LENT | SERMON SERIES
LENTEN SERIES: Sinning Like A Christian
In the Middle Ages, Monks who wanted to love the Lord with all their heart, mind and soul studied two primary things they knew impacted their life as followers of Jesus Christ.
First, they studied what drew them near to God: scripture, prayer, light. They spent hours reading scripture, meditating on scriptures they had memorized, and praying for hours at a time. They spent time studying light and how the light of Jesus drew them closer to God’s love.
Next, they studied what drew them away from God. They studied sin and temptation. In their study, they came up with the list of the Seven Deadly Sins. These seven sins are greed, pride, envy, lust, gluttony, sloth and wrath. These vices/character flaws, when left unchecked, lead to a whole host of other sins. They are “deadly” because they lead to death — anger rips families apart, envy damages friendships, lust kills marriages.
You may still be thinking, “Why would we, Downtown Church, want to touch these seven deadly sins?”
Good question. It does seem pretty provocative for us, right?
It’s because we cannot fully grasp the good news of Christ’s resurrection at Easter unless we name the very things that cause us to stumble. In some cases, these sins keep us from walking into that new life. The seven deadly sins are traps. They are roadblocks. They aren’t spectacular nor untouchable things we only talk about in movies. These sins are issues we come up against in our everyday life. They get worse when we keep them hidden.
In Reformed Theologian Will Willimon’s book “Sinning Like a Christian,” he shares a quote from one of his congregation members, “People are ready to be told the truth about themselves, even when it hurts, because they know that without getting the truth, they won’t get life.”
Our faith in Jesus tells us that sin does not get the final word. Death doesn’t get the final word. Jesus does. Because of Jesus, we are already forgiven. We can lean into talking about what traps us because we know Easter is coming.
We’re posting the lineup here so that you know what’s coming. Maybe there is someone you know who has felt shame around these sins, invite them to come hear how these sins don’t have to own them. In fact, invite anyone who has dealt with shame, and wishes to be free of it.
Our preachers are aware kids are always in the room when we preach, but it’s up to you as their caregiver to make the best decision for your kids. We offer skilled caregivers in the nursery and DOWNTOWN KIDS for ages 0-8 during worship.
Resources for Series: Will Willimon’s “Sinning Like a Christian” + Elizabeth Oldfield’s “Fully Alive: Tending to the Soul in Turbulent Times.”
3.5 Ash Wednesday | Pride
3.9 | Greed
3.16 | Envy
3.23 | Lust
3.30 | Gluttony
4.6 | Sloth
4.13 Palm/Passion Sunday | Wrath
4.20 Easter | Resurrection