Membership

A is sitting on the steps, reading a bible.

B: Hey, whatcha doing?

A:  (Closes book)  Oh, hey.   Just reading.  How about you?

B:  Making PLANS!!   This weekend is Spookfest at Kings Dominion!  All night FrightNight!  I can’t wait!  You’re coming, right?

A:  Ah, no.

B: No?

A: No.

B: NO!?

A:  No.   Sorry, need to pass.

B: What?  How can you pass this up?  We have gone together three years in a row!

A:  I know, but I already made other plans.

B:  What?  What can be more important than Fright – ah, I got it, you have a date! 

A:  No.

B:  No?
A:  No.

B:  No?!

A:  No. I don’t have a date Saturday night.

B:  Then what are you doing?

A:   Well, if you wanna know, I am joining my church on Sunday morning. 

B:  (total silence, then laughter)  No really, what’s going on?
A: (just looks at him with a ‘That’s it’ expression)

B:  Yeah?

A:  Yeah.

B: Yeah?!

A: Yeah.

B: YEAH!?!
A:  Yeah.

B:  Why?

A: What do you mean, Why?

B:  I mean WHY?

A:  Because I want to.  I want to belong to the church family.

B:  (Grabs A face) Have you been brain washed?

A: (Slaps hands away) NO!  Get away from me!  (Rubs face) Ouch!

B: Then why are you going there?  I hear they are like a cult or something.

A:  No, they’re not.  It’s a building, full of great people, all who believe  that Jesus died for their sins, who come to worship together, support one another, be there for each other, and I want to be part of that.

B:  Support?  What do you mean support?

A:  Didn’t you ever wonder, all this year, since my mom died, how my dad and my brothers and I have been doing?

B: (silent for a moment) No, I guess I never did, but you guys seem fine.

A:  We’ve had meals delivered to our house three times a week all this time.  This woman we never met before arranged it and then offered to take care of my little brother every day until dad gets home.  Every day, David’s parents take bring me home from track practice so I can stay on the team, and they go to the church too.  Another lady comes in once a week and helps with the cleaning and laundry, just to help us out.  All these other people help out too, all helping out a family they didn’t even know.   We started going to there and as a family, we decided to join this Sunday.

B: Oh wow.

A: Yeah, wow.

B: So, wow.

A:  Yeah, wow.

B:  So, what about this Jesus thing?

A:  (Short laugh) The Jesus thing?   Jesus died so we can live.

B:  What?

A:  (Taps bible, recites John 3:16)

B:  How did God give his Son?

A:  God allowed his Son to die on the cross.   Jesus died so that you and I could go to Heaven, sin free.  If you believe in Jesus, you will not die, but have eternal life in Heaven.

B:  What?

A:   Imagine your dad allowing soldiers to hang you on a cross to die so that everyone in the world could go to heaven.  God did that with His Son, Jesus. 

B:  So, all I have to do is say I BELIEVE and I go to heaven?

A:  No, it’s not as simple as that, you have to believe it, too.  Look, as you said, we have been to fright night three times already, how about you come to church with me on Sunday, listen to the pastor, then see what questions you have?  It’ll change your life.

B:  (silent for a moment)  You really believe that?
A:   I know it will.

B:  (Silent again) Okay, okay.   I’ll give it a try.  

A:  Great!   Tell you what, come to dinner at my house tonight, the lady who cooked dinner tonight, usually brings a wicked chocolate cake for dessert.

B:  Alright!  Let’s go!

(Both walk off)