One of
differences between Facebook and Twitter is how one’s “associates” are
labeled. On Facebook, one has
“friends.” According to how one sets
their privacy settings, friends can see most of what I post on my Facebook
page, can write things on my “wall,” read my responses to other friends, and
interact with me through private messaging.
On Twitter, one has “followers.”
These people can read what I post on Twitter, but the level of
interaction is limited to hashtags (#), “retweets” (RT), mentions (@), and
direct messages (DM).
I recognize
that to anyone outside of the world of social media, the paragraph I’ve just
written makes absolutely no sense. Such
is the digital gap in technology use. I
would liken this difference to the difference between a church member a
disciple. In Jesus time, followers were
more important than friends. Despite what
the popular song says, Jesus never wanted friends. He said, “Follow me.”
Membership
usually means to be a part of something such as a family, a group or a club.
membership carries with it expectations of participation and rules by which to
maintain one’s membership in good standing.
These differ from group to group; the country club requires a stiff
membership fee while the Kiwanis require regular attendance and fees. Some
organizations regulate the expected behavior of members.
What does
membership mean for the church? This
proverbial question has caused great conversation within congregations. In the
United Church of Christ, each congregation makes this determination for
themselves. Some churches require
pledges, participation, and receiving communion on a prescribed level. Others are more lax and request only that the
person let the church office know when they no longer wish to be a member. Membership is an administrative box into
which a person is placed for the sake of maintaining an institution.
More
important to the Christian faith is being a disciple -- a follower or student
of a teacher, leader or philosopher. Jesus asked that we follow him, not join
him. The most important part of being a
disciple is having a desire to learn and grow in the knowledge and discipline
of the Teacher. Rev. Carrie Call nicely worded it: “The disciple listens, studies, practices,
questions and follows. …. Instead, it is an attitude or orientation toward the
teacher, one that includes devotion and openness.”
She goes on
to say,
What I have come to believe is that not every
church member is a disciple, and not every disciple is a church member. That
seems odd to say. After all, if people are members of a church, doesn't that
mean they are disciples of Jesus? Not necessarily. …. Discipleship has costs
and it is a process - sometimes a very painful one. Making disciples is one of
our tasks as followers of Jesus: to share an invitation to a way of life, not
just membership in a particular group[1].
No one can
force another to be a disciple. It is a
response to an invitation. It develops
and gains strength only through invitation and example. And it is recognized by
its fruits - compassion, forbearance, forgiveness, kindness of spirit,
generosity, gratitude and humility.
I encourage
you to ask yourself what the difference might mean for your life. When we
invite others to join us, is it so they can become good church members? Or, is
it an invitation to a life of discipleship?
Blessings
Carly
[1]
Rev. Dr. Carrie Call, Conference E-Pistle (Indianapolis: Indiana Kentucky
Conference UCC) October 27, 2014.
