. On the other hand, giving “conveniently”
looks like dropping a bill or check (with a random amount always ending in five
or zero) in the plate on those occasional worship Sundays. With electronic
giving options, these days it’s easier than ever to give proportionately. (And
we could have a whole discussion about whether that’s a good thing or not!)
DISTINCTION FOUR:
There’s a distinction to be made between serving “out there”
in the community and serving one’s self. It’s as clear as the distinction
between selfless and selfish. I see a lot of the church serving only the
church, or the family, or the self. Not that there’s anything wrong with that
inherently, but the kind of service Christ calls for is clearly “out there,” in
the community, where it is risky and uncertain and you might get hurt.
Christian service ought to make the world a better place for God’s sake, or
said another way, contribute to the construction of the reign of God on earth.
DISTINCTION FIVE:
Finally, we need to make a distinction between a culture of
invitation and a culture of comfort. A culture of comfort focuses inwardly and
we tend to be withdrawn, awkward with, or even hostile to strangers. Christian
discipleship requires a culture of invitation, in which the church is out and
about in the community, involved with groups and activities that allow us to
make friends with people who are not a part of a church. A culture of
invitation does not have proselytizing the heck out of people as its goal, but
rather the goal is just to become friends with people. Period. God will take
care of the rest.
(To be continued. The
working title for part 2 of this post = “Then Why Bother?”)
