Threads from Henry's Web

Category: Bible Study

  • Bible Study for Monday, July 28

    Well, we didn’t do so well this past Monday, but a new week is coming! On Monday, July 28, we will meet again via Google Hangouts, with the announcement via e-mail (if you’ve requested one), or on my Google+ page.

    Jody has already posted the question for this coming Monday and the scriptures:

    The Scriptures for this week are:
    Isaiah 55:1-5
    Psalm 145:8-21
    Romans 9:1-5
    Matthew 14:13-21

    Opening question is: What legacy will you leave your family and friends? Or What legacy did your parents leave you?

    I’d simply focus in on the word “legacy.” Start with Romans 9:1-5 and work outward. I suggest reading all of Psalm 145 and Isaiah 55. If you haven’t read all of Romans 9-11 recently, try that as well. It puts the question of Romans 9:1-5 into some context. I’ve found that those on the Arminian side of the divide people tend not to like Romans 9-11 very much. When I took Exegesis of Romans as an undergraduate, we didn’t make it out of chapter 8. The semester ended and there we were!

    I recall one discussion group I was leading as we studied the book of Hebrews and its connections with other scriptures. Suddenly in the middle of one session one of the members stopped us all by exclaiming, “Wow! You’d almost think there was a plan!”

    Yeah, you just might at that. Look for the plan. Look for the legacy.

  • Work Glitch and Bible Study

    Something happened on the way to Bible study, and we were unavailable. We apologize profoundly to anyone who showed up. We will resume next Monday night. We’ll announce the topic tomorrow.

  • Lost and Found (Fiction Version)

    I’ve written a short story to (hopefully) help stimulate thought about Lectionary Proper 12A, which we’ll be discussing at our online Bible study on Monday night.

  • Next Monday Night Bible Study (Proper 12A)

    Jody has already announced this, but our texts Monday night will be:

    Lectionary texts:
    1 Kings 3:5-12
    Psalm 119:129-136
    Romans 8:26-39
    Matthew 13:31-52

    Opening question: What is THE treasure?

    Or: is the kingdom seeking you or are you seeking the kingdom?

    No, not the same question, but they may shed light on one another.

  • The Lively Inspiration of Scripture

    A Living Bible. Process theology affirms the lively inspiration of scripture. God was at work in the communities that shaped our written scriptures and in the various writers who penned the library of texts we call the Bible. Profoundly historical, biblical inspiration varies from verse to verse and chapter to chapter. Some biblical messages have universal applicability; others are time bound and, frankly, no longer relevant to our current scientific, ethical, and theological understandings

    . (Process Theology: Embracing Adventure with God, 19)

    This is from the material we will be discussing in The Way Sunday School class at First UMC Pensacola tomorrow.

    We’ve completed our study of Ecclesiastes, and are moving to the opposite end of the theological spectrum with this new book. We’ll spend two weeks on this small book, and then we’ve decided to continue with a study of my book When People Speak for God.

    One of the goals of this class is to look at a variety of viewponts, learn and evaluate.

  • Bible Study Report – July 14

    Last night’s Bible study hangout was attended by five people, and I believe enjoyed by all concerned. We discussed the wheat and the weeds along with several other passages, including Psalm 139 (the whole Psalm, not the portions selected for the Lectionary). I’ll be posting our passages and the theme we’ll look for in them some time this afternoon.

    I want to thank everyone who participated, and all those who have worked through technical difficulties. We’re still hearing from more people who want to join at some point, though we’d be happy to do this with just four or five people. There’s nothing formal about it. Just come prepared to discuss. There’s no presuppositions about beliefs either.

     

  • Monday Night Bible Study Link

    Here’s the hangout link: https://plus.google.com/hangouts/_/gwqtzeablknxgpy4qwmwqau7cqa

    All are welcome!

  • What Do We Judge?

    Tonight’s topic for our Bible study on Google Hangouts comes from the parable of the wheat and the weeds (Matt. 13:24-43). To me, this passage is as interesting for the other passages it evokes as it is for what it says. And like many parables, it seems to raise as many questions as it answers.

    If I were to summarize the way I hear the parable myself, I’d say: Be patient with all the problems and questionable people because God will sort it all out in the end.

    Thus it becomes another “Judge not” passage.

    But this is where other passages start parading their way through my mind. There’s Matthew 7:1, yes, and oh so plain. But then there’s also Matthew 7:20, telling us we will know them by their fruit. Know who? Well, false prophets. Is it possible that any of the weeds could be false prophets?

    Then there’s Hebrews 5:14, where we learn that mature people have learned to distinguish good from evil. Is this just good vs evil ideas or does it include false prophets, for example. And just how do we get from Matthew 7:1 to 1 Corinthians 5, in which certain people are given to Satan?

    Logic I tervenes as well, as I judge each word I write in this post. Ah, but that’s just judging things, right? But I will invite my Google+ circles to our hangout, and not others, demonstrating that I have made judgments there as well.

    Perhaps this whole issue of judgment isn’t as easy as we thought. Let’s discuss it tonight! I’ll post a link on my Google+ page and here on this blog.

    PS: Remember to read the other lectionary texts as well. I think they speak to this issue in interesting ways.

  • Next Week’s Bible Study

    Our first try didn’t go that well. I spent a couple of hours talking to folks about technical issues. You ned to have Google hangouts working. If you want I can test it with you sometime before the study.

    This coming week we’ll be studying for proper 11A, and we have selected Isaiah 44:6-8, Psalm 139 (I prefer reading the whole Psalm), Romans 8:12-25, and Matthew 24:24-30, 36-43.

    Jody has already posted our lead question:

    Can we, and should we, distinguish the weeds and wheat in our lives and experience?

    Focus on the meaning of the wheat and weeds in our gospel passage. What do these represent in the parable?

    There are quite a number of ways to approach the Lectionary passages in a study. We could choose a specific passage to study, for example. What we’ve chosen to do is to focus on a theme that is touched on in the various passages.

    I see some help with our question from Psalm 139. Who really knows? Who really knows who is what? I see a similar theme in Matthew 7:1 and Matthew 7:15-20. Where and when does each instruction apply?

    Join us this coming Monday at 7 pm central time. I’ll post an invitation to all my circles on my Google+ page about a half an hoir before we start.

  • New Monday Night Bible Study

    My wife Jody and I will be leading a Monday night Bible study via Google Hangouts. Everyone is invited. Jody already posted about it, and her post includes the initial question and the scriptures for tonight.

    We thought about many approaches to choosing our texts, and we finally settled on using the current readings from the Revised Common Lectionary. These will be the readings for the Sunday following the study. Jody will list these in her post along with an opening question (or so).

    We’re not planning to formally “teach” this. This is a time for people who come from various perspectives and places to study together. Doubtless I will have and express many opinions. For best results, you should read the texts ahead of time and do some of the exegetical work.

    I’ll open the hangout a bit before the formal time for the study (7 pm central time), post the invitation to my Google+ page, and e-mail a link to anyone who has requested it. If you follow me on Google+ you won’t need a special e-mail. You can use the Google+ notifications that you normally use.

    If you’d like a link e-mailed, just e-mail me at henry@energion.com and request it. I’ll be glad to send you a link.