Don’T Swear in Church (Unless You Really Mean It!): Why Church Membership Vows Actually Matter!

By Jean F. Larroux III

Many people join churches for the same reasons they would join a local country club: it is close to their home, their friends are members there, their kids like it, and it doesnt require much commitment as long as you are current on your dues. Church membership must mean more than that! Our reasons for becoming members of a particular church must be more philosophical than pragmatic. When someone stands before an entire congregation and becomes a member of a particular congregation, we should see that moment as a high and holy moment where the vows being taken are weighty and significant. There are usually only two times in someones life that they stand before a congregation and say, I doat their wedding and when they join the church. Dont Swear in Church (unless you really mean it!) is designed to help all of us consider and reconsider the significance of the vows we take as the Bride of Christ.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Jun 27, 2014
• ISBN: 9781490838762

Jean F. Larroux III

Jean F. Larroux, III has been in ministry for almost 20 years. After graduating from Reformed Theological Seminary, he served as an assistant pastor and a church planter. Jean is currently Senior Pastor of Southwood Presbyterian Church in Huntsville, AL. He and his wife Kim have three children. Jean loves (in this order): Jesus, his family, the New Orleans Saints, SEC football and a good po-boy.

Book preview

Copyright © 2014 Jean F. Larroux, III.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Other text are quoted from the Book of Church Order. Copyright 2013 by the Office of the Stated Clerk of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

ISBN: 978-1-4908-3877-9 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4908-3876-2 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2014909587

WestBow Press rev. date: 6/17/2014

Contents

Acknowledgments

Preface: Wedding Vows for Everyone

Questions, Vows, and Membership—What For?

Introduction: I Used to Couldn’t Spell Presbyterian but Now I Are One …

Question 1: How Bad Is It?

Question 2: Who Can Make It Better?

Question 3: So Now What?

Question 4: So Why Here?

Question 5: I’m Saying What?!?

Where the Rubber Hits the Road

Afterword: You May Now Kiss the Bride

Appendix A: The Five Questions in Plain Language

Appendix B: Discussion Questions

Endnotes

Acknowledgments

Special thanks to the Robinson family for giving me a place to write and unwind—Hotty Toddy!

Deep appreciation to all the friends who suffered through the early edits, my colloquial style, love of air quotes, words in italics, and shifts from first to third person—JBarn, Katie and Abbie.

I am particularly indebted to three men whom I have been blessed to watch love Jesus’ lambs with great pastoral care and concern: Rev. Bryant Hansen, Rev. Curt Moore, and Rev. Will Spink. Thank you all for teaching me how important these vows are to us and to the bride.

Thanks so much to my wife and other family members who endured many moments of Not now; I’m writing! You make me laugh, love coming home, and eagerly await the annual unveiling of the Saints room. Who Dat!

Finally, to Melissa, Bob, and Ken, transfer!

Preface: Wedding Vows for Everyone

Imagine yourself standing in front of the church.

Imagine the people gathered in the pews behind you.

Imagine the minister asking you to make vows.

Imagine everyone waiting for your response.

Imagine that you finally muster up the strength to say, I do.

Now imagine that we’re not talking about your wedding day.

I do. These two little words make up the shortest sentence most of us will ever speak, but they are also the weightiest words in our vocabulary. We are all familiar with these two words when a bride and groom standing together at the altar use them, but these are the same words spoken by another bride: the bride of Christ! They are used to express our consent to church membership vows when we become members of the church.

This book is designed to take those two little words and unpack their implications for each of us as church members. It is written for two groups of people: those considering joining the church and those who already have. Whether you have taken these vows or you are about to take these vows, this book is for you. This is a tool for contemplation as we consider how soberly we approach our vows.

The church was purchased with the blood of Christ. That great cost compels us to be very clear about what we are saying when we, the bride of Christ, tell Him, I do.

"No man can have God for his father

and not have the church as his mother."

SAINT AUGUSTINE

Questions, Vows, and Membership—What For?

Let’s ask an obvious question: why do we have membership vows at all? Why do we have any membership criteria? Why don’t we just all come together in one building and whoever shows up shows up, and there are no members, no membership? Why can’t it be like that? It sounds much less exclusive than having to join something or take vows, right?

The reason we have church membership is actually quite simple. Christians are referred to as believers. The basis of Christianity is a belief system. Church membership is an acknowledgment by a particular church that the people who are joining the church have a belief system that is consistent with their own belief system. When someone joins the church, he doesn’t become a believer; he is acknowledged as a believer. If someone’s beliefs are found to be consistent with the beliefs of a particular church, then such a person is welcomed as a member of that church.

Imagine a hypothetical scenario. Let’s say you are the only Christian in a particular city and you have lived as the only Christian there for some time. Imagine that one day, while shopping at the local grocery store, you strike up a conversation with someone. As you make small talk, imagine she says to you