Could you state the heart of the Christian Gospel in only seven words? That was the challenge editors of the Christian Century put to a plethora of Christian leaders, preachers, and theologians. The point was simple: in a time of tweets and sound bites, Christians should be able to articulate the heart of faith in a simple and straightforward statement that is understood by all. Simple - not simplistic. And perhaps that's where the challenge lurks. Let me share just a couple of the entries. Writers were allowed to elaborate on their statements - in a few sentences. If you are curious, you can find all the efforts at www.christiancentury.org/7words - including the explanations. - God gets the last word. (Martin Copenhaver)
- We are who God says we are. (Nadia Bolz-Weber)
- God was born. We can be reborn. (Carol Howard Merritt)
- In Christ, God's Yes defeats our No. (Beverly Roberts Gaventa)
- God refuses to be God without us. (Will Willimon)
- Israel's God's bodied love continues world-making. (Walter Brueggemann)
This Sunday at Seneca Presbyterian Church, as we begin our journey with the narrative lectionary, we will look at the heart of Hebrew and Christian faith. Two scripture texts will guide the discussion: Deuteronomy 26: 5-10 and 1 Corinthians 15:3-8. These two passages contain what Walter Brueggeman calls the "primal narrative" - the heart of faith, the foundation from which we begin. As we do, I pose these questions to you:
- If you had the challenge of teaching the biblical story from Genesis to Revelation to someone who had never heard any of it, and were limited to only five stories, which ones would they be?
- As a Christian, what story from the Hebrew scriptures is most important to you?
- What would your "Gospel in seven words" be?
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