Dear sisters and brothers,
In my sermon this past Sunday, I paraphrased an aphorism Jesus often gives when talking about the good news of the arrival of God’s kingdom: “The way up is the way down, and the way down is the way up.” We are invited by Jesus into a life that comes through death, a victory that comes through surrender, an abundance that comes from emptying, a coronation that comes through crucifixion.
There’s so much for us to re-learn about the gospel! To that end, I want to invite you to a conversation The Table is co-hosting this Saturday, March 23, from 7-9pm at Englewood Christian Church (57 N. Rural St, Indianapolis) called “What is the Gospel?”
We’ll be talking with John Depue, co-author of Beyond Justification: Liberating Paul’s Gospel, about how to understand what seems to be contradictory messages in the Scriptures (specifically Paul) about the gospel: Is it about participation and transformation “in Christ” or is it about retribution and conditional transaction? What can we make of the times that Paul seems to say both of these things?
If you’ve ever been troubled or bothered by some proclamations of good news, or just love to dig into Scripture with fresh insights and questions, this conversation is for you! Books will be available for signing and purchase at the event or ahead of time when you register. It’s a “Donate What You Want” event, and you can get all the details and register at the link below:
What is the Gospel? A Conversation with John Depue
Yours in Christ,
Fr. Ben
