What is sin in the current day? Does the bible and its commandments speak to us about something real we experience in the now? When we have so much choice and so many possible paths we can take in life, how do we choose which way to act? Is there a right and a wrong choice? Very few actions seem  unpermissible, but is everything advisable? From a liberal perspective, do we know what is right and wrong any more?

Begin with Eden bible reading and welcome. Read some conflicting bible readings on sin: 1 corinthians 10:23 vs strict food laws in leviticus. Talk about the dilemma over sin. Kalil Gabhrin reading about wisdom rather than rules governing our actions. Everyone writes what they think of as a sin on a piece of paper and we display them in the middle…

“Wasting time – watching TV. We have only one life-time to learn, to love & be loved.”

“Badmouthing people. Lying.”

“Trying to control people/others for your own ends.”

“Laziness???”

“Judging others without allowing for circumstances.”

“Harming ourselves/Harming others/Turning away from life.”

“Gossip + speaking badly of others. Justifying myself (why do I need to?). Not caring about…”

“Not caring for the environment.”

“Dishonesty when honesty is needed/Being hurtful in the name of being truthful.”

“Sin is false piety.”

“Not showing love & grace to others.”

“To keep fit at home.”

“Sin is simply the exercise of free will to do something that deviates from our best ideals/Sin is an objective fact of daily existence – murder, theft, betrayal, lack of care for others, apathy, neglect/Sin is time-wasting and not making the most of your opportunities to do good and do your best/Sin is born within us, not present in us before our birth/Guilt is the existential dealing of all of these things, with God.”

“Disobedience – when you know you shouldn’t say it, but you do anyway.”

“Oblique anger makes me feel guilty because it makes the subject hurt + bewildered and at the same time I can not recognise how angry I am.”

“Hurting other people with the things I say/don’t say. Not doing the good I ought to do.”

Get into groups and have a brief discussion about whether the concept of sin plays a role in our lives. Everyone is given an apple and has time to reflect whilst eating it. We come to communion to repent of our sins. A prayer is said to close.