“But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of any works of righteousness that we had done, but according to his mercy, through the water of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.”

Sermon:

Saved.

Coming on to the crowded bus, I looked right and left. No seats near the front. Inching further and further back towards the big kids, hands would go over the seats, the occupant sliding toward the outside edge, and only one word would be said, “Saved.” For a child who wanted to be liked, who didn’t want any trouble, this was mortifying. Seats saved for non-existent “whoevers” and no room for me.

Later on in junior high, I would learn that “saved” was still a pretty exclusive concept. Some who called me “friend” tried to make sure my conversion was complete. You couldn’t have any doubts. Either you believed in Jesus or you didn’t, and being baptized as an infant and belonging to a church didn’t count for much either. Doubts were for hell-bound sinners, not for good Christians. Questioning your faith, reading about other faiths, and particularly consulting one’s horoscope for the day were tantamount to stealing if not outright murderous intent. Being saved was for the inside group, not for those who questioned the limits of this judgmental God.

Back at my home church, I didn’t get very good answers for what to do about my questions, but at least it seemed OK that I had them. I heard about grace, and I heard about mercy – but I had yet to experience those concepts. Riding the bus to school was no exercise in mercy, and being asked not to come back with my questions to Baptist Youth Fellowship seemed a far cry from grace.

Reformed theology is quite a large concept, one that must be grown into. I had heard from early on that I was saved because of Jesus Christ and his faithfulness, not because of anything I could do or believe, but that didn’t seem possible. In this quid pro quo world, something for nothing doesn’t seem very realistic. Certainly in the world of small town life, I felt like an outsider, a foreigner in my own hometown.

But strangely enough, much like Kathleen Norris discovered in living her roots in her autobiographical work Dakota, I am realizing that my tiny church across the river from my hometown was the birthplace of ideas bigger than they could have conceptualized as a strategy for calling someone into the ministry. I was very young when they fired a pastor, so I learned early on about pastoral responsibility, and having integrity in any work that one might do. I was there during my youth when our pastor preached about the ugliness of being teased, and the forthcoming grace of God even when the rest of the world seems to be against you. I was there when the first woman supply pastor preached there, and she was full of humor and joy. I was there when a clergy couple moved into the manse, and I began to ask questions again about owning this faith in an inclusive God in spite of the cultural trends to save seats and make church an exclusive club.

Now, I think there are different denominations and differing theologies for a variety of reasons. For some the purity of the church is not worth the risk of asking the difficult questions. And I think that helps some feel safe. But for those who know that our safety is not guaranteed, who are the realists and pessimists and a whole lot of Presybterians, the only way to turn is to a God for whom salvation and safety are not the same thing.

Christmas not a safe event…

A young couple welcoming their first child without the safety net of marriage,

Childbirth in a manger because there was no room in the inn,

Shepherds gawking in because of angel visitants,

Foreigners bringing gifts and warning them to go home another way,

Rumors of Herod trying to kill the King of the prophecy…

Their lives were preserved, but not without great risk. Sometimes I think we are saved not to have perfect lives but to take risks with the lives we’ve been given. In fact Leonard Sweet writes that the new “goodbye” ought to be “Take Risks” instead of “Take Care.” (The Jesus Prescription for a Healthy Life) Being saved is a wide-open concept according to scripture. It’s not only for the church, but for the whole world. It’s not dependent like most of us learned on the blood of the cross, it happened as soon as Jesus arrived and took his first breath. We are saved not because of anything we’ve done, or because of anything we believed; we are saved because God cared enough to send the very best – because God sent the gift of making human life holy.

For just a few moments, I’d like us to think about being saved – what it has meant in your past, what it might mean now, and what it may mean as we live into the idea that God has entered our world. Then after some time of silence, I’ll ask if you would like to share any reflections or prayers for this Christmas season.