Too often we try on new churches like we try on new clothes and for much the same reason. We’re looking for style and fit, for what meets our needs and makes the appropriate statement about who we are. We put our churches in service of our desire to be somebody, and our commitment doesn’t outlast the better options of Elsewhere. But this posture—beside its offense to the cross—leads to self-absorption, restlessness, and isolation.

Matt McCullough, Wendell Berry and the Beauty of Membership

Matt is a friend of mine and a church planter at Trinity Church in Nashville. The above quote, which is clear, thoughtful, and pointed, is representative of the entire article. It also is pressing toward a vital thought for us. Church membership is far more than an affiliation that meets our set of personal desires. Church membership is a commitment to a particular group of people for a particular purpose. Read the entire article. Be challenged. Then, I would love to hear your thoughts.