Receiving Jesus on the Group Plan!

As my wife and I were walking our dogs through our neighborhood we met a neighbor for the first time. I greeted him with a friendly “Good morning.”  He smiled and I knew that our walk was about to be interrupted by what I now refer to as “friendly chatter.”

We often meet new people on our walks and it is not unusual for us to spend several minuets engaging them in friendly conversation.  

Quite honestly spending time talking with folks helps make our walks less routine and relieves some of the boredom of walking everyday. It is one of the benefits of aging, that is learning how to live life at a slower pace, even when one is exercising. Our dogs appreciate the breaks as well.

Well, our new acquaintance asked us where we were from and when he discovered that my wife was French Canadian I knew then that this stop was going to take few extra minutes. Fortunately he didn’t speak French so the downtime was not going to be too long.

But he was a very nice man and I was enjoying our conversation. We both served in the United States Air Force and I told him I also served as a Navy Chaplain. Both of us retired after twenty years of military service.

He asked me what seminary I attended and when I told him he asked if I was a “Baptist preacher” (a common assumption given where I attended seminary). I told him that I was a Presbyterian. He then wanted to know what tribe of Presbyterian so I told him. Then came the shocker:

“Oh, do you know Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior?” 

I told him that I did and he said: 

“Well I had to challenge you since not all preachers are saved.”

Eventually we said out goodbyes and we promised to talk again should the occasion present itself.

As I walked away I couldn’t help but think: 

“Why would anyone ask a Presbyterian minister if he was a Christian?” 

Then it occurred to me: It just so happens that my particular tribe of Presbyterians is homosexual friendly, we ordain women, many of whom serve as pastors. 

We also do not use the modifier “Evangelical” as a way to identify who we are theologically. I suppose one could say that my tribe is normally perceived as being more  “Liberal” or “Progressive” which often sheds some doubt on the legitimacy of our salvation.

I must admit that I have been asked this question before by well meaning folks. In the past I haven’t always been so gracious with my response as I was with this gentleman but I suppose that’s another benefit of aging: 

Learning how to be more tolerant with people’s unwarranted assumptions.

I am sure my neighbor believed it was critical that he know the exact status of my salvation. Did his query imply that he was certain of his own heavenly destination or was his certainty a way to mask his own insecurities about his ultimate destination?

At this point I am reminded of the words of author Jan Long: 

"Certitude is the inappropriate human response to the insecurities of life, and can become a form of idolatry." 

But having had time to reflect on his question regarding my personal salvation I wish I had responded by saying: 

“Well I received Jesus on the group plan.” 

Being a Christian means that we are members of a much larger group of dissimilar Christians. This doesn’t make any of us unchristian, does it?

We all belong to a much larger group of Christians. This is the group plan I referred to earlier. 

The Apostle Paul called this group the “Body of Christ.”

Once we learn to accept that not everyone shares the same Christian experience (or values) we just might become more gracious to those from other tribes of Christians. Once we are able to see those of other tribes as our brothers and sisters in Christ then we have less angst over where they may be headed once they leave this world. 

Once we understand that we all receive salvation on a group plan rather than on a personal plan our understanding of what it means to be a Christian takes on a whole new perspective. 

Finally, why do folks insist (as my neighbor did) on bashing denominations as if they are of no value. Well, my denomination (tribe) is of great value to me, as well as to the thousands of other members of my Presbyterian tribe. It may be different from yours but please don’t dismiss us as being of no value.

What did I learn the most from this recent encounter? 

I learned that we Christians have a lot of work to do as we grow and mature into more accepting and tolerant individuals—just as Jesus was.