Do you belong to a church with rigidly defined membership requirements? In this case you have to meet certain criteria, and then you are enrolled in that church. If at any time you no longer meet those criteria, or of your own volition decide to move on, then you are no longer a member of that church. The Christian church taken as a whole, as my body, is different. There is no central registration of who belongs, at least not here on earth. You can belong to a church but that is a separate affiliation.

How do you learn new things? Don’t you find it easiest to find something similar from previous experience, so you can learn what you do not know based on what you do know? But what if you encounter something entirely unfamiliar? It is harder to learn with no reference points. What if you tried the method above in this situation? You might make it work, but you might end up misunderstanding the new thing you encountered. The message of the gospel is entirely radical.

Are you an evangelist? The Great Commission applies to all believers. Do you take the situation of your audience into consideration in your presentation of my message? If you don’t meet them where they are they will not comprehend what you say. Note the way that Paul and I engaged our audiences where they lived, with examples and illustrations that were meaningful to them. Your first encounter may not give you the opportunity to present the entire message.

Are you aware of the power of ritual? Symbolic actions have the power to take you where your mind alone will not go. Churches used to take this more seriously than they currently do, and the military still does. Yet rituals can become dead and devoid of meaning. I address this matter in my word asking who would close a door for no reason. This is the least of actions, but who would do even this without a purpose? I go on to say that you should not kindle a fire on my altar for no reason. Is it enough that you did the same thing yesterday? That is tradition.