Christian Living

Membership as it relates to the Church

by Ramona Cook 
03/22/22
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To follow the thoughts as presented in the writings of C. S. Lewis is sometimes a discipline of hesitation for deep meditation.

In reading his address on “Membership” I understand Church membership, family membership and societal membership in a different way than I did before the reading.

Lewis spends time explaining the differences between the ideas of “collectivism” and “individualism” because he perceived a problem with the generalized understanding or what “membership” really means.

 Quoting Paul, and stating that Paul was the first to use the word “membership,” making the point that Paul in no way presented the idea as it is used today in our understanding of membership. Lewis states, “The very word membership is of Christian origin, but has been taken over by the world and emptied of all it’s meaning.”

 Further, he states, “What St. Paul meant by “members” … was “organs.” Functioning organs, which says he, is the true and accurate translation of the Greek word used by Paul.

 Today we think of “membership” in terms of “units” of a Group, not implying any life or function but simply a belong to, a unit of.

In the Book of Ephesians Paul presented two examples of what he was communicating concerning membership.

1: The Family that is established for our Christian culture.

2: The Body of Christ, as it is in fact.

 Lewis discusses the idea of “collectivism” vs. “individualism” and presents a more accurate understanding showing that in a sense both are present in the state of Church membership.

In my understanding of Lewis’ message I now consider my membership in the Church to be that of the function of an assigned “organ” of that body.

As there is in a physical body so it is in the Church, there are many organs but they do not all perform the same function. Therefore, in the process of function, if each organ does operate properly and in concert with other organs, there is a lack of effectiveness in all the organs. Applied to the Church the result is an ineffective Church.

The usual method of Church today is alike every Sunday. The service is lead by the Pastor with the Worship Team providing the music in ques too low for much of the congregation to sing with them. Basically, that and taking the offering is about what happens.

The complaints I have heard from congregants goes like this: “My Pastor is a wonderful Teacher. I came here as a tiny parakeet needing to be safely caged, but now I am a full grown bird and my cage is painful. I need to be given things to do but my Pastor wants me to just sit and listen.” (True report)

The general experience of the regular Church attender is that, “all that is expected of me is to show up when the doors are opened, to watch the show, give my dough, and go.”

 Leadership should direct, but it’s mission is not to reproduce itself, otherwise we all become one organ and no full body on earth functions on one organ.

The Church, as a Body, is made up of a number of organs with different functions. Consequently, we do not all look alike nor do we do the same things.

In my early 30s I attended a Conference in Black Mountain, NC. There I met a Pastor from the Western NC Conference whose name was Bill. It was he who taught me an important lesson about the various functions of the Body Organs, which Bill called “Giftings’ of Holy Spirit.”

Bill said, “Every person is assigned by God with a specific gift, that person fully understands how that gift works and no one needs to teach him how to operate in the gift.”

He continued, “For instance, in Sunday Worship while the Musician is understanding how the entire world could be saved by music, the Pastor is waiting for them to finish so that he can get on with the real way all the world can be saved.”

Bill’s point to me was that each of our assigned gifts is important to the whole functioning of the Body. BUT that we do not tend to understand or applaud the functions of those that we don’t fully understand as important to the whole process.

We have Tunnel Vision.

Of course, the Opposition Side also understands this and encourages each of us to think our part is the big part.

Another instance: In a Bible Study there maybe differing interpretations of some Scripture and IF anyone dares to state it, hopefully for discussion to better clarity so that all texts are weighed, there is almost always a know-it-all Word Protector who with snarling words attacks the question or statement as heresy, injuring and shutting down all discussion but that of which they approve.

Absolutely yes, there are those in the Church whose assignment it is to guard the authenticity of the Scriptures, but they are not assigned to be “Attack Dogs.”

Within most Church Body’s there is no mention of different organs or giftings. Church attenders have no idea that they are assigned a functioning place in that Body of Believers, therefore, they do not apply themselves to more than attendance and offerings.

Deep inside they desire to be active but leadership has not opened the doors of the cage.

It will be an exercise for Church growth, the real kind, if we can understand this about the Five-fold Ministry Gifts or Organs; those gifts are not only for protecting and guiding the sheep.

When the teaching has been effective and the Church attender is more than a tiny parakeet needing to grow, then it is time for the Five-fold ministry to grow up Giant Killers.

True, each member IS in a “collective body,” BUT retains their “individual status” as pertains to their own God assigned function in the Church. We are not Cookie Cutter People.

The Church needs to loosen up and spread out. We do NOT loosen up on the things God calls SIN. We do need to loosen up for the functioning of individualism. We need to understand that there will be those who get together to do a work that I may not see as necessary, because my organ doesn’t work that way.

Some see no value in missions and some see nothing else. The truth is we will not all see the same ministry, but God has put us together to get the full work done.

We, each one, are indeed ONE BODY together, but different parts. We are NOT dead cells in a dead body, but living functioning organs bringing life to everything we touch by way of our God assigned organs, in our various functions.

Ramona:  03/22/2022

Weight of Glory and Other Addresses, C.S. Lewis  McMillan Publishing Company 

866 Third Ave. New York, NY  10022