"I can have our church clerk examine the membership roll and determine whether your name is present, but theologically I can tell you that in no meaningful sense are you a part of this church family. I have been the pastor here for several months. I did not recognize your name and you did not know mine. By your own admission you have not attended here in quite a while, and you are not on our list of homebound members. No, Mrs. _____. Biblically speaking, you are not a member of this church, regardless of what our official rolls may say.”I'm with him in not knowing whether it would have been the right thing or the wrong thing to say to the woman at the time, but he does have a point. That one left me laughing.
Afterthoughts ...
I wonder if church membership rolls should have a "lost sheep" category ...
2 comments:
WF,
In our church, we have over 2500 in attendance on any given Sunday. I guess it would be a little tougher to write that letter.
Still, I've wanted to say this to many of my friends and in-laws concerning merely 'attending' church.
God doesn't keep an attendance chart, and there are no bonus-kudos for merely visiting a place where people gather to worship.
Thanks for the chuckle.
God Bless
Doug
Church membership has always been a tetchy point for me. I have always participated fully, but I cannot find it in me to sign on any dotted line.
Somewhere, deep in my psyche, is buried the irrational notion that church membership is the mark of the beast. I found it much easier to raise my right hand and promise Uncle Sam that I would die for his country than to do the same thing for a denominational organization.
Methinks I have a little more of my father in me than I know. :-)
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