Yesterday at the 8:30 service, we received a new member into the church.

She did not have to go through First Step, our membership exploration class. She didn’t even have to come up on the stage to join in front of the congregation.

She is in her late 80s, lives in an assisted-living facility, and comes to church with her niece. Maneuvering her walker up to the stage would have been difficult.

Yet in spite of all that, she very much wanted to join Good Shepherd.

So we were flexible with the “rules” of membership. In the middle of the service, I made my way back to where she was sitting, asked her the questions for membership, and voila! She professed faith in Christ and faithfulness to this congregation.

Aren’t rules in place so that you can tinker with them when circumstances dictate?

The best thing about our new member? Whenever I ask her what she likes about the church, she says without a moment’s hesitation: “the band.”

The band?! Our rock praise band whose style appeals to a decidedly younger audience?! The same band who’d be a lot better at Bachman Turner Overdrive than Bach?!

Yeah, that band.

If entering your 80s involves that kind of embrace for God’s “new thing,” we’ve all got something to look forward to.