The Word by Jon Bormann
One of the most horrifying experiences of my childhood was being held hostage with my brother at the 1st Assembly of God in Jacksonville, Illinois, when I was ten years old. The hostage takers had what they thought were good intentions in mind. The church had advertised in schools a free food and outdoor magic show, without alluding to any religious teaching that might take place. However, religious indoctrination is exactly what they had planned.
After filling us with hot dogs and soda they began to bring us inside for the magic show. The performance quickly became the talk of being "saved," of heaven and hell, and of Jesus death for our terrible sinfulness, et cetera .
My brother and I realizing our Christian church upbringing knew we did not need a Pentecostal salvation and tried to escape our captors. However, they would not let us leave and sternly told us to go back to our seats and pay attention. After much plotting, knowing our grandma's house was just a few blocks away we forced ourselves from their grasps with a combination of pushing, threatening, and fleeing on foot. All of this we did without being "saved."
Too much talk in our area about salvation has to do with this far off netherworld of being saved to a place. |
|
The problem is that this is not what the word "save" ( s??? ) means in its uses in the Gospels or in Paul. In the synoptic gospels it is used as a term of healing; "your faith has healed you" (Mt 9.22, Mk 5.34, Lk 8.48). It is not some future salvation but a salvation in the present time, a restoring of life, completeness, wholeness .
The words save and salvation come from the Latin salveo , which means to be well, to be in good health. While salvation may have future implications its most important aspect is our current situation. The United States is the richest country in the world, with more people in Church than any other nation, yet we use more anti-depressants than the rest of the world. Perhaps its time that instead of a God of fear, of materialism, (or whatever televangelist are making money with) we find a God who seeks the wholeness of a people that comes from dedication to and within a community of faith. Our mission statement makes it clear, stating that our goal as church is "to bring wholeness to the people of God." We see in Jesus a person who healed, who made people whole. Now, today, if people are to find wholeness it is through the body of Christ, which is the church. It is up to us as Central Christian Church.
|
