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9.10.2005    |    "Salvation is not free"
Thus opines someone described as "a minister" of a church in suburban Prince Georges County, Maryland, home of the Washington Redskins. The Skins will be playing today, and a story in the Washington Post notes how difficult it's become to get a place to park near the game. At least if you're going to park closer than, say, Philadelphia and take Amtrak in.

Jericho City of Praise is a black megachurch, and is located, according to a December 20, 2004 Washington Post story on a "$36 million campus of buildings." The church is so large that it is able to "lease several thousand parking spaces to the Redskins each fall."

Well, allright. There's nothing sinful about making a few bucks leasing parking spaces. After all, it's not as though those football fans are going to the church to pray. Although there is something really distasteful at the pride of place wealth seems to have at this "successful" church.

Now, getting back to the "minister", who seems to think that there is a price tag on salvation. In context, from today's Post story:
And the Jericho City of Praise church will continue its policy of requiring a Redskins parking permit to use its lots near the stadium, said Bobby Henry, a minister.

"Nothing is free, even in our business -- the church business -- it's not free," he said. "Salvation is not free."
Ahh, "the church business." To be sure, we can't keep a roof over our congregation's heads without money. But here's the thing, my money-grubbing friend: salvation is, precisely, free. It is a gift from God. It can not be bought. Even for a parking space close to where the Redskins play.

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1 Comments:

Blogger John Schroeder said...

Indeed, we cannot purchase salvation. Indeed it is a gift to us, but it is far from free -- Read More Here

8:53 AM, September 12, 2005  

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About this site and the author

Welcome. My name is John Luke Rich, (very) struggling Christian. The focus here is Christianity in its many varieties, its fussing and feuding, how it impacts our lives and our society, with detours to consider it with other faiths (or lack thereof).

Call this blog my way of evangelizing on the internet.

Putting it differently, we're only here on this earth a short time. It's the rest of eternity that we should be most concerned about. Call it the care and feeding of our souls.

I was born Jewish, and born again in Christ Jesus over thirty years ago. First as a Roman Catholic; now a Calvinist by persuasion and a Baptist by denomination. But I'm hardly a poster boy for doctrinal rigidity.

I believe that Scripture is the rock on which all Christian churches must stand -- or sink if they are not so grounded. I believe that we are saved by faith, but hardly in a vacuum. That faith is a gift from God, through no agency on our part -- although we sometimes turn a deaf ear and choose to ignore God's knocking on the door.

To be Christian is to evangelize. Those who think it not their part to evangelize perhaps haven't truly understood what our Lord told us in Matthew 28. We must preach the Gospel as best we are able. Using words if necessary.

Though my faith waxes and wanes, it never seems to go away. Sometimes I wish it would, to give me some peace of mind. But then, Jesus never said that walking with Him was going to be easy...

Final note: I also blog as Jack Rich on cultural, political and other things over at Wrong Side of the Tracks

Thanks for stopping by.