MAKING GOOD USE OF “COVENANT COMMUNITY:
META-STORIES IN THE PENTATEUCH” (Some suggestions from Pastor Bob Olmstead)
Federated Church Women (FCW) asked me to write a Bible Study for their use in 2015-16.
I prefer to call this a Bible Dialog. FCW Circles will engage with each of the nine chapters in group settings. It is designed for that.
The Bible is the product of editors not writers. Another way of saying that is that the Bible is the work of a community . . . and it is meant to be studied in community.
Where will those of you reading these chapters online find your dialog?
You might pick a partner with whom to discuss each chapter (by phone, online chats, over coffee). Start your own small group. Make it a family Bible dialog. Join one of the FCW circles. Submit your questions to the pastors.
When the Bible was first written it lacked chapters and verses. The stories had been conveyed by word of mouth for generations and when finally written down they were written on scrolls (books were not invented yet.) The main character in the story is YAHWEH, the God of such holiness that his name cannot be spoken and so is spelled without vowels: YHWH – like a breath.
Too often passages or stories are taken out of context. “The Bible says…” people intone to prove a point or a personal prejudice. For that reason I hope to extract the “meta-stories” – the sweep of history as recorded in these peculiar documents: the Bible.
META-STORIES IN THE PENTATEUCH” (Some suggestions from Pastor Bob Olmstead)
Federated Church Women (FCW) asked me to write a Bible Study for their use in 2015-16.
I prefer to call this a Bible Dialog. FCW Circles will engage with each of the nine chapters in group settings. It is designed for that.
The Bible is the product of editors not writers. Another way of saying that is that the Bible is the work of a community . . . and it is meant to be studied in community.
Where will those of you reading these chapters online find your dialog?
You might pick a partner with whom to discuss each chapter (by phone, online chats, over coffee). Start your own small group. Make it a family Bible dialog. Join one of the FCW circles. Submit your questions to the pastors.
When the Bible was first written it lacked chapters and verses. The stories had been conveyed by word of mouth for generations and when finally written down they were written on scrolls (books were not invented yet.) The main character in the story is YAHWEH, the God of such holiness that his name cannot be spoken and so is spelled without vowels: YHWH – like a breath.
Too often passages or stories are taken out of context. “The Bible says…” people intone to prove a point or a personal prejudice. For that reason I hope to extract the “meta-stories” – the sweep of history as recorded in these peculiar documents: the Bible.
There are many ways to read the Bible. It makes no sense to read it “from beginning to end.” Where does it “begin”? With Genesis? Probably not. The “books” of the Bible are not in chronological sequence.
At the beginning of each chapter in this guide there are two suggestions. One is called “navigating this lesson.” The other lists focus texts. The suggested readings for navigating the lesson are longer passages in the Bible. The focus texts are short extracts that will be specifically referred to in the lesson. You will get more out of this study if you make the time (and effort) to read the longer passages.
If you have never opened a Bible before, use the index. There is one in the front of every Bible. The Bible is more like a library than a book. It helps to know which “shelf” to look on.
If the suggested reading looks like this (for example): Genesis 17:1-22 – it means read verses 1 through 22 in the 17th chapter of Genesis.
But if the suggested reading looks like this: Genesis 20:1 – 21:7 – it means read all of chapter 20 and the first 7 verses of chapter 21.
It is OK to be puzzled, disquieted, angry, relieved, bored, dissatisfied – whatever! – while reading Scripture. You will notice in this study that God and the Israelites were thoroughly disgusted with each other at times.
One of my earliest teachers was a Jewish philosopher named Will Herberg. He said, “God has more love for an ardent enemy than for a complacent friend.” So allow the Holy Spirit to surprise you with new insight. Create space for the Risen Christ to stand beside you as you read and prepare to dialog with the Bible.
At the beginning of each chapter in this guide there are two suggestions. One is called “navigating this lesson.” The other lists focus texts. The suggested readings for navigating the lesson are longer passages in the Bible. The focus texts are short extracts that will be specifically referred to in the lesson. You will get more out of this study if you make the time (and effort) to read the longer passages.
If you have never opened a Bible before, use the index. There is one in the front of every Bible. The Bible is more like a library than a book. It helps to know which “shelf” to look on.
If the suggested reading looks like this (for example): Genesis 17:1-22 – it means read verses 1 through 22 in the 17th chapter of Genesis.
But if the suggested reading looks like this: Genesis 20:1 – 21:7 – it means read all of chapter 20 and the first 7 verses of chapter 21.
It is OK to be puzzled, disquieted, angry, relieved, bored, dissatisfied – whatever! – while reading Scripture. You will notice in this study that God and the Israelites were thoroughly disgusted with each other at times.
One of my earliest teachers was a Jewish philosopher named Will Herberg. He said, “God has more love for an ardent enemy than for a complacent friend.” So allow the Holy Spirit to surprise you with new insight. Create space for the Risen Christ to stand beside you as you read and prepare to dialog with the Bible.
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Federated Church Placerville ~ 1031 Thompson Way Placerville, CA 95667
Federated Church Placerville ~ 1031 Thompson Way Placerville, CA 95667