Bible 101

Two Sundays ago I started teaching an adult Sunday School class called Bible 101, which is a curriculum I developed a number of years ago when we lived in South Dakota.

Bible 101 Binder Cover

Tuesday I went to a morning ladies' Bible Study with my sister Grace. The group was ready to start a new study and Grace had suggested Bible 101. I did a "Show and Tell" for the group to introduce the material to them, which included doing one of the Pop Quizzes that we use in the class (they tend to be both fun and educational). Over the course of the study we will be building a notebook resource of introductions to every book in the Bible, with Pop Quizzes, Maps, Charts, devotionals, and other interesting material.

The group decided they would like to start the Bible 101 study.

So. . .I'm teaching the same class on both Sundays and Tuesdays, but with the classes not started at the same time. The church class will meet three times per month (one Sunday all classes meet together for a breakfast). I think I may have a bit of a challenge keeping my head straight as to where I am and what we have covered in each class! It would be easier if they were in sync, but I'm sure I can work it out.

I'll be getting out of the house and spending time with other people, which will be good for me. I'll feel like I'm at least doing a little something useful. I hope we will all benefit from the time spent with the Bible.

God has opened these doors for me; I hope I will do justice to the opportunities.

Sunday Morning Bible Study

I was quite nervous Sunday morning. It would be my first time teaching an adult class at the church we are now attending. I did not know if anyone would show up (this congregation had not had Sunday School for a year or two and people do get out of the habit of attending). I had only a slight acquaintance with people in this congregation. And I was using a group discussion format--what if no one would talk?

Anyone who has taught any kind of class knows that the worst thing, as a teacher, is to throw out a question to the class for discussion and no one speaks. It is like they all have turned to stone. The silence lengthens. Finally, as class leader, you have to put forth your own take on the question. You wonder if the class is shy, afraid of giving the "wrong" answer, or simply bored into stupors. And you get very tired of listening to your own voice, when you had hoped for class participation.

My fears were unjustified. A nice group showed up for class, a mixture of men and women. And they were great participators! I really enjoyed being back teaching (leading) a class, having an opportunity to start getting acquainted with people, and hearing some of their life experiences that applied to the subject at hand.

The pastor plans to take this class half the time, and I will have it the other half. Now I am looking forward to the mental/spiritual challenge and stimulation of being both a teacher and a class member on Sunday mornings.

Reflecting the Character of Jesus

Next Sunday I will begin teaching an adult Sunday School class. I am scheduled to teach two Sundays per month, and the pastor will teach the other two (when there is a five-Sunday month we'll figure it out!). This congregation discontinued Sunday School over a year ago. I am so pleased that the new pastor sees the importance of Bible studies for every age, and is working on building things up again.

The over-all theme for this quarter for all ages is "Character." For the adult class the base Scripture is Galatians 5:22, 23:
     But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

Each lesson takes one "fruit" and uses a Scripture portion that illustrates that quality through an event, a person, or a teaching.

In beginning my preparation for the first lesson, a visual came to me of a group of people holding mirrors. Each mirror is tilted in such a way that it picks up a reflection from another mirror. The first mirror is turned toward Jesus. Therefore, back and forth, from mirror to mirror, the reflection of Jesus moves through the group.

To me, this is what our lives become--as we absorb these character qualities, we are reflecting Jesus to others.

Nothing is less lovely than a person who claims to be a follower of Christ but lives in an attitude of criticism, hatred, self-importance,self-righteousness, and anger. We will never draw others to Jesus if we treat them with an attitude of scorn.

So, this week I am thinking about Love. How do I reflect that quality to others?

A Little Bit of Bible Study

Artist's conception of Babylon in Biblical times.

Today my Bible reading was chapters 5, 6, and 7 of Ezekiel. Ezekiel wrote about his experiences and messages as a prophet of God while he was an exile in Babylon. Well, I must admit it was a bit of a downer. In fact, reading many of the prophetic books that were written as warnings to the people of Israel and Judah in the years before the destruction of their respective nations can be very difficult. When the sinful rebellion against God, and the violence, greed, and injustice of those nations is itemized, I keep thinking that it sounds like the things I hear on the news every day.

The human race has new technology, but sure has not evolved as to character and behavior. It seems, instead, that things are degenerating.

I have to remind myself that bad news is what makes the news. All the good things done every day do not make for the drama the newsfolk look for. I remember reading years ago a comment by Phil Donohue about the days when he did radio news. The motto was something like, "If it bled, it led."

When I worked for the Probation and Parole Department and then for the County Attorney's Office, every day's work dealt with terrible things people do to each other. What kept me from becoming totally depressed and cynical was the fact that through church, family, and friends I knew a lot of good, decent people. Not perfect people, but people who do their best to be what they should be. People who are loving and kind. People who have fun without destructiveness to their minds, bodies, or spirits. People who care about and help others. The salt of the earth.

