I apologize in advance for the long post.
Here is the reply I got from my pastor last night asking for clarification. Some concerns were alleviated, some concerns remain, and other concerns were raised. I will do my best to translate his reply as accurately as I can, but even then, the nature of the subject and my insufficient grasp on Japanese could mean I make some mistakes.
================ Church Views =====================
1. Drinking is not necessarily a sin. Smoking is/isn't (I couldn't understand).
2. A committment to not smoke or drink is not required to join the church, but it is strongly encouraged.
3. The reason for strongly encouraging one not to drink is because it is easy to fall into sin and as a witness to other believers/non-believers. Furthermore, our bodies are temples of Christ and we are called to live holy lives. Also, there is a huge alchol problem that is part of Japanese culture.
Smoking is a deadly poison to the body. Furthermore, it affects those around us. I'm still not sure if the position is that smoking is necessarily a sin or not.
4. In answer to my question "To become a member what is the requirement/committment?", the pastor listed the following commitments that are requested. Some of the things listed aren't really committments but encouragements, so I don't know what to make of them. I still can't decide whether these are actually the official vows one is required to make to join the church. I will translate literally.
a. Please make a proactive effort to participate in church service(s?) and meetings.
b. Please endeavor to tithe 10 percent.
c. Please endeavor to live a pure Christian lifestyle.
e. Pleae participate in service (I assume this is acts of service not the morning/evening church service)
e. Please avoid idolatry.
f. Please construct a Christian home (marry a fellow Christian)
g. Please abide by the church rules.
h. Please participate as a member of the believer's general meeting (not sure, but I think this is a meeting of the various JPC churches, might be similar to a session meeting?).
In addition, a credible profession of faith is required.
In answer to the question "what are the reasons behind the
requirements", the answer is "As Christians, we should want to live that kind of life as a testimony".
He does state that some of the above committments are based on an individuals specific case. For example, health problems could prevent people from attending the service regularly or financial problems could prevent someone from tithing 10 percent. In those cases, one should consult with the church leadership for advise.
==========End Church Position=====================
Although I am glad that there is no requirement for drinking/smoking to join the church, I still find the reasoning for highly encouraging members not to drink (and smoke although I have more conflicting opinions here) to be suspect. Why should the testimony of a Christian who uses alcohol in an appropriate manner and with hanksgiving be any less glorifying to God and/or effective in witnessing than that of a Christian who abstains? I think there are probably some other possible errors in this line of reasoning too. And, even though, the pastor says drinking is not necessarily a sin, the passion that he argues for abstaining make me feel a bit uncomfortable. Furthermore, I worry that if I do join then my views would sometime put me into conflict with members (and it is not my desire to cause conflict).
Also, some of the requirements still seem quite legalistic to me. When I joined the PCA, the vows were along the lines of (taken from a previous post in this thread)
1. Do you acknowelge yourself to be a sinner in the sight of God, justly deserving His displeasure, and without hope save in His sovereign mercy?
2. Do you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as the Son of God, and Savior of sinners, and do you receive and rest upon Him alone for salvation as He is offered in the Gospel?
3. Do you now resolve and promise, in humble reliance upon the grace of the Holy Spirit, that you will endeavor to live as becomes the followers of Christ?
4. Do you promise to support the Church in its worship and work to the best of your ability?
5. Do you submit yourselves o the government and discipline of the Church, and promise to study its purity and peace?
I don't recall having any problems with making these vows.
5 seems similar to g. 3 seems similar to c. I guess 1 and 2 are in the credible confession of faith. 4 is similar to d. Although they are similar, I do worry that there will be more "legalism" attached to than
in my previous church. Especially as Japanese culture tends to encourage "group" think.
I don't know if I agree with a, b, f, and h. I'm not saying that these aren't good things in and of themselves, but I just feel like to commit to them in a formal manner is more than is required from Scripture. Hence, I worry that if I were to commit to them, then the binding nature
of the vow would become a chain around my neck that would turn the joy I have from freely doing those things (in reliance upon the grace of the Holy Spirit) into a a grudgingly done act (which would be a sin). Actually, as for f, I believe that Christians should marry other Christians, but my worry is that the church will put pressure on members to get married in general. Regardless, I don't think it should be in the membership committments.
I found a position paper by the PCA on alcohol here,
http://www.pcanet.org/history/findingaids/rpces/docsynod/019.htmlThe PCA's official position on alcohol (according to the report, at the bottom, Resolutions on the use of alcohol) seems somewhat more strict than I ever remember being discussed at my PCA church. The PCA position (unless
it has changed) also advocated total abstinence (although not in a binding way).
Well, I'm still praying about the appropriate course of action. Some of my fears were relieved, but I still see some of the committments as being more than required by Scripture. I do know that there is no perfect church and that every church struggles with myriads of problems. I will probably pass on joining during the fall session, however, as I would need to give an answer in just a few weeks. I think it will take me more than a few weeks to make a decision.
Any comments?
John
