What do we call ourselves

Somebody asked me last week what I call people who are part of our community. Most folks in Lutheran churches refer to folks who are part of their community as "members." Well, we don't have members, and I don't want to have them. It just doesn't fit who we are. But that leaves us in a bit of a predicament because, as the questioner appropriately wondered, what do we call each other?

I've been wondering about that off and since I started on this journey in The River. For most of the past year and a half, that's how I've been referring to them: folks who are in The River. I still think that's pretty good, but I recently found a better description. It happened when I was in Colorado a few weeks back, but only last week did it coalesce in my brain into this idea.

The speaker was talking about offerings, and he took issue with the idea that people are giving to 'the church'. His point- we are the church! We don't give to the church, we are the church! It's just taking our money and putting it in a different account. He is correct- we are not in The River. We are The River. I am The River, and so is anyone else who identifies themselves as such. We are The River.

So from now on, I'm not going to refer to anyone as being in The River. I'm going to say the people who are The River. It's gonna take me a little while to be used to saying it that way, but it's the best way I've found to say it.