Why membership?  It's a common question people ask today.  Many years ago it was the thing to join an organization and become a member of something.  In fact, you could hardly get considered for a job without consideration being given to your religious and political affiliation.  Today, the fastest growing political constituency are independents, and mainline denomination memberships are in record decline while more people prefer to identify themselves as spiritual without any religious affiliation tacked on.  So, in a world where membership is often overlooked, why membership in a local church?

Barbara Streisand starred in Funny Girl which came out in 1964.  In that movie she sang a song called People.  That song asserts that "people who need people are the luckiest people in the world."  The idea is that people who are not emotionally disconnected from others are lucky people because they both see and value the need to love and be loved.  This is why we need membership in the church.  Christians who need Christians are the most blessed of all people because they see the value and need to love and be loved within the body of Christ.  Paul said as much when he wrote -

"The eye cannot say to the hand, 'I have no need of you,' nor again the head to the feet, 'I have no need of you.'"  - I Corinthians 12:21

The truth is we need each other to make our lives whole.  We need the prayers, fellowship, service, and gifts of others to help us be the best we can be for Christ; and we need corporate worship with others to help us experience Christ in the most complete way together.  The ancient church always believed that the risen Christ was most visibly present and felt only when the fellowship of Christians were gathered together in corporate worship and prayer.  This week take a moment to thank someone for what they have meant in your life this past week, or over the years; then take time to thank God for the community of faith and it's place in your life.

If you don't have a community of faith to call your church home, why not start now.  You can start this Sunday.

Dennis

Love as Jesus Loves

On Sunday, September 9 I preached a sermon on the scripture text of Mark 7: 24 - 30 where Jesus heals the daughter of a Syrophhoenician Greek woman.  During their conversation Jesus says to her, "Let the children be fed first, for it is not fair to take the children's food and throw it to the dogs."  Jesus was giving reference to a common meal time practice where children were fed before the remaining food scraps were given to the dogs.  What is interesting in this verse, according to the Greek, is that the word Jesus used for "dog" is not the general use of the word which had a derogatory meaning in application.  As Barclay points out, Jesus made use of the diminutive word which is translated as "little pet".  In the Greek langauge, the use of diminutive words conveyed affectionate feelings.  While Jesus first came to the Jews, and she is a Greek, there is a loving affection God has for all people, including the Gentiles.  Jesus tested her faith to discern if she understood the expanse of God's love.  The Greeks, who were good at repartee, was illustrated in this woman's response when she said, "Sir, even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs."  Her response is one that God will provide, and whatever crumbs God chooses to give her, they will be enough.  Jesus rewards her telling her the demon has left her daughter.  What really makes this miracle powerful, is the historical setting where the story takes place, in the region of Tyre.  In Joshua 19:28 - 29 the allocation of the land to Joshua's armies was to include the region of Tyre, but Joshua's armies failed to take the land.  Joshua lost the war, but Jesus won the peace, armed not with military might, but with unconditional love.  It is a reminder to the Church that we will never win the world to our Lord through war, but only through love.

But - how can we learn to love as Jesus loves?  It takes a lifetime, but here is discipline to get you started.  Spend two days reading and meditating on the love chapter in I Corinthians 13.  Let the words find a deep place in your heart.  Then, spend two days in prayer, asking God to fill and reshape your heart in the image of his love.  Then, spend two days finding pratical way to show your love to others, especially those hard to love.  On the seventh day, simply give thanks for God's great love and pray for those you have shared his love with on days 5 and 6.  It will take more than a week to learn how to love like Jesus, but this is a good place to begin this journey.  Remember, it's never too late to share w/ someone the great gift of God's love.

- Dennis