The very best part of this Barna report: When asked to define "holy," the largest percentage of respondents -- also 21 percent -- said they didn't know what it meant.
I can't even begin to think of a real response to this, so I will tell you a story:
When I first came back to the church, I was enamored with the sinner/saint paradox. I had not grown up Lutheran and found this notion to be liberative for me. I attended a large Southern state university that attracted many roving preachers who would scream at us that we were going to hell, that we were the spawn of Satan and the like.
Anyway, I rarely paid much attention to these yahoos, until one day I heard a guy say he had not sinned since Jesus saved him 10 years ago. This certainly set off my "Bad Theology" siren that used to come standard in Lutherans (now it is an expensive option). I argued with this guy for over an hour. He still insisted he never sinned.
So I am curious, are these the kind of people that responded to Barna that they are "Holy"? Hopefully it is slightly more nuanced than that, but Barna comes up with some strange stuff.
I suppose that someone who responded that they were holy could go on to explain that their holiness is not something they generate themselves, but a holiness that God has imputed to them for Christ's sake -- the whole "God sees us through Jesus-colored glasses" argument. But I suspect this is probably not the thought process going through the heads of the self-identified holy folks.
The only time I know that I haven't sinned is for a couple of minutes after receiving communion, and then maybe I look at someone going forward and think a judgemental thought, and I'm again in need of grace.
Last Sunday we had communion, and shortly after lunch, I went to help the pastor hold the service for some shut-ins. Communion was served and I thought of asking to receive again, because I knew I had sinned twice against my husband with my attitude during the short time between church and lunch.
Hmmm: this is one of those "On the one hand---but on the other" situations.
When I first saw the "Are you holy?" question, my gut reaction was "Of course not!" I was thinking along the lines of that saying re humility: "As soon as you've think you've got it, you've lost it."
But on the other---
think of the way the question was phrased: "ARE you holy?" (Not "Do you holy?").
To the extent that my being participates in the Imago Dei---and it does---then I would say "Yeah. I am holy" (not holy as Christ is HOLY, but I'm getting there!)
5 comments:
I can't even begin to think of a real response to this, so I will tell you a story:
When I first came back to the church, I was enamored with the sinner/saint paradox. I had not grown up Lutheran and found this notion to be liberative for me. I attended a large Southern state university that attracted many roving preachers who would scream at us that we were going to hell, that we were the spawn of Satan and the like.
Anyway, I rarely paid much attention to these yahoos, until one day I heard a guy say he had not sinned since Jesus saved him 10 years ago. This certainly set off my "Bad Theology" siren that used to come standard in Lutherans (now it is an expensive option). I argued with this guy for over an hour. He still insisted he never sinned.
So I am curious, are these the kind of people that responded to Barna that they are "Holy"? Hopefully it is slightly more nuanced than that, but Barna comes up with some strange stuff.
Sorry to ramble.
I suppose that someone who responded that they were holy could go on to explain that their holiness is not something they generate themselves, but a holiness that God has imputed to them for Christ's sake -- the whole "God sees us through Jesus-colored glasses" argument. But I suspect this is probably not the thought process going through the heads of the self-identified holy folks.
I'd hate to be married to that guy. Yikes!
The only time I know that I haven't sinned is for a couple of minutes after receiving communion, and then maybe I look at someone going forward and think a judgemental thought, and I'm again in need of grace.
Last Sunday we had communion, and shortly after lunch, I went to help the pastor hold the service for some shut-ins. Communion was served and I thought of asking to receive again, because I knew I had sinned twice against my husband with my attitude during the short time between church and lunch.
Then there are the sins of ommission....
laughing - you have to really don't you :)
hugs
Hmmm: this is one of those "On the one hand---but on the other" situations.
When I first saw the "Are you holy?" question, my gut reaction was "Of course not!" I was thinking along the lines of that saying re humility: "As soon as you've think you've got it, you've lost it."
But on the other---
think of the way the question was phrased: "ARE you holy?" (Not "Do you holy?").
To the extent that my being participates in the Imago Dei---and it does---then I would say "Yeah. I am holy" (not holy as Christ is HOLY, but I'm getting there!)
So whaddaya know? ;-p
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