Two Versions fo the Gospel by Pastor Russ Fochler

As I approached the time to give the message last Saturday, I felt both hope-filled and concerned.  Hope-filled by the freedom and life I felt Holy Spirit wanted to bring.  And concerned about the how my talk could impact people with long-held assumptions about God’s wrath and the Cross. I started out the talk reading this excerpt of “The Shack” by William P. Young: (Papa is talking to Mackenzie) “…At this point, you don’t even comprehend that freedom is an incremental process.”  Gently reaching out, she took Mack’s hands in hers, flour covered and all, looking at him straight in the eyes she continued, “Mackenzie, the Truth shall set you free and the Truth has a name; he’s over in the woodshop right now covered in sawdust.  Everything is about him.  And freedom is a process that happens inside of a relationship with him.  Then all that stuff you feel churnin’ around inside will start to work its way out.”                 “How can you really know how I feel?” Mack asked, looking back into her eyes.                 Papa didn’t answer, only looked down at their hands.  His gaze followed hers and for the first time Mack noticed the scars in her wrists, like those he now assumed Jesus also had on his.  She allowed him to tenderly touch the scars, outlines of a deep piercing, and he finally looked up again into her eyes.  Tears were slowly making their way down her face, little pathways through the flour that dusted her cheeks.     “Don’t ever think that what my son chose to do didn’t cost us dearly.  Love always leaves a mark.” She stated softly and gently.  We were there together.”     Mack was surprised. “At the cross?  Now wait, I thought you left him – you know – ‘My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?’”  It was a Scripture that had often haunted Mack in The Great Sadness.     “You misunderstand the mystery there.  Regardless of what he felt at that moment, I never left him.”     “How can you say that?  You abandoned him just like you abandoned me!”     “Mackenzie, I never left him, and I have never left you.”     “That makes no sense to me.” He snapped.”  (~ page 95-96)  This passage from “The Shack” lit a yearning in me to understand this more fully.  I feel drawn to the version shared by Paul Young, Baxter Kruger, and Brad Jersak.  And in the past, I’ve shuddered and tried to hide myself from images of God’s terrible wrath being poured out upon Jesus on my behalf.   Which version is true? What we believe about what happened on the Cross deeply influences how we relate to the Trinity; especially when we're in the midst of our own “Great Sadness”. I invite you to listen to this talk and explore this question with me: http://blazingfire.podbean.com/e/two-versions-of-the-gospel-russ-fochler/ If you use the link above, you can also see the slides. You can also watch “The Gospel in Chairs” video by Brad Jersak which I used in the talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0BUFR9wSko In the midst of all this, I encourage you to engage with the One who is the Way (the process, the journey), the Truth (who sets us free), and the Life (through experiential relationship with Him). Love, Russ Note: The other two books I referenced in the talk were: "The Shack Revisited" by C. Baxter Kruger, and "A More Christlike God" by Bradley Jersak.