In today's world we are confronted with a gospel of easy forgiveness and cheap grace. Barely have we spoken up of our offenses, then someone reassures us that we are forgiven, don't worry about it.
Churches (and pastors) buy into this new Theology because it is the kind of thing that focuses on headcounts and minimizes friction. Smile, be happy, God loves you no matter what, so let's go have fun.
It sounds exaggerated, but even the most faithful preacher finds secular messages creeping into his or her sermons. We rush past the problems in the text and focus on the ending. We forget that the Prodigal Son was gone a long time before he returned home, and even then he had to hit bottom before he was ready to admit he was wrong.
As I struggled through this book I found myself asking about my own sermons. Was I remaining true to the text and still conveying a contemporary message? Was I allowing my listeners to spend time in the struggle? Or was I spoon feeding them an easy message they wanted to hear?
Marsha Witten does an excellent job in "All is Forgiven" in researching and addressing these issues. I recommend it for all who are responsible for preaching, choosing materials for teaching Sunday School and Vacation Bible School, and who are leaders in the church.
