Ridgell's Originals

 It really is important to be part of a community of faith.  The Christian life is to be done with other believers.  You need the encouragement you recieve from those walking on the same road.  And you encourage others.  It is essential to have a spiritual family that will walk beside you when things get tough.  That will pray and speak truth into your life. 

Community worship is important. Singing praises, doing communion together, and hearing a word from Scripture.  Praying together.  It is important to remember you are not alone.  And you get inspired to love God and your neighbor.  You will be encouraged to do good.

Your church is your community of faith.  But I hope your church is bigger than your Church.  

Our church is the people we do life with.  We are blessed that our physical family is part of our church.  We have been in a spiritual small group for years with couples that worship in different assemblies on Sunday.  We have lots of people in lots of different Churches that we do life with, including many where we are "members" at Hillcrest.

So it is important to be with -- and do life with -- your church/community/family.

But we may emphasize Church way too much.  By Church, I mean that structured organization you are a member of.  

Strange since the concept of "placing memership" is not in the Bible. 

If not careful, all your ministry will be done thru Church programs.  

Your giving will be done only thru Church budgets.

And Church can get really exclusive.  There are Churches that place heavy emphasis on where you are a member.  Drop you from the mailing list if you go elsewhere.  Measure the numbers.  

Maybe I feel this way because I sorta think I am a member of several places.  Hillcrest obviously.  Winters because I have preached off and on there so many times.  Still have a lot of our church at Southern Hills Church.  And a lot of our church at Remington Ridge, Oldham, Beltway, the Well, and Highway 36.  One of my elders is actually an elder at University.  And the Hills in Fort Worth where my kids go. 

And maybe all of this is because I teach, preach, and do funerals at lots of different Churches all over Abilene.  Being a traverling preacher makes me feel like my church is in Caribou Maine.  And South Lake Tahoe.  And Michigan and Kansas.  All over Texas.  Cuba.  Malawi.  

You get the idea.  

We Chrisitans are church.  And we do church.  We need to do it together.  We need to worship together.  So to be clear, I am not opposed to membership in a Church.  

But be careful that you do not confuse Church with church.  They are not the same.

# posted by Steve @ 5:00 AM