My son, give me your heart and let your eyes keep to my ways" Pro. 23:26 I have occasionally heard people complain that they get nothing out of church; or the church is boring and it offers them nothing. I know that YOU may not feel that way, but truth is, more feel that way than we care to imagine. While some may actually feel this way about the weekly assembly for worship, this is really not the point or the purpose. The church is God’s holy house, where we the Baptized, Redeemed, Forgiven, Blood-bought, and heaven-bound–God’s very own children, have opportunity to put in, as well as take out. Perhaps it could truly be said that we only get as much out of church as we put in. You don’t get money out of the bank until you put some in.

What is your idea of a church? What should it have? What shouldn’t have? Does your idea of church membership simply mean attending one service per Sunday? Does it mean that you only sit and listen and do nothing with your life as a child of God? Has it ever occurred to you that the congregation, including you, has every bit as much to do with the preaching of the sermon as the preacher has? It makes a huge difference when God’s people come prepared to worship, when they have prayed for their pastor, and when they have asked the Lord, by the working of the Holy Spirit, to open their ears and hearts to the message, hymns, and prayers. These are all integral and very dynamic of the church’s service. Has it ever struck you that it is grossly unfair to expect the church to do exactly what you demand if you, as a part of the family of faith, do nothing at all for it?

A well-known minister remarked pungently and almost despairingly that the trouble with most churches was that so many people connected with them were not really members but only "registered costumers." We are the church, you and I, believers in Christ our Savior. We are part of the family of faith brought together in the waters of Baptism, fed around His table, empowered by His Word and His Spirit. We are a part of the great Communion of Saints here on earth and above in heaven.

By the Spirit’s power, ask God what role do you play in the Church and its mission? How can you make your church better? What picture do you want people to bring to mind when they think of Zion as God’s house? What does the Lord ask and challenge you to be for Him? And when you do, see what blessings the church will be for you and yours. Indeed, you will reap rich blessings that will be more than you can give even imagine. I pray that you and I would take a very important role in this household of faith.

I pray that you are not a "registered costumer" but a servant of our good and gracious Lord Jesus Christ. Customers may have a difficult time figuring it all out. But those who, by grace through faith, know Jesus, get everything and more!