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<\/a><\/p>\nIn a world in which a premium is placed on having what we want, when we want it\u2026<\/p>\n
In a society in which we our constantly told that every need can be met, and every problem can be solved\u2026<\/p>\n
In a culture in which we are bombarded with images of false perfection and, static idealism\u2026<\/p>\n
In a community in which everyone is expected to remain part of a mobile workforce willing to forgo the growing of\u00a0deep roots for fear of missing out on opportunities to advance our status\u2026<\/p>\n
I can think of few things\u00a0more counter-culturally necessary than joining a church.<\/p>\n
Why? Because the church (if done right) is one of the only places on the planet in which the people around you will tell you that\u00a0you can\u2019t have everything you want, when you want it; every need cannot be met, every problem cannot be solved, and nobody is perfect; idealism is an illusion, and all the upward mobility in the world cannot\u00a0make you safe and happy.<\/p>\n
Church membership is not only relevant, it is\u00a0a radical act of defiance to the self-service god\u2019s of our culture. A church that does not promise to meet your every need offers you the space to look inside your own soul to the source of what is killing you. This church offers you\u00a0the space to stop waiting on those around you to\u00a0fix themselves, and to look at your own life instead. Only when the church stops providing you the pacifier that keeps you quiet\u00a0without any real\u00a0nourishment, will you finally begin to ask the hard questions your soul\u00a0is calling you to ask.<\/p>\n
Joining a church is subversive. It requires the kind of ego-bending commitment out of which a true soul can be forged. What could be more essential to our sense of self, helpful to our pursuit of wholeness, and basic\u00a0to human flourishing than to learn how to tell the truth about our lives while living in fidelity to other broken people?<\/p>\n
To be fair, churches don\u2019t always make it easy. We have to confess that we can make membership obsolete when, like\u00a0whitewashed tombs, everyone puts on a good show of having it all together. Instead of relating in our weakness, we relate in a false sense of strength. It\u2019s counterproductive. Membership in a community that has not yet learned how to be real with each other? Why Bother?<\/p>\n
Joining a ragamuffin community, however, a church full of broken people who are committed to try and worship Christ in all things? That can be nothing short of miraculous. Don\u2019t get me wrong. It will\u00a0be difficult. You will be disappointed and hurt. You will be let down and disillusioned. Yet, a church that refuses to fix everything for you, to meet your needs, or to provide you with religious goods and services offers a great gift.<\/p>\n
I often find myself telling my congregation:\u00a0everything we need in order to flourish is already here in this church<\/em>. All it takes is a bunch of followers of Jesus who are willing to try and tell the truth about their lives, and to commit to living in fidelity with one another as they pursue God\u2019s kingdom, and miracles can happen. But none of it works without fidelity. None of it moves forward without forgiveness, and bearing with one another in love. When that happens, resurrection happens\u2026 new creation happens. \u00a0It\u2019s a thing of beauty. Love is fidelity over time. The church is meant to be a community of love, and it doesn\u2019t work without fidelity.<\/p>\nThe church is one of the only institutions I know of (along with marriage) in which we are commanded to bear with one another even when other people don\u2019t live up to their end of the bargain. That\u2019s what a covenantal relationship is all about. A contract says, if you do this, I\u2019ll do that<\/em>. A covenantal says, even if you don\u2019t to that, I\u2019ll still do this<\/em>. I\u2019ll never stop forgiving, loving, bearing with you because God is like that.<\/p>\nHere are the covenant commitments we make to each other every year on Pentecost Sunday at Redemption Church. Brand new members and old crusty Redemptionites all repeat the commitments together. The lines are adapted from the baptismal liturgy in the Book of Common Prayer:<\/p>\n
Do you believe in God the Father Almighty, and trust only in the blood of Christ and the renewing grace of the Holy Spirit for your salvation? (We Do)<\/p>\n
Do you commit yourselves to Redemption Church, to love and serve her through your prayers, your presence, your gifts, your service and your faithful devotion? (We Do)<\/p>\n
Will you continue in the teachings of the scriptures, in fellowship with one another, with the breaking of bread together, and in prayer for one another? (We Will)<\/p>\n
Do you seek to persevere in faithfulness, resisting evil, and, whenever you fall into sin, to repent and return always to the Lord? (We Do)<\/p>\n
Will you proclaim by the words you say, and by the way you live, the Good News of God in Christ? (We Will)<\/p>\n
Do you commit yourselves to \u201cseek first the kingdom of God,\u201d and to serve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbor as yourself? (We Do)<\/p>\n
Then with hearts overflowing with joy we recognize you as a member of the church universal and of this body, Redemption Church, and we receive you into the fellowship of this communion. May the Lord bless, preserve, and keep you in the commitments you have made here on this day, and in this place, and guide you in faithful service to his church.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"In a world in which a premium is placed on having what we want, when we want it\u2026 In a society in which we our constantly told that every need can be met, and every problem can be solved\u2026 In a culture in which we are bombarded with images of false perfection and, static idealism\u2026 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1118,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[491,547,462,391,1567,474,6],"class_list":["post-5058","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-church","tag-confession","tag-ecclesiology","tag-fidelity","tag-membership","tag-redemption-church","tag-tim-suttle"],"yoast_head":"\n
Is Church Membership Still Relevant?<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"In a world in which a premium is placed on having what we want, when we want it... In a society in which we our constantly told that every need can be\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/paperbacktheology\/2016\/05\/is-church-membership-still-relevant.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Is Church Membership Still Relevant?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"In a world in which a premium is placed on having what we want, when we want it... 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