A Membership Requirement

I think any gathering of people who claim to be Jesus-followers should add a requirement of all participants...

Resolved that all members of this church must complete the following: Once a year you must attend worship at a church other than your home church. You must go to a church worship gathering that you have never attended before, where you do not know anyone. If this particular congregation worships in a permanent facility, it must be a place you have never entered.

You will discover that your experience does not depend on how eloquent, dynamic, entertaining, or motivating you find the speaker(s) to be. Nor does it rise or fall on the quality of the music. It matters not how many or how few people will be there. Your experience will be a good one or a negative one depending on this - how welcomed you feel within the first five minutes of entering the building and how at-home you feel throughout your time there.

Do you think that idea would sell in most congregations? Yeah...I doubt it, too. If it happened, though, I guarantee you it would change a fellowship of Jesus-followers forever, and it would change the lives of many who would be drawn to that congregation.

I'll see you around the next bend in the river.