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bockman · #22 (**permalink**) 06-22-2004, 02:06 PM

I'm in the process of reading the whole thread (but haven't got there yet)

My wife and I left a CRC church when the purpose driven life stuff came down the pike and I took my family in search of a better church home. I was excited to find that there was an ORC church in our area and the worship and teaching there was wonderful. I was unfamiliar with the concept of a fenced table but it wasn't long before we found out. My wife has been a member of a church for quite some time before she married me and I carried her off on a reformed bent, but I have never been a member of any church for a number of very normal reasons.

The idea that I would not be able to participate in partaking of the Lord's Supper was so uncomfortable that we are currently not attending. I am not a lone ranger Christian. I want earnestly to be part of a local body where we can contribute what little we have. Maybe I'll find the answers further in the thread, but I'm interested in what this means:

"Anyone willing to make a public profession should be willing to join with the visible church to be under her teaching, oversight, and discipline. "

Why do I have to sign the rolls to be part of the visible church and to be under teaching oversight and dicipline? From a pragmatic point of view I suppose it's useful in administration, but it's my view thats not the point of the church and certainly pragmatism shouldn't be a restricting believers from partaking in what is their right. I suppose I will probably end up becoming a member of this church but it grieves me to have to do so...