The past two weeks I have introduced a new portion of our service of worship, which I have called the “Invitation to Discipleship and Membership.” Judging by the fact that several folks have mentioned it to me after worship each Sunday, this new addition has not gone unnoticed. Because you all are so polite and because I am so new to this congregation, the only people who have mentioned it to me are the people who like it. I would imagine, however, that there are some who are at least a little uncomfortable with it. I can imagine that some think I am hammering away at the “repent and believe” motif a little hard. Some may have even asked, “Did we hire ourselves a Presbyterian or a Baptist?” Just in case there are folks who are uneasy about this, I want to make sure that everyone is clear about what I am doing with the “Invitation to Discipleship and Membership.”
Firstly, it needs to be noted that I am preaching what are called “expository” sermons right now from Mark. “Why is our new pastor harping away about repenting, believing, and following Jesus? We get it already!” The reason I’m doing that is because that is what Jesus is doing in the first chapter of Mark. I’m letting the text guide me instead of my own ideas about what I want to preach. Whenever Mark’s gospel gets into other areas of theology, so will my preaching. I might add, however, that just because you’ve got it already, doesn’t mean that everyone in the pews that particular morning has it. Secondly, I believe that faithful Christian worship should always be invitational and that it is helpful when the invitation is clearly stated. Perhaps someone is interested in Jesus but doesn’t realize that a mere fascination with him is not what he calls us to. Also, why would people join if they’ve never been invited to do so?
A couple of years ago I was at a lunch with Philip Lotspeich, the director of Church Growth for the PC(USA). Among other topics, he spoke about how the PC(USA) is dealing with the consequences of not clearly inviting people into discipleship, and once they are disciples not being intentional about their growing in their discipleship. He talked about how many of our churches seem to be about anything and everything other than actually being a disciple of Jesus Christ. I could relate to what he said, and I vowed that when I returned to being the head pastor of a congregation I was going to preach invitationally (in a Reformed way) and that I will be clear about inviting people to become disciples of Jesus and to join with the community of faith. This is, after all, a very biblical thing to do. Not only did Jesus call people to enter the Kingdom of God by following him throughout his ministry, but after his resurrection he was very clear with his disciples about what their purpose, as the church, was to be: “Go out into the world and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20). Similarly, the Apostle Paul’s message can be distilled as “we implore you on Christ’s behalf: be reconciled to God” (2 Corinthians 5:20).
You will notice that each week I begin the invitation by saying, “If you feel drawn to become a disciple of Jesus…” As a Presbyterian, that word “drawn” is particularly important to me. As Presbyterians we believe that the initiative toward discipleship comes initially from God. Jesus says, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27). As Presbyterian seminary professor and author Dr. Sherron Kay George writes, “Evangelism is invitational. Jesus came into the world as a gift of God's grace. Some people "did not accept him. But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God" (John 1:11-12). God offers gifts, but never forces people to accept them. God invites a response. When we share our faith and invite others to accept Christ, pray, read literature, or attend a Bible study or church service, we must allow them to accept or reject God's loving grace.” She goes on to write, “Presbyterians understand evangelism as a process that calls people to conversion, discipleship, incorporation into Christian communities, and participation in God's mission… While not all will accept our invitations, we will find that people are more spiritually hungry and open to receive them than we are to extend them.” Presbyterian evangelism cannot include manipulation, false emotion, or hellfire and brimstone fear mongering, but it must include invitation.
It might be surprising to some but our PC(USA) Book of Order is filled with talk of evangelism. One of the Six Great Ends of the Church is “the proclamation of the gospel for the salvation of humankind.” We also read, “The Church is Christ’s faithful evangelist… God sends the church in the power of the Holy Spirit to announce the good news that in Christ Jesus the world is reconciled to God, and to tell all nations and peoples of Christ’s call to repentance, faith, and obedience.” Also, more specifically the Book of Order says that after the sermon “the response to the proclamation of the Word is expressed in an affirmation of faith and commitment,” which we do corporately through the Apostle’s Creed. It goes on to say, however, that “an opportunity for personal response may also be provided during this time.” Did you know that there is even a “Service for Evangelism” given as an option within our Book of Order?
So don’t worry. You didn’t hire a Baptist. You most definitely called a Presbyterian. I even read John Calvin with my coffee and breakfast each morning and have a Reformed Creeds and Confessions app on my iphone! The moral of the story for me is that just because many PC(USA) congregations have not been clearly inviting people to make a commitment of discipleship to Jesus Christ and to unite with the congregation in membership if they feel that God is calling them to do so that doesn’t mean that we don’t believe in it. It simply means we’ve been neglecting it. After all, just because I haven’t been running and exercising doesn’t mean I’m morally opposed to it; it just means I haven’t been doing what I’m supposed to be doing. At first, like exercising after neglect, an emphasis on invitation may seem awkward and maybe even a little painful. But once those muscles get stretched out, we’ll be in better health and on the move.
So with all that being said, I, as a Presbyterian, can’t help but invite anyone reading this blog who feels drawn to become a disciple of Jesus Christ, to make a profession of faith in him as Lord and Savior, to be baptized if you never have been, or if you are already a disciple of Jesus Christ and want to formally unite with this congregation in membership, to please get in contact with me so we can pray and talk together. Sorry, I just couldn't help it. It is GOOD news, after all.
