The apostle Paul has often been considered a controversial figure in early Christianity, especially in modern times. Paul's own complex and sometimes contradictory writings are partly responsible for his mixed image. Yet at the heart of his difficult texts (and difficult life) was a simple but potent realization: God had sent Israel a crucified Messiah. This key recognition transformed Paul's entire understanding of God's ways and of the human response to them. It made the cross of Christ central to his unfolding of what it means to believe in God and of what it means to live a life conditioned by that belief. It placed self-sacrificing love at the foundation and the core of Paul's view of God, his own apostolic ministry, and Christian life overall.

Lent is, among other things, a journey on the way of the cross--a journey of learning how to appropriate Christ's teaching about "taking up the cross" (Mark 8:34-35) for ourselves. This six-session study will look at how one early Christian missionary, teacher, and theologian sought to do just that in his work and in his life. Participants will examine a number of passages in Paul's letters in order to reflect on the place of the cross in Christian lives today. They will consider Paul's statements about the cross and its implications not only in themselves but in relation to his practice--including areas where he seems to us to have had difficulty living up to his own ideals. The aim is to invite you into Lenten reflection and practice centered on the cross of Christ, guided by Paul's own incorporation of the cross into his spirituality. Leaders and participants will have an opportunity to reflect on their own practices of Christian spirituality and ethics in the light of the experience, teaching, and faith of the apostle Paul.