At the front door of the church today, I had an encounter with a nice couple who are considering joining the church. And they begin to ask about the membership questions...
Point of reference: in Christian denominations, the membership questions are traditionally variants on these three ideas:
1) Is Jesus your Lord and Savior?
2) Is the Bible unique and authoritative for you?
3) Will you give to this church of your time, treasure, and talent?
Fair questions.
But this couple, as have many others in the time I've been in my present parish, wondered whether they could answer these questions affirmatively. Their decision to join the church was hanging in the balance.
What do I say?
Of course, I recognize that there's room in every life for a healthy measure of doubt. These are bright, educated adults. They have been exposed to a world of religious pluralism, they have cobbled together a life of meaning that hasn't relied on any church identification, let alone on exclusive identification with a single set of teachings. They love our church, they love being in a spiritual community, but they just don't feel right about the core questions.
I'd guess that the major issue with this couple, and most of the people who recoil at the membership questions, is that there is virtually no other institution that people are a part of in life today that requires or asks our full commitment--at the exclusion of other commitments. We are used to being treated like consumers, free to choose our path according to our own needs. VERY rarely do today's New Yorkers come into contact with an entity that tells them they don't have choice. This is especially true when it comes to beliefs. If there's anything sacred in New York, it's the idea that you're entitled to your beliefs and I'm entitled to mine.
Membership questions are SO passe.
So, what do I say in response?
I say that Jesus is central to the Christian tradition and there is no Christian faith without a relationship with Jesus; the Bible has to be something that you read and encounter. Embracing those truths is part of a person's embrace of this tradition. (BTW, no one questions the third point; they're happy to give time and money... it's just that whole JESUS thing that trips 'em up...)
What do you think?
Sociologically, in terms of institutions and institution-building, can you have an institution that has at its center a set of initiation questions that don't really mean anything? I mean, basically we're asking people to identify a flimsy relationship with Jesus and the Bible and give some money every now and then. Is that what we should be asking people when they join?
Maybe we need to be asking for more? Is it true, do you think, that setting a higher bar for membership in an institution yields greater dedication to that institution?
Maybe we need to steer clear of beliefs altogether. Maybe our questions should be:
1) Will you feed the hungry?
2) Give shelter to the homeless?
3) Will you welcome the stranger?
Would you rather join an institution that set a lower bar for membership and let you do your own thing or an institution that held you to more rigorous standards?
I feel we have lowered the bar everywhere else. We are to the point where hockey moms, who were once PTA presidents are VP material. When it comes to a community of faith, we want doers of the word. I am reminded of the scripture where God says He will spew the "lukewarm" Christians from His mouth, He would rather us be hot or cold. If you cannot even admit Jesus Christ is your savior- then you are not ready to be a part of a Christian community. You have some growth to do. It is step one. You really cannot get past that. It is like trying to run when you have not learned to walk. Impossible. It is not mean, or harsh to say this. Jesus says just as much in the scriptures. Anyone may come, but they have to want to be in the community, that means loving Christ and accepting Him as your savior, which is not a flimsy thing to say; clearly since the couple cannot seem to do it, it must hold power.
ReplyDeleteI don't know what it means to accept Jesus as my Lord and Savior. I've had conversations about this with others and haven't really received an explanation. When I became a member of my church, I agreed with the 3 questions and at the same time breathed a silent prayer that I didn't know what Lord and Savior means and asked God if I could continue to follow the path. I didn't get an immediate response, but after being chosen as an Elder of the church and strove to build the church family through performing the services that Jesus commanded, I believe I received my answer.
ReplyDeleteHey, Jesus loves us whether or not we belong to a Christian Club, but it can be easier to do God's will if you got some brethren beside you. Since I joined, our church has changed our 3 questions so that others wouldn't have to cross their fingers while saying, "I will" and still profess to follow Jesus and support each other. We each hold the bar and it's only as high or low as we make it.