I have to remind myself of that while reading the horrors the prophets sometimes speak of. And with Ezekiel I try to picture the things he describes, as God has him doing performance art to demonstrate his message to the people around him. Some of these action object lessons are so bizarre I can surely believe they attracted the attention of passersby and gave Ezekiel an audience for his message. These were not easy things for Ezekiel to do. He suffered to deliver the message. He had a degree of dedication and obedience that was truly exceptional.

There Are Some Very Strange Things in the Word

In my personal Bible reading, I am now in the book of Ezekiel. Ezekiel is a clear example of the fact that being called as a prophet of God was not a call to a life free of stress or trouble! The life of a prophet tends to be very hard, for they are called to frequently tell people things they do not want to hear.

Today what I am thinking about is the vision that Ezekiel was given when he was called to special service by God. To me it is both amazing and bizarre. If reading about it strikes me that way, what must it have been like for Ezekiel to experience it?! He must have struggled to find the right words to try to convey what he had seen.

This is the vision of the four creatures, human-looking bodies with calves' feet, each with four wings (two outspread and two folded along their arms), and, oddest of all, four faces. Each had a human face, a bull's face, a lion's face, and an eagle's face. They stood with their human faces looking forward, each creature facing a different way. Their outstretched wings touched at the tips, so that they formed a square. They glowed. They were accompanied by wheels within wheels, the wheels bordered by many, many eyes. Thus, they could move quickly in any direction without having to turn. And with the wings that were folded along their arms, they could fly when needed.

Well, this is just loaded with symbolism about the all-seeing, ever-present, all-powerful nature of God. I'll let you think about that for yourself. It stirs my imagination to wonder if the creatures are real, as well as symbolic. We know from the variety of creatures that live on our earth, and that have lived here but are now extinct, that God has a terrific imagination. So, perhaps, his own home is filled with even more wondrous, imaginative, beings!

Years ago I read a book by an author who was trying to prove that life on earth was seeded by an advanced race from another planet that had long since mastered space travel, and who periodically check back to see how their handiwork is doing (hence, the UFO sightings). This may have been the Chariots of the Gods book--it is an unbelievable mess, but one thing in it stuck in my memory. In order to try to prove his thesis, the author used this vision of Ezekiel. He believed that what Ezekiel saw was a UFO! One of the visitations from these aliens. Well, the messages Ezekiel received to pass on to his people were not at all supportive of this author's ideas. However, it does illustrate how these visions can capture our imaginations as we struggle to visualize and understand the mysteries of God.

A Sweet and Simple Sunday

Yesterday I did not go to church (gasp). I have not missed church attendance very often throughout my life, and I do feel a bit guilty about not going yesterday. The reason I didn't go is not relevant. The day did, nonetheless, turn out very nicely.

My granddaughter was spending the night. She was exhausted when she went to bed, and I decided not to wake her Sunday morning. So the house was quiet and I tried to keep it quiet and peaceful.

I was up early. I dressed and went to the living room with my morning orange juice. I settled into the sofa with my Bible and journal and had a time of personal Bible Study. I am currently in the book of Lamentations. It is a heart-wrenching collection of poems mourning the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians and recounting the horrors and suffering of the 18 months of siege before the city walls were broken through. It is emotionally hard to read, but gives a person a lot to think about.

I did nothing in a hurry, but opted for a slow, relaxed morning. Eventually, my stomach demanded attention and I brewed a pot of coffee and cooked my bowl of oatmeal with blueberries and honey (my favorite breakfast). Yum.

About 10:15 Megan woke up and wandered out. I heard sounds in the back yard and went out on the deck to talk to my son-in-law. He was moving very slowly and stiffly, having run a half-marathon in a cold rain the day before. His way of dealing with pain is to work. He was running the weed trimmer in preparation for mowing. When Megan realized what her dad was doing, she hopped up, dressed, and ran out to help.

My quiet and simple day continued. I worked on a photo book for a while.

After the mowing was completed, Megan and I went to the Village Inn for a late lunch. We had a lovely, relaxed time, visiting while we waited for our food, taking our time eating. We returned home, where I skimmed the Sunday paper and worked the puzzles while Megan played chess on the computer.

Then it was time for our weekly Bible Study. We were on Deuteronomy in my Introduction to the Bible course that I call Bible 101. An hour later we felt the need of some fresh air and exercise, so out the door we went for a quick walk around the neighborhood. I wish I had taken my camera, for we passed so many lilacs in full bloom in various shades of purple and also in white.

Back home we settled down to read aloud from the book we are currently sharing. At 8:30 my daughter called to tell Megan it was time to come home and get ready for bed.

A lovely day. Nothing special to anyone else, but I deeply appreciated it.