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People can mean many things by saying that they belong to a
church. It may or not mean they attend church.
When we at St. Luke’s talk about membership, it means having a relationship with
Jesus Christ and participating – learning, giving, serving, and sharing – as
part of Christ’s body, the Church. We think this day-to-day experience of
walking with Christ is the purpose for which humans were created. The earliest
disciples gave their very lives in order to share in the joy of life in him.
While most Episcopal Churches do not have an “Altar Call” like some other
churches do, we do think that forging a relationship with Jesus Christ is THE
most important thing you will ever do. It is worth repeating: Learning to love
and serve God and others is the very reason you were created.
How does one enter into such a relationship? It is as easy as A B C: 1.) Admit
your need. 2.) Believe that Jesus is God’s only Son who came into the world to
save us from our sins (ways we’ve missed the mark) and determine to serve Him
forever. 3.) Commit your life to him by making Jesus your Savior and Lord for
the rest of your life.
Did we say it was easy? The commitment is easy, but living it out is of course
more difficult. (Silly us, we keep wanting to take our lives back, as if we
really had control.) This commitment is not only a once and for all event, but
something which we need to do over and over again – which is why we come to the
altar every week to to receive strength and nourishment for the journey. This is
our altar call.
The Bible tells the story of our life in Christ like this:
We pray that you have made this decision to put your hands out to receive the
gift of eternal life – that quality of life that begins the moment you put your
trust in him and goes on forever. Then, we hope that you will find a church home
– either St. Luke’s or another church – where you can grow as a disciple of
Jesus Christ in fellowship with other Christians who are making the same journey
with you.
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