Many Christians would say that Jesus “died for our sins,” – but what does that actually mean? How does that actually… work? Would you say that? And, if so, what would you mean by it?
Other Christians would say that the death of Jesus on the cross is not something we should be celebrating: It amounts to a form of divine child abuse, it valorizes suffering in ways that only make suffering more likely to continue, etc. Do you agree?
There are big questions to ask about the cross, and in Lent, in our Sunday sermons, we will be wrestling with them – each week, from a slightly different angle (like, historically speaking, what “really” happened?). Be sure to be in church!
To go along with the Lenten sermon series, we will be doing a church-wide read of the book “The Meaning of Jesus: Two Visions,” by Marcus Borg and N.T. Wright, in which two historians – on the theological spectrum, one more liberal and the other more traditional – debate things like: the virgin birth, the resurrection, the divinity of Christ, the second coming, and more.
It is a challenging book, but if you read it, you will find a whole new world of thinking about faith open to you. You will learn a lot and will, probably for the rest of your life, get more out of any sermon you hear!
And you won’t be reading alone…
Every Sunday night in Lent, starting this Sunday, March 9, everyone is welcome to join Anthony in the back room off the bar at The Goose from 5-6pm. We’ll eat, drink, work through the reading together, and do some debating of our own!
Copies of the book (used! save a tree!) are available for free in the church office. Stop by to pick one up.