A Gold Card For Me, Really?

I received a very unexpected email today:  I am now a Gold Card member at Starbucks.  Evidently, I’ve spent enough money at Starbucks this year for them to (a) notice and (b) give me free stuff.

I had no idea that this program even existed, and I’m not sure how I feel about it.  On one hand I get to carry around a Gold card in my wallet that will be so impressive that I’d better be careful not to flash it around people with heart conditions.  But on the other hand, I’m not sure I’m so sold on Starbucks’ mission that I want to be identified as a ‘card-carrying’ member.  In a nutshell, that’s what Gold Cards are all about – pride & identity.

What if churches sent out Gold Cards to their best members?

Should you get a Gold Card from your church?  What criteria should be used to determine if you’re one of the best members?  Is it because you give more money than 95% of the other church members, or you participate in every single Bible study that is offered, or your grandfather built the pew that your family always sits in?

How proud would you be to have that shiny Jesus Gold Card staring back at you when you got your wallet out to pay for groceries?  How loyal would you be to the church that issued the card to you, promising you that if you show the card, you’ll get a free cookie to go with the standard issue cup of Folgers’ coffee every Sunday?

Where do Christians really find pride and identity?

I hope that the absurdity of the last couple of paragraphs made you chuckle.  That’s not what Church is about, is it?  Worrying about being one of the ‘best members’ of the congregation or giving visitors the evil eye for sitting in ‘your’ seat is what can happen when congregations forget Paul’s point in Ephesians 2:8-10

God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.  Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

There is no other place where Christians find pride and identity than in Christ himself.  Going to worship at church is not about favorite seats or songs; it’s about receiving Christ’s gifts and giving thanks.  Bible study isn’t about collecting information to feel smart; it’s about growing in a life-long relationship with Jesus.  Giving an offering isn’t about satiating guilt or appeasing a god; it’s about recognizing that what you have is God’s & that your job is to be a good steward of God’s stuff.

How does this work in a brand new church like the LITH Mission?

Starting a new church isn’t about being trendy or making the drive to worship more convenient; it’s about connecting people to Christ.  Everything we do MUST focus on connecting people to Christ.  There’s no room for arguing over who sits in what pew, worrying about who drives what kind of car to church, or wondering if you’ll impress everyone with your Starbucks Gold Card.  The precious time and energy God gives us will NOT be spent on such issues.  Instead we choose to focus on the undeniable truth that God has created us anew in Christ Jesus so that, as his masterpieces, we would do whatever it takes to make Him known in our families, neighborhoods, and villages.

That’s our passion.  That’s our mission. Join the movement!

Let’s Go!!!

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