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    Lent Discussions for Curious Christians: Conversations in the Purple Season
    Lent Discussions for Curious Christians: Conversations in the Purple Season
    Lent Discussions for Curious Christians: Conversations in the Purple Season
    Ebook102 pages1 hour

    Lent Discussions for Curious Christians: Conversations in the Purple Season

    By John Zehring

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    About this ebook

    “Lent Discussions for Curious Christians” stimulates engaging conversations for study groups during the six weeks of Lent, which is why there are six chapters. Each chapter begins with discussion starters to stimulate the conversation. Then reflections and background information is provided followed by scripture texts connected to the questions.

    The discussions push the envelope to raise tough questions about Jesus final weeks, his death and resurrection. However, wrestling with challenging ideas is creative because the mind attempts to resolve conflict. Conversation with other questioners contains the potential to strengthen current belief, to grow one’s faith, to love God with our minds as well as our hearts and to consider which parts of belief are most important.

    Some of the questions raised by curious Christians include: Why did God allow Jesus to die? Was Jesus God, man or both? As the stone which the builders rejected, Jesus faced rejection. How do you face rejection? What was Jesus doing during Lent? What if a person has serious questions about the physical resurrection? How can you understand the idea that Jesus died for our sins? Could there be another understanding? What was the last thing Jesus revealed the night before he died? What comes after Jesus?

    As curious Christians, we are well-served to work our way through Lent so that we are more fully prepared to celebrate the Day of Resurrection. Allow yourself and your group to seek the leading of the Holy Spirit to guide you into truth, to remind you of Jesus’ teachings and to build up your faith through the asking of questions.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherJohn Zehring
    Release dateJan 1, 2017
    ISBN9781370435159
    Lent Discussions for Curious Christians: Conversations in the Purple Season
    Author

    John Zehring

    John Zehring has served United Church of Christ congregations as Senior Pastor in Massachusetts (Andover), Rhode Island (Kingston), and Maine (Augusta) and as an Interim Pastor in Massachusetts (Arlington, Harvard). Prior to parish ministry, he served in higher education, primarily in development and institutional advancement. He worked as a dean of students, director of career planning and placement, adjunct professor of public speaking and as a vice president at a seminary and at a college. He is the author of more than sixty books and is a regular writer for The Christian Citizen, an American Baptist social justice publication. He has taught Public Speaking, Creative Writing, Educational Psychology and Church Administration. John was the founding editor of the publication Seminary Development News, a publication for seminary presidents, vice presidents and trustees (published by the Association of Theological Schools, funded by a grant from Lilly Endowment). He graduated from Eastern University and holds graduate degrees from Princeton Theological Seminary, Rider University, and the Earlham School of Religion. He is listed in Marquis' WHO'S WHO IN AMERICA and is a recipient of their Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award. John and his wife Donna live in two places, in central Massachusetts and by the sea in Maine.

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      Book preview

      Lent Discussions for Curious Christians - John Zehring

      Lent Discussions

      for Curious Christians

      Conversations in the Purple Season

      Smashwords Edition, License Notes

      Thank you for downloading this eBook. This book remains the copyrighted property of the author and may not be redistributed to others for commercial or non-commercial purposes. If you enjoyed this book, please encourage your friends to download their own copy from their favorite authorized retailer. Thank you for your support.

      John Zehring

      Copyright 2017 John Zehring

      Introduction

      And they clothed him in a purple cloak; and after twisting some thorns into a crown, they put it on him. And they began saluting him, Hail, King of the Jews! They struck his head with a reed, spat upon him, and knelt down in homage to him. After mocking him, they stripped him of the purple cloak and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him out to crucify him.

      Mark 15:17-20

      It is perhaps because of this verse about Jesus being clothed in a purple cloak that purple or violet is the liturgical color for the six weeks of Lent.

      The English word lent stems from an Anglo-Saxon word for spring. It is related to the English word lengthen and refers to the penitential period preceding Easter. Early Christians felt that the magnitude of the Easter celebration called for special preparation. As early as the second century, many Christians observed several days of fasting as part of that preparation. Over the next few centuries, perhaps in remembrance of Jesus' fasting for forty days in the wilderness, forty days became the accepted length of the Lenten season. Since, from the earliest years of Christianity, it had been considered inappropriate to fast on the day of the resurrection, Sundays were not counted in the forty days. Thus, the Wednesday 46 days before Easter came to be regarded as the beginning of Lent.

