Generally speaking, I prefer for prospective church members to take time in deciding whether to join a church or not over those who come a Sunday or two and then make a quick commitment. Why? Let me use a part of Jesus’ parable about the sower from Mark’s gospel to explain.
“And these,” Jesus said, “are the ones sown on rocky ground: when they hear the word, they immediately receive it with joy. But they have no root, and endure only for a while…” (Mark 4:16-17a). Let me stress that I am making only a general statement here, not one that I believe to be absolutely true in all cases. The fact is that faith is serious business. It does not work best when based on a quick response time or on knee-jerk reactions. Faith deserves thought and, above all, prayer. What is God doing in my life and how can this particular congregation can help me with it? Is this a community of faith where my skills and talents can best be put to use? Am I making a decision on what I wish were true, or what God is really saying to me? These are the sorts of questions that help one develop roots, to find endurance for the ups and downs that every gathering of God’s people will go through from time to time.
This is why I, as a pastor, do not object to a family or an individual taking time to decide about joining a church. God deserves thought and care. Questions like which congregation to join are important. We should try, to the best of our ability, to be planted in good soil so that we may produce much fruit to the glory of God.
Prayer: Lord, help us to consider our lives of faith carefully and not make hasty decisions based on arbitrary factors. And as communities of faith, may we learn to respect and to nurture the thoughtfulness of others. Amen.
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