Not At Stake

“Relax. Your salvation is not at stake.”

- Uncle Herbert, JS 2009.

If you know who I am talking about, then it is time you reflect about what God has said through him, and maybe also about what you have been doing with your life, money and time recently. If you don’t, then just read on. I’m just quoting from my mentor in JS ’09. I’ll show how this quote is relevant later.

In JS, we have got quizzes at the end of every week. Early on in JS, Uncle Herbert told me that the quizzes were just used as methods to see how much we’ve learnt, how the syllabus is working, and how effective the sessions were at teaching us what we are supposed to learn at JS. They were not a means by which any one of us would be more or less favoured, nor would getting less than half the marks in any one test mean that we would be asked to withdraw from JS. Basically, instead of using a feedback form, JS uses a “test”.

On another occasion, I was talking with my MYF VP (in English, that’s the vice president of my church’s youth fellowship). As he is also a Senior (secondary school level) Sunday School Teacher, I had a chat with him about the syllabus for Fifth and Forth Formers at Senior Sunday School.

As Methodists, we make sure that all members of the church (at their reception into membership, at least) know certain things, such as the attributes of God, the behavior expected of a church member, and the knowledge of Methodism. In the “open” classes, we are expected to read the text for us before going for the class, when we are supposed to ask questions so that we may clear up any doubts regarding our faith before we get baptized or reaffirm our vows.

In the Senior Sunday School classes, however, we aren’t expected to do all that. We are taught what we are supposed to know via a class, and then we have discussions to get our brains working. Thus, there is no way of actually knowing whether students of the Sunday School know what they are doing when they get confirmed or baptized. Apparently, one of the suggestions put forward was that students should get tested on their knowledge before they were allowed to gain membership.

But then again, what does a test test? Sure, it can be a means to differentiate those who know what Christianity and Methodism are all about and those who do not, but it cannot be used to find out whether the examinee has faith in God or not. Anyone can memorise a whole book or two without believing in the content matter, and people with genuine faith could be cut out from the church just because they can’t remember some lines. Is this a true reflection of what the church should be, when the Discipline clearly states that membership should be granted to all who love Jesus Christ, seek to repent their sins and save themselves from the wrath to come?

Needless to say, that idea didn’t go through either. Even if that idea did go through, I would tell anyone who failed the “test” that their salvation was not at stake; faith and head knowledge aren’t the same thing.

Well, it is one thing to say that if you fail a test you could end up in…. umm…. eternal punishment, for need of a better word. This brings me to the most recent incident where salvation has been tied to some activity or other.

Orientation in IMU is tiring. Well, not as tiring (or dirty) as it should be (har har har). But then again, that is for someone else to decide. As for me myself, it has been tiring. Dirty, definitely, but there’s been no mud, and apparently, there won’t be any. So much for bringing all my “clothes for destruction”… sigh…

Coming back to the point, orientation isn’t all fun (in a very perverted way, I have to point out) and games. There’s also a fair bit of presentations involved too. This year, we had it easy; one skit and one video. Well, as part of the video is a music video, and for some odd reason, my group decided to choose the Michael Jackson song “Thriller”, my group ended up practicing the dance moves for the video until our legs (as well as other assorted body parts) fell off, until one late Saturday evening. If you’re wondering, that includes yours truly, and if you’re still thinking, no, I’m not going to put a video of that up here. If it’s videos or it didn’t happen, then it didn’t happen. Seriously.

Halfway through our practice, one of the girls had to leave for church. OK, church on Saturday is one thing; I can go on writing for half of the time period known as forever on why church should be on Sunday rather than Saturday, but that’s beside the point. Rather, it was what one of my batchmates told me after I looked at her inquiringly:

“But she hasn’t gone to church for a long time.”

The first thought that came to my mind was the same one I had been exposed to during JS. Specifically, my mentor’s words, which for easy reference are at the top of this post.

I wanted to say something, but how do you tell a non-Christian it is ok for a Christian (a devoted one, while we’re at that) to not go to church? I just smiled… and made a mental note to do the talking myself.

You see, a Christian’s life is not about how much one goes to church, how much one prays, how many camps one has gone to, how many times one has read the Bible, how many people one has led to God, how many people one leads in their walk with God or anything about that.

Yes, praying, mentoring, evangelizing, reading the Bible, going to church and camps are all good things. However, one fact remains: these things don’t get us to heaven. Only Jesus can, or rather, only Jesus did.

I’m not saying it is ok to skip church. I’m saying it is not about church, it’s about Him.

As it always has been.