Many years ago, a well known Christian musician was on the “Larry King Live” show describing his path from success through drugs and a life out of control. He talked about a desperate night where he found himself face down on his kitchen floor crying out to God for salvation. “I woke up the next day,” he said, “and I haven’t been the same since.” Now over thirty years later, this singer says, “I just give credit to the Lord. I think God just rescued me.”
Thomas C. Long commenting on this story described why this story, and others like it, are troublesome. Mr. Long believes such stories are “simplistic, naive” and belong in the tabloid papers and not in churches. Testimonies such as this are still standard experiences in many congregations and many people are just like Mr. Long in finding them hard to accept.
“Frankly, though, the real reason why such stories of sin and salvation cause us discomfort may well be that they bring us too close to the molten core of Christian faith. We prefer to leave the control rods safely in the reactor, but as much as we might like to domesticate the gospel, to make the faith about spiritual enlightenment or ethical ideals or the broad love of God that inspires tolerance, the fact of the matter is that the gospel is at root a rescue story. Even Jesus’ name, as theologian William Placher reminds us, means “the Lord saves.”
“You were dead through trespasses and sins in which you once lived, following the course of this world, “but now” by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing”.” (Ephesians 2)
These words present a claim on us that is often hard to accept, and yet, the truth is we are captive to spiritual and cultural forces over which we have no control. We are unable to think or struggle our way to freedom. We urgently need God to rescue us from ourselves. To many of us, this need for salvation is difficult to acknowledge.
It is popular today, even among some church people, to set aside the Jesus who died for our sins. Some parts of the church are trying to move away from a rescuing Jesus. Mr. Long writes: “Part of me wants to purr like a kitten in relieved agreement.”
Yes, let’s sweep away the cobwebs clinging to Jesus the rescuer. But then I realize that I am face down on a linoleum floor somewhere in my life, powerless, praying like mad; “You’ve don it for others, God. I am begging you, do it for me.” And when I find myself lifted up into new life and hope, I am more grateful than I can say that “by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing.”
I hope that our congregation will continue to grow in being a place where people can ask their questions of faith and then with the help of the community find their saving moment of grace.
I look forward to worshiping with you this Sunday.
Pastor David