Folks, you have been summoned to serve as members of a jury this Sunday at Nexus. As we explore the tensions we experience with God, this week we want to explore the question: is God cruel?
To do that, we are going to put God on trial for the cruel story of God asking Abraham to sacrifice (kill) his son Isaac. Is God guilty? The answer may seem obvious. Anyone, or any deity, that asks a father to kill his son, seems guilty of cruelty, at the least. Case closed.
And yet, this Sunday I will be acting as the defense attorney for the story. I intend to bring forward evidence that would suggest, beyond a reasonable doubt, that something is amiss here. Further, I intend to showcase that while the story may seem grisly on the surface, a closer look might reveal there is some actual good news to be found.
Now, you can thank Kristen for sparing you from my flair for the dramatic. I intended to show up in my best Columbo costume (raincoat, cigar, ill-fitted suit, and thick New York accent) but she thought the idea corny. While I disagree, she made me self-conscious, so you are just getting plain old Brad serving as defense lawyer.
You folks get to serve as the jury. Now, if you want to be prepared jurists, a simple reading of Genesis 22 should do the trick. As it reads on the page is all the prosecution needs to make their case. Can I prove, beyond a reasonable doubt, that this grisly story on the surface might be good and welcome news about God? You be the judge.
Life is Difficult (S12 Episode28)
We Forget (S12 Episode27)
The Final Chapter of the Story (S12 Episode26)
Of Armageddon and Advertising (S12 Episode25)
Of Fugu, Lions and Lambs (S12 Episode24)
Jesus You’re Scaring Me (S12 Episode23)
Where is the Wine? (Season12 Episode22)
Scratch That - Jesus Edits the Old Testament (S12 Episode21)
The Ghost of Jonathan Edwards (S12 Episode20)
Wonder (S12 Episode19)
The Gift of Presence (S12 Episode 18)
Waiting for Fire (S12 Episode17)
Mary Comforts Eve (Season 12 Episode16)
The War of Pregnancy (S12 Episode15)
The Age of Secularism - Part 2 (S12 Episode14)
The Age of Secularism - Part 1 (S12 Episode13)
Stay in the Flow (S12 Episode9)
Game Play (S12 Episode8)
Skin in the Game (S12 Episode7)
Squeezed (S12 Episode6)
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