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Jonah [LENT 2010]

From deep in the realm of the dead Jonah calls for help. And God listens to his cry.

Jonah and the big fish—it's a story for Bible storybooks and Sunday school flannelboards. It requires us to believe the impossible, but more than that, it forces us to confront truths that we're more comfortable relegating to children's stories and myths. We don't want to take seriously its claims.

But Jesus saw the story of Jonah as central to everything he was doing through his death and resurrection—he called it the sign of Jonah.

Few stories capture the spirit of repentance and return like the story of Jonah. It's a story of God's compassion and longing for all people to return to him. It's a story of running and returning, of illusions and disillusions, of disobedience and spiteful obedience, and ultimately about a world completely transformed by God's love.

What if we could name our own illusions about how the world ought to work and open ourselves to the world God longs to bring into being?

What if coming to the end of ourselves brought us to a new beginning in God?

What if God's compassion were planted so deeply into our being
that it would challenge all of
our assumptions
our anger
our prejudices?

TOOLS + RESOURCES

We will be exploring Jonah in our Sunday morning Gatherings, in our House Churches, Short Circles, and with downloadable resources for individuals and families.

• Join us or listen online as we study the book of Jonah.
• Our Lenten Experience Calendar is a way for you and your family to experience the season of Lent, with invitations to prayer, Scripture readings or action for each day.
• House Church and Short Circle leaders and participants can download the Jonah study guide as a PDF here.