      This book is designed to stimulate engaging conversations for study groups during the six weeks of Lent which is why there are six chapters. Each chapter begins with discussion starters to stimulate the conversation. Then reflections and background information is provided, followed by related scripture texts connected to the questions. Please feel welcome to venture off the main path to explore new territory as the conversation leads. The six weeks of Lenten study recognizes that learning by discovery is the most powerful form of learning so rather than a lecture or having a teacher it is preferred for the group to lead itself by considering provoking questions and conversation.

      During Holy Week and the celebration of Easter, it does not seem like the right time to engage in probing questions about what happened during Lent. So when is the right time? A group study during Lent is perfect. This work is designed for curious Christians who recognize that asking the tough questions does not weaken their faith. Nor is it discourteous, challenging to orthodox teaching, insulting to God or a sign of a weak faith. Rather, to probe out of curiosity is perfectly appropriate. You can see from the gospels that Jesus took people seriously. Jesus took people and their questions seriously as he did with Thomas, whom history inaccurately nicknames Doubting Thomas. He was not doubting. He was curious. Thomas had a lot of questions. Notice that even at the end, even when Thomas said he would not believe until he saw the nail marks in Jesus’ hands, Jesus still took Thomas seriously. In fact, Jesus used questions, even questions from hostile sources, as a teaching moment. This suggests that when we do not understand something, we are at least dealing with a kind teacher who has patience with us and takes our questions seriously.

      The conversations delve into questions which Christians possess but are sometimes reluctant to ask like Why did God allow Jesus to die? Atonement can be difficult to understand. Might I go to hell? The discussions push the envelope and may cause intellectual conflict, but fear not. Conflict and wrestling with challenging ideas is creative because the mind attempts to resolve conflict. A group conversation that confronts real questions has potential to reaffirm current belief, to grow one’s faith and to consider which parts of belief are most important.

      The purpose of this work is to stimulate using our minds to engage Lent and to work our way through Lent so that we are more fully prepared to celebrate the Day of Resurrection. May you and your group seek the leading of the Holy Spirit to guide you into truth, to remind you of Jesus’ teachings and to build up your faith.

      A FEW NOTES ABOUT THIS BOOK

      All scriptures in this work come from the New Revised Standard unless otherwise noted.

      I have attempted to use inclusive language wherever possible in the words I have written, although I have not altered the author’s reference to God as he. I recognize that the Divine has no gender and for many it may be just as appropriate and accurate to acknowledge God as Mother or Father. Whichever pronoun is used, consider God as a loving parent.

      Some of this work is adapted from other books or eBooks I have written. My website can be found by searching online for John Zehring books.

      John Zehring

      COVER PHOTO by Donna Taber Zehring

      Six Weeks of Conversations

      Week One: Hard questions at Eastertide

      Week Two: Facing rejection

      Week Three: Two Jesuses, two worldviews

      Week Four: What was Jesus doing during Lent?

      Week Five: The Seven Last Words from the Cross

      Week Six: What comes next after Jesus?

      About the Author

      Hard questions at Eastertide

      "If Christ has not been raised,

      then our proclamation has been in vain and

      your faith has been in vain."

      (1 Corinthians 15:14)

      Discussion questions

      Do you feel threatened when your beliefs are questioned? What could the curious questioning of traditional beliefs lead to? Do you think God would be upset when you question traditional or orthodox beliefs? How do you feel when other people’s beliefs differ from your own?

      Who killed Jesus? How should I feel about them? Am I wrong to hate them? Is hate ever justified?

      Why did Jesus have to die? Why did God let Jesus die? Why did God allow to die somebody I have loved? Is it possible that I may have a tinge of being mad at God about something?

      It is said that Jesus died for our sins. How would you explain that to another person? Do you agree and celebrate Jesus’ death as a ransom for humankind or does that idea make you somewhat confused?

      Do you consider Jesus as God, as man or as both?

      The Easter message proclaims He is not here. He is risen! There may be devout and faithful people in your congregation who love God and follow Jesus but may question if it was a physical resurrection. Do you think it might weaken your faith to discuss this question?

      How do you feel about any person or institution which insists you must believe their way about Jesus?

      Do you think that sometimes people get more concerned about the correctness or incorrectness of beliefs than they do about aspiring to live a God-like life?

      Reflections

      We might as well start off with some of the toughest questions.

      On Easter Sunday church attendance swells to overflowing. Longtime members whisper to one another how wonderful it would be if every Sunday could be like Easter. Additional services must be added in some congregations to hold all those who come to worship, to praise and to glorify God. The Easter message: He is not here. He is risen.

      It can be an emotional Sunday, less so than Christmas for many attenders but for the church Easter is the highest point of the year – to celebrate the risen Christ. If the church were to ask and to listen to its people, it might hear that a number of its most devout members have some confusion or doubt about Easter. When do those members raise their questions and

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