Often, one of the first questions a new person coming into the Church asks is “How do I become a member?” The immediate answer to that question is: “Believe and be baptized”(cf. Act 2:38). Our faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, our Baptism in the name of the Holy Trinity, the Seal of the Gift of the Holy Spirit with which we are marked through the oil of Holy Myrrh — this is how we become members of the Church.
Many of us were baptized in the Orthodox Church when we were very young, through the faith of our parents and sponsors. Some people, for various reasons, were not baptized as children. This was the case in the early Church when adult baptism was very common. It is becoming more common today. Some have been baptized in other Christian churches. If you have not been baptized, the first step in becoming a member of the Church is to study the Christian faith, and to be baptized. If you have been baptized with water in the name of the Holy Trinity by another Christian church, then you need to be received in the Orthodox Church through anointing with the Holy Myrrh. It is through Water and the Spirit (John 3:5) that we become members of the Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:27). If you would like to become a member but have not been baptized and chrismated in the Orthodox Church, you should speak with the priest.
The primary sign of our membership is participating in the Divine Liturgy and partaking of Holy Eucharist: the Body and Blood of Christ. From the very foundation of Christianity, the members of Christ’s Body have gathered every Sunday to celebrate the Divine Liturgy. This is something that most of us take for granted. However, in those places where the Church has been and remains persecuted, this simple act could result in placing oneself and others at significant risk of harm and even death. In America, even though we are free to worship as we choose, many of us also feel the pressures and obligations that society places on us that may serve to keep us from attending Church on Sunday. We must remember that coming together to celebrate the Liturgy is a very powerful witness to those around us.
Membership in the Church carries with it some very serious obligations. God offers us this great grace, and we need to respond. We do this in a variety of ways. We maintain our relationship with God through regular prayer. We feed our spirit with reading of Holy Scriptures and other spiritual writings. We build our character by loving those around us, including our enemies. We show ourselves as faithful children of our Heavenly Father by helping those in need, and sharing that which God has blessed us. In short, we should always keep in our hearts the words of the Lord when he told us, “You are the light of the world. … Let your light so shine before others, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” (cf. Matthew 5:14-16).
At the center of our Life in Christ is the Church Herself. The Church is not just another organization in society. She is a Divine-Human institution. As a Divine institution, the Church is God’s gift to the world. It is in and through the Church that we are nurtured as Christians. As a Human institution, She has been maintained by faithful men and women for over two thousand years. Now it is our responsibility to preserve and strengthen this treasure for ourselves and for future generations.
One of the ways that we do this is by supporting the work of the Church. We do this by volunteering our time. We do this by offering particular talents that we might have. We do this by financial gifts. Each of these is critical. Each person offers what they can according to their ability. The Church needs people to serve on the Parish Council and other committees; to teach Sunday School, to bake and cook for our fund-raising efforts, to work at the Orthodox Food Center, just to mention a few things. The Church also needs funds with which to simply operate as well as continue Her good work in so many other areas.
Our parish has been supported by the love and generosity of its parishioners for over 4 years. We have grown and flourished. We pray that our good and loving Lord will continue to visit and take care for this vine which his right hand has planted (cf. Psalm 80:14-15).