CoffeeSwirls

Hogs, Toll Ways, and Smilies

I didn't take many notes from the church service yesterday, choosing rather to just take it all in on emotional level, and not so much on the intellectual level. What can I say, I needed more than just theology yesterday. In light of that, I'll share just a few things I took home from church.

It was our first annual "Blessing of the Bikes" and several leather-clad riders stayed for the service. Most of them publicly declared their personal faith in God, in fact, they tended to declare themselves more enthusiastically than the members/regular attenders/visitors that are usually in the sanctuary. Um... are the rest of us missing something here? Pastor Host talked about how, in general, bikers tend to enjoy the freedoms of life, rather than feeling oppressed by the barriers we set up before ourselves. I think we're onto something here...

Side note: According to George Carlin, the term "first annual" means nothing more than "we may decide to do this again in a year," so he avoids all first-annual events, no matter what they are. I believe a commitment to this blessing of the bikes is a good thing, and would like to see it again next year! Nice bikes, nice people, good food, energetic worshipers, who could ask for more?

The sermon centered around justification, how our sins are charged to Jesus while His righteousness is credited to us. Christianity is truly a win-win proposition. It's a shame so many people are content for the small pleasures they settle for. But that's another post, isn't it?

One illustration Pastor Host used was a toll booth. You don't see those in Iowa, but the idea is to drive so far, and then you need to pay a toll to continue on your way. He was following his father down the toll way and went behind him through the booth. When he pulled up to pay his toll, the man in the booth told him that his toll had already been paid by the car ahead of him. His response was, "Thanks, Dad." That is, in essence, what Christ did for us as we go down the toll way of life. We sin and the toll must be paid, when we get to the final toll booth, though, we will find that the toll is paid in full. I have been forgiven for tomorrow’s sins as well as today's and yesterdays. "Thanks, Father!"

To explain the smilies, they come from another illustration he used to describe the transactions that took place on the cross. Our sins (skull and crossbones) were taken from us and transferred to Jesus. That took care of the price, but not the anger and distrust that God must have for us, as sinners. The second act was the transfer of righteousness from Jesus to us, as believers. Transfer may not be the best term to use, as Jesus did not lose His righteousness. Perhaps it was reproduced or copied over to us? I'm not sure what the best term for this is, to be honest with you.

Anyway you look at it, when God looks at a believer, He doesn't see the sins of that person. I sin every day, less than I used to as I'm more mindful, but I sin nonetheless. When God looks at me, he doesn’t see the stain upon me, though. He sees the righteousness of His son upon me. Pastor Host used a smiley face to illustrate this.

Smiling bikers, a smiling pastor and smiling faces up on the screen. How could anybody leave church without feeling uplifted from their emotional level they entered with?