1:35 The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples, 36 and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” 37 The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. 38 Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, “What are you seeking?” And they said to him, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are you staying?” 39 He said to them, “Come and you will see.” So, they came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day, for it was about the tenth hour. 40 One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. 41 He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ). 42 He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of John. You shall be called Cephas” (which means Peter).
– John 1:35-42
What does it mean to be a church “member?” For years, church membership was thought of as being a member of an organization, not unlike being a member of the Lion’s Club or Elk’s Club or German/American Club! This understanding seemed to go hand-in-glove with the organizational or corporate structure of the church post-World War II, when church councils took on the trappings of boards of directors. To be a “member” of the church meant signing on the dotted line, receiving a box of offering envelopes and maintaining, at the least, the minimum required attendance and giving to remain a voting member or member-in-good-standing. What was lost in many ways was the biblical understanding of being a disciple and follower of Jesus!
In the North American Lutheran Church, there is a decided movement away from thinking of the Church as an organizational, institutional social entity, to hear again Jesus’ call for us to come and see, come and follow Him! In the biblical sense, to be a “member” of the Church means to be a living, functioning member of His Body! “Member” in this way of thinking is not organizational, but organic — as the hand or foot or eye or mouth is a member of one’s physical body. This shift in thinking is not only biblical, it is essential to the renewal of the Church in the world today. Thinking of ourselves only as members of the social club, which is the church, leads to minimum required participation, rather than encouraging full, faithful following of Jesus as Lord.
The season of Lent is an appropriate time for us as individuals and as congregations to consider our self-understanding and respond accordingly. Do we see ourselves as part of the community of disciples committed to following Jesus and His will and His way? Or are we stuck in old patterns of church and church membership which are leading to decline and decay, rather than exciting, dynamic, living faith and discipleship? Without turning this devotion into an advertisement, the NALC Life-to-Life Discipleship Initiative is one way that we are being renewed as disciples and followers of Jesus, the Messiah.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, make me a living, active disciple and follower! Amen.
Lenten Response: Do some research to become familiar with Life-to-Life Discipleship, the CREDO Initiative — and our commitment to the Great Commission! Visit nalclifetolife.org.
Devotion written by the Rev. Dr. David Wendel
Morning Psalms
Evening Psalms
There are no festivals or commemorations for today.
This daily prayer and Bible reading guide, Devoted to Prayer (based on Acts 2:42), was conceived and prepared by the Rev. Andrew S. Ames Fuller, director of communications for the North American Lutheran Church (NALC). After a challenging year in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have been provided with a unique opportunity to revitalize the ancient practice of daily prayer and Scripture reading in our homes. While the Reading the Word of God three-year lectionary provided a much-needed and refreshing calendar for our congregations to engage in Scripture reading, this calendar includes a missing component of daily devotion: prayer. This guide is to provide the average layperson and pastor with the simple tools for sorting through the busyness of their lives and reclaiming an act of daily discipleship with their Lord. The daily readings follow the Lutheran Book of Worship two-year daily lectionary, which reflect the church calendar closely. The commemorations are adapted from Philip H. Pfatteicher’s New Book of Festivals and Commemorations, a proposed common calendar of the saints that builds from the Lutheran Book of Worship, but includes saints from many of those churches in ecumenical conversation with the NALC. The introductory portion is adapted from Christ Church (Plano)’s Pray Daily. Our hope is that this calendar and guide will provide new life for congregations learning and re-learning to pray in the midst of a difficult and changing world.