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Why Jesus?

On 9 February 2011, in Formation, by J. Michael Thurman

Some invitations are humbling. No. Really humbling. Such is the invitation that has me reading Why Jesus? by Will Willimon. Abingdon Press, 2010. Why Jesus? by Bishop Will Willimon.

I once preached on Luke 8:22-25. It’s the story of Jesus and the Disciples crossing a lake in a storm. The Disciples were afraid. Jesus fixed it and accused them of lacking faith. My illustration was a story from my childhood. I had been on a lake in Southern Oklahoma with my father and grandfather in an aluminum boat when a thunderstorm suddenly developed. Of course, the outboard motor wouldn’t start. The image I recall is my grandfather and I (about 7 years old) paddling while my father tried to start the engine. After the service, I learned about humility… Real humility.

As I stood at the door of the church, a gentleman in his late 80s stopped and said, “Michael, I have a story for you about a boat in a storm.”

“Tell it!” I said.

“It’s was D plus 3,…” Mr. Jackson began.

He had begun his story with a date reference. “D plus 3″ meant 9 June 1944. That’s the date on which he crossed the English Channel headed to France in an LST (Landing Ship: Tank) to begin his trek across Europe as part of the Allied invasion.

Humility.

I found it after having spoken in the presence of one far wiser than me. In reading Why Jesus? with the Wesley Seekers class at First United Methodist Church in Wagoner, Oklahoma, I find it quite frequently. I am grateful for the opportunity to walk through these pages with them and hope some of what I share from that journey will be of benefit to you, as well.

To get the complete story, you’ll have to buy a copy of Why Jesus? What I will include here are study and discussion guides that I have used with the class.

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