The Bungee Cord
Hello,
“Name someone who makes you feel guilty.”
That was the question that was asked of a contestant on a Family Feud segment that popped up on my Facebook page. The contestant quickly answered, “my preacher.”
When I heard her answer, I thought to myself, “Is that the experience of people who are part of the Christian church?” Unfortunately, I think it is. The reason that I think so is that this is not the first time that I have heard guilt being the prime experience named by church goers. I’ve heard people make jokes about church being a place where the spotlight is targeted at all the things one should not or should be doing. Also, I have heard stories about people who turn away from going to church because of the anticipated judgement of guilt they expect to feel. There is a story, maybe an apocryphal story, of a woman who found herself in the thralls of a crushing divorce, when a friend of hers invited her to come to church for some comfort. The response from the newly divorced woman was, “Why would I want to go there? I feel guilty enough already.”
Thing is, that when I read the Bible and see how Jesus dealt with people, what I see is something far different. When Jesus encountered the woman caught in adultery, Jesus spoke mercy. “He who is without sin may cast the first stone.” When Jesus found Zacchaeus up in the tree, Jesus didn’t turn his back on him, rather he invited himself to Zacchaeus’ home. When Thomas had a hard time believing that Jesus had risen from the dead, Jesus did not lecture him on his faithlessness, rather he answered Thomas’ needs. When people were burdened and feeling guilty, Jesus did not dump more guilt on them. Instead, he poured forgiveness and mercy on them.
Interestingly enough, Jesus did dump guilt on some people he encountered, and the ones that were the recipients of the spotlight of guilt were the ones who were trying to “guilt” others.
I don’t know how the Christian church gained the reputation of guilt casting, but I am certain that is not what Jesus wants the church to do in his name. It may be true that in the light of Jesus’ incredible love for me, I see how unworthy I am to receive such love. I see the betrayals that I have given into. I see the fickleness that I have shown. I see the pain that I have brought. It may be true that when I go to church, the radiance of Jesus goodness makes my guilt as clear as day, but it is there, when my warts are unhidden, that I do not find the judgment of guilt placed upon my shoulders. The judgment that I receive by Jesus is not “guilty”, but “forgiven;”
In a world that handles guilt in so many other ways…punishment, rationalizing, minimizing, diverting, ignoring, not forgetting….all ways that do not have the power to scrub the stubborn stain of guilt and its life-crushing power away, I find myself overwhelmingly blessed to step into a church and hear, “In the mercy of almighty God, Jesus Christ was given to die for our sins, and for his sake all of our sins are FORGIVEN.” “I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…your sins have been washed clean. You are FORGIVEN.” “This is my body, given for you…This is my blood, shed for you..for the FORGIVENESS of your sins.” “Go in peace. You are FORGIVEN.”
No “if’s”…no “ands”….no “buts”. The thing that is supposed to happen when a person comes to church is FORGIVENESS! And FORGIVENSS has power…power to transform, power to renew, power to give life to the FORGIVEN one and to those that the FORGIVEN one encounters.
It may be that other preachers are ones that “make you feel guilty,” but I hope that I am a preacher that “makes you feel FORGIVEN!”
Have a great week.
God’s grace and peace, (ggap)
Pastor Jerry Nuernberger
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