Pentecost in Colossae

A theological firestorm ignites when the apostle Paul's assistant, Tychicus, delivers a letter to the synagogue of Rabbi Epaphras in Colossae and explains large portions of it during worship. Then local citizen Onesimus comes home and reports on revolutionary ideas on the meaning of Passover and how to observe a new thing he calls "the Lord's Supper." His entire liturgy for that sacrament is included. The following week Rabbi Epaphras reclaims his pulpit to ponder controversial implications of the Colossians letter, especially as it relates to the role of women in church leadership. This naturally leads to a heated argument with religious authorities who interrogate our beloved rabbi on the significance of actions carried out by Old Testament women. By week five, Rabbi Epaphras is taking a fresh look at how to deal with foreign gods in light of what Jesus taught. Then he boldly goes where few rabbis of his time have gone before in his quest to embrace the good life. For readers wishing to experiment with narrative preaching, each chapter ends with stylistic observations and a place for jotting notes on how to create such messages. Pastors, chaplains, church planters, and other disciple-makers will find here a powerful tool for approaching deep waters in thoughtful ways.