Grace and peace to those who sense a belonging to the community of faith at First Congregational Church of La Grange, from Carly who is called to be teacher, leader, prophet, and preacher among you.

Walter Brueggeman used to tell us in class that the role of the pastor is to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable. This article will do the latter. Stop reading now if you don't have the fortitude to be challenged in your thinking about "church."

Servant Leaders: to the secular world, this is an oxymoron: the words seem to be opposite one another like "jumbo shrimp." But to the follower of Jesus, this is the way of life.

I've heard it said many times. "I'm a member of this church. I should be able to (or not have to) __________" You can fill in the blank. Some folks object to having to pay for the use of space (as though having ones name on a list makes that space cost nothing to provide), or insist that they should have use of a specific space even it's been previously reserved by an outside group (as though having one's name on a list gives one the cut in line). Some want certain services provided. Some consider their membership to be a paid-up life insurance policy that can never be cancelled. In other words, some believe that being a member of the church comes with privileges.

Scripture disagrees. Being a part of a faith community has no privileges; it has only responsibilities:

Jesus did not say, "Come join my church and we'll have a great time." Jesus said, "Come follow me." Jesus invites us to a relationship. Membership is an institutional concept from an era when congregations were a "religious version" of clubs and fraternal orders; in our time, relationships are more meaningful than rolls, and making a difference in the world is more important than "joining" an institution. The concept of membership is by design a method to include some and exclude others; in a community that has as its mission "Accepting All," this approach is not acceptable. Following Jesus is a lifelong process, not a "once and done" deal.

Jesus did not make church members. Jesus made disciples. Disciples are students; they never stop learning or growing. Jesus taught by word and deed. He challenged his followers' understandings of how the world around them functioned. He showed them how to help others, include others, heal others, work for the justice of others. Jesus wants us to be growing in the ways of faith through action, learning, growing together, and working together to bring in God's "will on earth as it is in Heaven." One's name in a book in some church office will not buy faith or salvation. It is just ink on a page or ones and zeros in a database, not a non-cancelable insurance policy.

Being a follower of Jesus has to do with belonging. Membership is about what is on paper. Belonging is emotional. Membership is rational. Belonging is about what is in one's heart. Membership is a contract that provides quid pro quo. Belonging is a covenant of relationship build upon respect. We sense a feeling of belonging because we care and feel cared for, even and especially in all our diversity. We grow in grace and faith by caring for one another, seeking to understand one another, living in the midst of our God-created diversity.

And belonging does not have privileges; it has responsibilities.

John F Kennedy was known for saying something like, "Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country." Belonging to a faith community is the same: we belong so that we can be a part of the movement of God's realm, participate in changing lives and transforming the world, and experience the peace and grace of our Still Speaking God.

As we move into Advent, I challenge each of you to look around and see how you can make a difference in the lives of others - especially those who are on the edges of society. Instead of looking for the next Christmas activity or for a laundry list of gifts, look for the face of the Christ child.

Molly Phiney Baskette has graciously shared this advent calendar with us. Use it as a guide to find your way to peace this Advent season.

Blessings,

 

Carly