The Lectio Letter - Issue #52 - Becoming a People of Forgiveness Series | Part I

“The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against him.” Daniel 9:9

“If You, Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? But there is forgiveness with You, that You may be feared.” Psalm 130:3-4

“Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” Luke 23:24

“Love prospers when a fault is forgiven, but dwelling on it separates close friends.”

Proverbs 17:9

Welcome to Issue #52 of the Lectio Letter. This (usually) members-only newsletter is filled with music, film and food suggestions, links, and an article written by yours truly.

Becoming a People of Forgiveness Series

Today, I’m starting a four-part series on forgiveness. What began as a couple of thoughts I wanted to unpack in a single article grew to be over 6000 words and, I didn’t want to do that to you.. at least in one email!

When I wandered into writing on practical forgiveness I suddenly found myself overwhelmed. Overwhelmed at how complicated and confusing it can become when you begin to consider the many different realities that occur requiring forgiveness.

So this will not be a “Three easy steps to Forgiveness”, as if that were even possible. But more of a framework for considering how forgiveness can and should work in the context of broken relationships. Even then the variance and severity of situations deeply impact the pastoral approach to making forgiveness practical. I also realised that writing reflections on practical forgiveness needs some core theological frameworks, otherwise we endanger watering down rich biblical forgiveness into some kind of “self-help-whatever-it-means-to-you” version of forgiveness.

That being said, when I embarked on writing this, I had high hopes for creating a neat framework for forgiveness. During the interim time I, unsurprisingly yet surprisingly to me, bumped into a series of situations where I was needing to offer or receive forgiveness which reminded me how much we “see through a glass dimly” in these complicated and sensitive areas.

While I’ve touched on a number of things I believe will be really helpful when surveying the vast horizon of forgiveness made practical, I’ve inevitably only mapped 20% of what I’d hoped to explain…all the same, I hope you will find my reflections helpful.

As a sneak preview, the four parts of the Series will be;

1. Forgiving in the Power of the Spirit

2. Forgiveness, Judgement, Justice and Repentance 

3. The Inner Work of Forgiveness

4. The Outer Work of Forgiveness

Become a member to receive the rest of the Series

It’s been a while since I published one of these Lectio letters for the wider world, so if this has caught your attention and you want to read the next three articles, as well as gain access to the past 51 then help me out and become a member! 

As a member, you get access to all the previous issue’s even if you only just signed up recently. Click on a previous issue and then follow the ‘already a member’ link and it will email it straight to your inbox!

The last few issues have been on:

• Attention Deficit Disorder Christianity

• How (not) to change the world, Part 3

• How (not) to change the world, Part 2

• How (not) to change the world, Part. 1

• A Short tirade on why “Religion” doesn’t need to be a dirty word

• Not Sinning is Not Enough

• All the Rest can be browsed through here