Dear Ones,
Hope you have a blessed day! Al has an audiologist appointment this morning and I am going along to have my hearing aids cleaned. Later I have Women’s Bible study on Acts.
Devotions from Judy’s heart
Belonging to a church or fellowship group is important for our Christian growth but perhaps church membership is made too light of today. Some families go from one church to another, like going through revolving doors, but never actually land and put down their roots. Of course, none of us will find the perfect church that meets all of our needs and desires, for we bring our own imperfections into the church fellowship.

I was reading way back in Roman times A.D. 215 that new believers were put into a training program for three years before they could join a church. The bishops had a manual on how to teach the essentials of faith, with only the most qualified and trained bishops and teachers being responsible to instruct them. Along with scripture, creeds, etc, they gave moral instruction and guidance on what jobs and forms of entertainment they should avoid, etc. They had each one make a formal confession of faith along with a moral examination. Then if the candidates passed, on Easter Sunday morning they were baptized and anointed with oil, prayed over and dressed in white robes. Encouragement was given to be faithful in worship, fellowship with other Christians and included private prayers 3rd, 6th, and 9th hours. What a wonderful way to enter into the Christian family.

That way of belonging to a church is quite different from one of the churches we joined after Al retired. All the previous times a church call committee came looking for Al, and now we were looking for a church body to join. One Sunday at the church we had been attending, the Pastor announced that he was going to receive new members and included our names, although we had not even told him we were interested in joining. That was quite a surprise! Al’s practice had always been to have new member classes that met each week and at the end asked them to pray and seek if this was the Body of Christ that they felt the Lord was directing them to join. It is a big decision as we are committing first to the Lord, then to belonging to the Body of believers that deeply care for one another and grow together as we share the Good News and reach out to the needy and lost.

It’s not all about dynamic preaching and massive church buildings, or a country club or an arm of the Republican party or Democratic Party. It’s all about Jesus and His kingdom. Our former church houses several different kinds of churches in the one building as they vary the times they meet. It is not exclusive and all are welcome. Let us be the church that Jesus gave His life for and share the Good News of His kingdom.

Challenge for today: Get planted in a church family and discover how you can love and serve the Lord together.
May you have a good day and prayers and love, Judy