Salvation Seminar.
“For I am not ashamed of the Gospel: it is
the power of God for salvation to every one who has faith....” (Ro. 1:16.)
Salvation. Saved from what? Saved for
what?
We call Jesus “Savior,” so why should we
be reticent about being saved? Especially if salvation matters a very great
deal.
Dr. Barber tells of a priest he knew who
would say in his homilies (sermons) things like, “Don’t get distracted by all
that fancy theology. All that matters is that you have Jesus in your heart.” Of
course having Jesus in our hearts is a truth, all would agree. “But it is not
simply enough to love the Lord with all one’s heart,” Dr. Barber says. “When
Jesus is asked what the greatest commandment is, he responds, ‘You shall love
the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all
your mind.’” (Mt. 22:37.) So loving the Lord with our minds is also
indispensable.
As disciples of Jesus, we are also called
to grow constantly in understanding our faith. St. Paul writes, “... be
transformed by the renewal of your mind” (Ro 12:2). Spiritual transformation
comes, in part, by being transformed in one’s thinking.
At Our Lady of Lourdes Church, 9970
California City Blvd., in California City, CA, for 10 weeks of Sundays, February 6
through Palm Sunday, from 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM, in the Parish Hall (after the
10:30 AM Mass), we will have a seminar reading together and discussing this
easy-to-read and deeply Biblical book of Dr. Barber’s, Salvation.
The seminar is open to everyone and all
are welcome. We have eight copies of the book remaining to give away for free to
the next ;eight people to register for the seminar. Sign up at the back of the
church or just come on February 6th.
Dr. Barber states that his principal aim
of his book is to unpack what the New Testament teaches about salvation in
Christ, all the while keeping the discussion free of technical jargon. He
writes that it “is a book for anyone who wants to know what salvation in Christ
means.”
Before Jesus was born, Joseph was told by
an angel in a dream, “You shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his
people from their sons” (Mt 1:21). The name Jesus is a translation of the
Hebrew name “Yehoshua” (“Joshua”) which means, “the Lord saves.”
“To misunderstand salvation,” Dr. Barber
writes, “is to fail to understand fully who the Savior is. It is my hope that
this book will give readers not only a better understanding of what salvation
is, but a deeper love for the Savior himself.”
And with that, Dr. Barber then begins
Chapter 1 addressing the common misconception that salvation is essentially
about “self-help.” Not!
Whether registered for the seminar or not, all are welcome to join us any Sunday from February 6 through Palm Sunday, at 11:30 AM in the Parish Hall for a discussion of what salvation is and is not.
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.