Are You Saved?
What’s salvation? What does that mean?
Every Sunday when we recite the Nicene Creed we say that Jesus Christ came “for us men and for our salvation.” Why Jesus came!
So what does salvation mean?
Beginning on Sunday, February 2nd, the author of these articles, Dibby Green, will lead a seminar exploring the question. The seminar is for 10 weeks (Feb. 2 through Palm Sunday), on Sundays from 11:30 AM to 12:20 PM, in the Parish Hall at Our Lady of Lourdes Church, 9970 California City Blvd., in California City.
The seminar is open to everyone – you don’t have to be Catholic! All are welcome. We have 20 copies of the book on hand and the first 20 people to register will receive a copy of the book free. (Sign up at the back of the church.) Please read Chapter 1 before the first meeting on February 2nd.
In his forward to the book, Scripture scholar Dr. Brant Pitre writes, “Dr. Michael Barber takes the reader on a guided tour into the world of what theologians refer to as soteriology: the doctrine of ‘salvation’ ... The end result is a truly brilliant corrective to the many misunderstandings regarding salvation that have found their way into the minds and hearts of many Christians, including many Catholics. With writing that is both readable and charitable, Dr. Barber shows over and over again what salvation is NOT: it is not ‘self-help’ ..., not mere ‘fire insurance’ ... not just ‘personal’ ... not just for ‘other people.’ But that’s not all. Even more importantly, Barber shows us what the Bible says salvation IS. According to Scripture, salvation is returning to the Father; knowing the Lord; a revelation of divine love; an unmerited gift of righteousness that actually transforms us ... and, above all, entering into the very life of the blessed Trinity: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.... [T]his book makes an incredibly complex topic incredibly clear by keeping our eyes focused on what the Bible itself has to say about the subject.
“In short, Dr. Barber has given us all a very precious gift: a book that shows both what Jesus came into this world to save us FROM and, equally important, what he came to save us FOR.”
So – what does salvation mean? What does the Bible say? What does the Church teach? Come. Read. Hear. And share. Starting February 2nd. Register early for a free book (or buy online).
Incidentally, Dibby was raised as an evangelical Presbyterian. Her father was a minister, and both parents and maternal grandparents were missionaries to Colombia. In the late 1970's, Dibby studied for Presbyterian ministry, but her journey took a different route as she explored other expressions of Christianity and – amazingly, as it was not anticipated by her, nor welcomed by her family – she entered the Catholic Church in 1980. More recently she completed a Master’s Degree in Theology from the Augustine Institute near Denver, Colorado. Her background – having traveled among many different communities of Christianity – gives her a broad prospective on salvation as variously understood among Christians, but with much agreement.
Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church is located in California City, CA. Visit our website at ollcalcity.org.
Dibby Allan Green has a BA in Religious Studies (Westmont College, 1978) and MA in Theology (Augustine Institute, 2019), is a lay Catholic hermit, and a parishioner of Our Lady of Lourdes Parish.