Session 1 draws on the first two chapters of the book Making Sense of God’s Love: Atonement and Redemption. We shall focus on the different ways we understand and misunderstand the idea of Atonement and how that informs the way we think about sin and blame.

The aim of this session is to get the group thinking about ideas of blame, guilt and shame, and of healing and what it means to ‘atone’ for something.

Opening Conversation

While the ideas of atonement and redemption may seem quite solemn and weighty, they are in fact the very heart of the ‘good news’ of the Gospel. You might want to share any experiences you have personally known of forgiveness, or a story relating to someone else. Do respect the confidentiality of your sources by avoiding using real names where possible.

Watch the Video

Bible Reading

Romans 8:1

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,

Key Points

• Repentance as the acceptance of God’s unconditional love from the Cross
• Repentance as the re-making of relationships personal and collective

Discussion Points

Blame and the way we experience sin

• Have you ever felt unfairly blamed?
• What emotions did that give rise to?
• Do you like responsibility? Or are you a little afraid of it? Why do you think that is, in both cases?

Culpability vs. guilt. Whose fault is it?

• Have you ever felt isolated or separated from others as a result of something you said or did, or were accused of saying or doing?
• If someone reached out to you, or understood your side of things, what did that make you feel?

Shame and guilt

• We feel shame about what we are. We feel guilt about something we’ve said or done. Would you agree?

Reconciliation and healing

• What does it feel like to trust someone again when you have had a disagreement or been betrayed? Or is it impossible to re-establish trust once it has been broken?