Join Rev. Brittany and Rev. Hannah as they wrap up the multi-episode conversation on The Stories That Save Us, which has highlighted some favorite stories from the Gospel. This week, the female pastors of the First United Methodist Church of San Diego are focusing on The Story of Forgiveness, leaning into John 8:2-11, the story of the woman caught in the sin of adultery.

The pastors speculate the public stoning was a scheme to trap Jesus in a theological battle. After all, why only accuse the woman and not the man? Unfortunately, that trap makes the unnamed woman the front and center of the story, making her an immoral scapegoat to publicly catch Jesus. And it’s been used by Christians for centuries as justification to put others down.

But Jesus gives us the blueprint on how to navigate public shaming and judgment of others through verbal and non-verbal engagement and de-escalation.

Listen in as the pastors discuss how to navigate sin, condemnation, and forgiveness in a way that’s life giving and can lead us and others toward a new future with a clean slate.

We invite you to continue the conversation with friends and family, joining our in-person Convergence discussion group, or visiting our Patreon community where you can unlock more content and inspiration while engaging in online discussion. Here are some questions for you to ponder, as you continue to explore The Story of Forgiveness:

We’ll be taking a short break next week as we celebrate Easter (The Story of Hope!) but will be back with a new conversation series on Sunday, April 27.