I recently read “I am a church member: Discovering the Attitude that Makes The Difference” and I found it to be a most thought provoking little book. This book, written by Thomas S. Rainer in 2013 is only about 65 or 70 small pages so it’s a very quick read. I purchased the book in an e-format for $5 so it’s not a read that will take a long time to get through or cost a lot to obtain.
I think that this book is a worthwhile read for everyone in our congregation as it addresses church membership from two distinct angles. First, it provides a biblical perspective of what it means to be a member of a church. Rainer leans heavily on 1 Corinthians 12 where Paul addresses the issue of Spiritual Gifts and the Body. Specifically, Rainer reminds us that:
I think that this book is a worthwhile read for everyone in our congregation as it addresses church membership from two distinct angles. First, it provides a biblical perspective of what it means to be a member of a church. Rainer leans heavily on 1 Corinthians 12 where Paul addresses the issue of Spiritual Gifts and the Body. Specifically, Rainer reminds us that:
“Now you are the body of Christ, and individual members of it” (1 Corinthians 12:27) and that each of us has a different function. As soon as we hear that we are all part of the body and have a different function, it should remind us that each part of the body is vital and that, just because I may be “just and ear” doesn’t mean I’m not critical to the body! The second angle Rainer uses is a reminder that being part of the body of Christ is not like being part of a country club. The Church is not something where we pay our weekly membership dues and expect to be served. Oh no, quite the contrary! If we use the social club analogy, it’s a reminder that we are the servants! Yes, we are not there to complain that we don’t like “that kind of music” or that “we don’t feel fed” from the Pastor. No, we are there to joyfully and obediently serve simply because Christ loved us first. Rainer states bluntly and accurately that “The concept of an inactive church member is an oxymoron. Biblically, no such church member really exists.”
Rainer easily brings the two concepts together to remind us all that as Christians, we are called to be a formal part of the body because God has made each of us a critical part and without our service we are not only missing out on a huge blessing but are also falling short of being the faithful stewards that we’ve been learning about in Luke 16.
As I researched this book I came across some pretty harsh reviews from some well intentioned individuals who have unfortunately fallen into the modern idea that we carry no responsibility or accountability as Christians. I think it should be clear to all that being a faithful follower of Christ is not at all about just doing what feels good to us, worshiping how we feel appropriate, or a similar idolatrous scheme of deciding what “our god” is like. God is God, and the Bible is His revelation of himself to us. Rainer reminds us that we have responsibilities as the body of Christ. Of course, with the right heart, those responsibilities are not burdens at all. It is a joy to serve our Lord and Saviour, living in the community that he has blessed us with and taking pleasure in using the talents granted by God into our very bodies.
I encourage you to take the hour it will take to read this little gem and then reflect on the rich blessings that we all have in our lives. We must ask ourselves if we are faithful members of the Body and faithful stewards of the blessings of God.
Rainer easily brings the two concepts together to remind us all that as Christians, we are called to be a formal part of the body because God has made each of us a critical part and without our service we are not only missing out on a huge blessing but are also falling short of being the faithful stewards that we’ve been learning about in Luke 16.
As I researched this book I came across some pretty harsh reviews from some well intentioned individuals who have unfortunately fallen into the modern idea that we carry no responsibility or accountability as Christians. I think it should be clear to all that being a faithful follower of Christ is not at all about just doing what feels good to us, worshiping how we feel appropriate, or a similar idolatrous scheme of deciding what “our god” is like. God is God, and the Bible is His revelation of himself to us. Rainer reminds us that we have responsibilities as the body of Christ. Of course, with the right heart, those responsibilities are not burdens at all. It is a joy to serve our Lord and Saviour, living in the community that he has blessed us with and taking pleasure in using the talents granted by God into our very bodies.
I encourage you to take the hour it will take to read this little gem and then reflect on the rich blessings that we all have in our lives. We must ask ourselves if we are faithful members of the Body and faithful stewards of the blessings of God.
Review by Thorsten Brost
