A Community Called Atonement
During my Spring break I sat down with Scot McKnight’s A Community Called Atonement as part of my preparation to worship on Easter.
I’m only halfway through the book, but I’m enjoying it thoroughly. Atonement theory (what exactly was the nature of Jesus’ saving work?) has been a source of much heated debate in recent years. Are we to understand atonement as primarily as sacrifice, or ranson, or as Victor Christus?
McKnight’s answer is “yes.” All of these metaphors, and more, are welcome and necessary. Scot writes that he’d never use just one club in his golf bag. Each are necessary to understand Jesus’ saving work.
What does this have to do with children’s ministry?
I’ve been challenged to make sure that I’m more intentional at helping children more fully understand “all of his benefits”, as the Psalmist wrote.
I grew up in a faith tradition that emphasized God’s wrath toward sinners, and that the cross satisfied that wrath (The sacrifice metaphor). This is a great foundation– it’s true, and wonderful, and a cause for praise. But it’s not the whole story.
If I stop there my faith becomes individualistic, and so will the faith of those I teach. Jesus died for my sin and God is no longer angry. A impacting as that is, I’m telling a finished story. I’m describing salvation a moment and not as abundant life. And I’ve told a story that ends the moment the child says the sinner’s prayer.
But atonement is also communal and a quality of life. Paul teaches that God’s business is reconciling all people groups to himself. Atonement involves engaging social injustice and systemic evil.
McKnight’s book reminded me that the “BridgeKids” name of my children’s ministry is an atonement metaphor. We help children “build friendship bridges to God, the church, and the world.”
McKnight’s book invited me to move back into my own metaphor and to lead parents and children from it.
We are reading this as a staff at our church. It is greatly refreshing. How wonderful to be encouraged to broaden our understanding of Christ and the atonement rather than restricting ourselves to something incomplete… even though it is neat and tidy.
henryjz
March 24, 2008 at 3:14 pm
oh, “to forget not all his benefits” was a reminder from my childhood of that verse! Thanks for revisiting it’s power and really it’s positive importance! Love how Miller in Blue Like Jazz notes the power of metaphor after listening to a symposium from a professor friend from Westmont. Keep up the Theology for Children’s Ministers!!!!!! We need more information in this vein as most of us have little to know theological training!
keithdj1
March 29, 2008 at 5:02 am
Great post. I worked through some of these thoughts this time last year after reading a new book edited by Beilby and Eddy, called The Nature of the Atonement (I heartily recommend it as it asks 4 authors to not only lay out their own viewpoint but to critically evaluate each of the other 3!) I found it really helpful. For the first time I considered the healing metaphor to explain the death of Jesus, based of course on Isaiah 53. As a pastor to children, it reminded me starkly to “forget not all his benefits” – you summed it up so well with that phrase! – and I am with Joel Green and others who talk of the “rainbow of motifs” to explain the reasons for Jesus death. I try now to remember to touch on more than one of the images of the atonement in my dealing with children, particularly with those at the “searching faith” stage.
Loving this blog. Keep up the good work.
From a wee Scottish person.
lynn
April 16, 2008 at 5:06 pm
[...] conversation is inspired by Scott McKnight’s book, A Community Called Atonement – reviews here and [...]
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