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.
Zeitkrankheit and the Cult of Speed (S14 Episode10)
What Are You Hinting At? (S14 Episode9)
WhenYou Are Engulfed in Flames: A Brief History of Hell and Three Ways to Get There (S14 Episode8)
Is God Angry? (S14 Episode7)
Wisdom in the Whirlwind (S14 Episode5)
Life on the Strip (S14 Episode4)
The Tensions (S14 Episode3)
The Blessings (S14 Episode2)
Join the Joyride (S14 Episode1)
Summer Rhythms (S13 Episode39)
So Many Gifts (S13 Episode38)
Bread & Wine (S13 Episode36)
The Power of a Table (S13 Episode34)
Defenceless (S13 Episode33)
Trust Yourself (S13 Episode32)
A Different Kind of Power (S13 Episode31)
Space for Lament (S13 Episode30)
A Journal in the Snow (S13 Episode29)
Easter Sunday - An Infinite Horizon (S13 Episode28)
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