Beginning on Thursday, Jan. 18, and continuing irregularly through Apr. 18, we as a parish will be reading N.T. Wright’s book Surprised by Hope, which explores the Church’s doctrine of heaven and eternal life in the context of the Church.  Most of us are intrigued by these topics and it is important to understand what the Bible actually teaches, and also what popular ideas may be prevalent in the Church even though though they are not scriptural.  We will conclude this study just before Holy Week, and my hope is that the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ will bless us even more greatly after we have more carefully considered…