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Bathtub Soteriology Every night, in order to cajole our children into the bathtub, I have to initiate "The Amazing Race" beckoning everyone to drop everything they are doing and race up the stairs to get into the tub. Most nights I end up carrying Mary Kathryn up the stairs in an effort to try to outrun the undefeated champion of The Amazing Race, David. Anyhow, last night as I was carrying Mary Kathryn (2) up the stairs she said a curious and interesting thing to me. She said, "Daddy I broke God's law today." I said, "How?" She responded, "I had anger in my heart." Then she volunteered something really interesting. "Jesus left my heart." Now understand, Tiffani and I aren't the kind of parents who are trying to get our children to pray a formula prayer of salvation to make us feel better about their eternal destiny. Nor are we, I hope, inculcating the deep inferiority complex that comes from a behavioral based conditional love and approval. We are pretty self aware of this pervasive tendency in this performance age in which we live.
They are all 3 baptized and we are leading them in a daily way of discipleship, but salvation is a mystery--like the wind--Jesus says. Our primary mode of discipleship is simple story-telling. My point in saying this is to acknowledge that Mary Kathryn is doing her own math with this assertion. It's not parental systematic theology. "Daddy, I broke God's law today. . . . I had anger in my heart. . . . Jesus left my heart." So as I put her in the water I suggested to her that she tell God she was sorry and I led her in a short prayer. Then she volunteered this, "Daddy, Jesus is back." So in the spirit of my friend, Nolan Donald, one of the 8 persons world-wide who read my blog, I pose the following question: What's that about?
Labels: theology
posted by John David Walt | at 5/27/2005 07:57:00 AM
Today...
9 Comments:
I don't know, maybe she is becoming a good SOuthern Baptist....AHHHHHHHHH. OK that was a little below the belt!
Seriously, I find it interesting that she perceives that Jesus "left her heart". Perhaps she understands, better than us big people that when we allow things to come between Jesus and "us" ala sin, that there is some real void/space/breach that takes place that is really felt only on our part as a consequence of disobedience. The old saying goes, that if we feel that God is distant it isnt because God has moved.
P.S. although I was once a mac user and have toyed with coming back, I must say that I love the Napoleon Dynamite pic. Keep farming.
P.P.S. You never answered the question....do you own an ipod?
thanks eric. as a matter of fact-- i own an ipod mini and love it. am looking into podcasting as the next feature of our asburyblog and maybe this one too. sounds like fun.
back to the MK post--- I was thinking of this word today from 1 John-- "If we love one another God abides with us and his love is perfected in us." the corrolary is also stated pretty clearly throughout this sermon.
thanks again for your thoughts.
I was reminded of language from the OT in reference to Pharaoh and Saul. Okay, those guys didn't get it ultimately, but it's the personal and relational character of it: "Jesus left my heart." Contrary examples: God's spirit left Saul, Satan entered Judas, etc.
We tend to de-personalize experiences that deal with sin and evil in our day. When we do that, we can't help but de-personalize goodness and salvation. But doing that slips away from the relational character of ultimate reality and of Christian faith.
So Mary Kathryn has a great worldview!
PS, I love my Dell computer and would love a Dell laptop. Plus, I've got a great mp3 player from Wal-Mart. Mowing the yard has never been so much fun with that baby!
oh yeah, that's rough about the chapel live streaming law suit. I used to listen to sermons and lectures online but noticed one day it wasn't available anymore. I hope that works out. I like having opportunities to hear the Word.
It seems clear that y'all have done quite a job in telling her stories about faith and salvation. You have invited her into relationship with God by telling her how God has related to others.
I think, in this episode, she was just telling you her story, inviting you in. As you have shared with her how God relates to people, she was sharing with you how she relates to God. I don't think she was concerned about salvation. She was just telling her story.
Sounds like the Holy Spirit is moving. It's refreshing to know that what we tell our children about God is not the only point of revelation for them.
Wanted to make sure your self-esteem was alright. :-) I think more people read your blog than you know. You mentioned it in chapel once, I believe.
This is incredible JD. I really think that little children like her are just more in tune with thier hearts than we are as adults. Mabye the running conversations with you and Tiffany have just allowed her to articulate what she is feeling. With having one of my own...I'm realizing more and more I have just as much to learn from him as he does from me.
Thank you for sharing this part of your life with us...great for us other parents.
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I think the most amazing thing about this post is that you give your kids a bath every night!! man -- i feel like a loser...
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