On Becoming a Church Member

I have been taking membership classes for a couple of months at the church I have been attending since moving to Lansing. I went to last Sunday’s class expecting to be asked if I would like to join the church sometime in the future and was surprised to find out that due to scheduling conflicts between the various people taking the class the best solution was adopted: Namely, that anyone who wanted to could become a member either that Sunday, the next Sunday, the one after that, or on into March as need be. We were asked to stay after the membership class if we wanted to join that Sunday. Well, I had been thinking that this is the church God is calling me to and so I felt that it would be wrong to wait until the timing “felt perfect”. However, I did not want to join absolutely alone. So while the others I knew matriculated out, along with most everyone else, I sort of lolly-gagged about seeing if ANYONE else was going to stay. I was thrilled when my friend Erik walked over to me and started talking about his thoughts on joining the church. I requested (translation: begged) him to join that Sunday so I wouldn’t have to be alone at the front of the church. He agreed and Pastor Fred came over to talk to us about our decision. He talked to us a little about joining, but before he left to begin the service he related a humorous incident where, before a graduation ceremony, the one girl and one guy who were graduating come up to him and told him that they didn’t want to walk down the aisle together because it would look too much like a wedding. As he departed, he probably didn’t realize that he had left two now rather shell-shocked personages. Erik and I turned to each other, “I didn’t even think of THAT!”

As we walked to the sanctuary, Erik kept repeating “I’m going to just start laughing up there. That is all I’ll be thinking about.” We walked in and I chose a seat next to my roommate and her fiancé and Erik took one look at the seat next to me, thought better of it, and went and sat with some friends several rows up. I could hear him thinking, “Maybe if we don’t SIT next to each other no one will think anything of it.”

At the end of the service Pastor Fred had Erik and I walk up to the front of the church. I evilly thought of humming the Wedding March within Erik’s hearing as we walked up the aisle (me walking a little slowly as to not catch up with him until we reached the front of the church.) When we reached the front, Pastor Fred said he was going to make some statements and if we agreed with them to answer “I do”. Stunned, I consciously made an effort not to utter “I do” at the same time as Erik. Alas, I messed up on the last “I do” unsure of whether saying it together or separately sounded worse. Then Pastor Fred had Erik and I kneel together as the elders and pastors prayed for us. After that, Pastor Fred told us that he wanted the entire church to greet us into the church family, so he had Erik and I stand at the front of the church, in front of the alter, while everyone in the congregation filed past us before departing. As my roommate said, “At least he didn’t have you dismiss the congregation by rows.” I was very blessed by everyone who greeted me. I think most people hugged me as they welcomed me, even those I had never met before. It was such a feeling of love pouring out upon me.

I must say it was a wonderful experience and I’m really happy that I made the decision to make a commitment and get married….I mean join the church membership.