tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35889031.post6310402769370169812..comments2023-11-05T00:58:55.352-07:00Comments on A Peculiar Prophet: SinnersWilliam H. Willimonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00002821401928222858noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35889031.post-7440971207151757432009-04-08T11:07:00.000-07:002009-04-08T11:07:00.000-07:00There's an old Lutheran SayingBad News... Yer a Si...There's an old Lutheran Saying<BR/><BR/>Bad News... Yer a Sinner<BR/>Good News... Jesus didn't die for the righteous.<BR/><BR/>One of the struggles I had when on the non-denom baptist side of life was preaching hell fire and brimstone. Not my style. Instead, as I have grown in my faith, seeing people in bondage to sin breaks my heart, and I long to let them know that despite that sin, as they trust in Christ they are accounted as righteous.<BR/><BR/>The challenge in communicating this is that so many today, because of hellfire and brimstone types see sin as something to turn the heat up on, rather than Christ's healing. So when sin is mentioned, instead of seeking mercy people either rise to their defense, or shirk into self loathing guilt, or simply ignore you.<BR/><BR/>So how does one bring sin into the light, that it might be confessed, and the person healed? How do we get people to take it seriously enough to confess it and be cleansed of it and all unrighteousness? <BR/><BR/>Only way I know is Word and Sacrament... (that's my denoms phrase - Bishop Willimon's/Nethodism's equivalent phrase is Word and Table. <BR/><BR/>Tomorrow night,our church celebrates the glue that binds us to Christ, celebrating Christ's washing us in baptism (in this case reflecting and remembering that in washing their feet) and the Eucharist. I can only pray my associate and I are able to convey both the Law (that we must be righteous and are sinners who aren't) and the Gospel (That by Christ's death we are found so...) effectively.Pastor DtPhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14935097095652034259noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35889031.post-38836801868685303122009-04-08T04:59:00.000-07:002009-04-08T04:59:00.000-07:00Bishop,This was pretty cool, thanks for the time t...Bishop,<BR/><BR/>This was pretty cool, thanks for the time to post it. I'm probably going to forward this on. I didn't even know you had a blog until I found it on Trinity UMC's site.<BR/><BR/>Peace.geezeehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08116119247043217903noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35889031.post-82508660143693934662009-04-07T08:57:00.000-07:002009-04-07T08:57:00.000-07:00Wonderful post yet again brother. I strongly beli...Wonderful post yet again brother. I strongly believe that in the world we live in we don't like the word sinner. We don't want to call people sinners. As clergy the last thing we want to do is to let those who come to our gatherings to feel uncomfortable about being sinnners. Why? It is the world in which we live. Yet it is a truth that we need not ignore if we are to touch and change lives. We need to understand that status in which we live without the blood of Christ. Without us being "sinners" then why the death? Why the barrial? & Why the resurrection? It doesn't make sense. So, let us as believers, clergy come to the realization that we need the blood of Christ because we are sinners in need of grace. <BR/><BR/>Thank you brother for this wonderful post.preachermanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09922837614859997243noreply@blogger.com