"Is Jesus God?"
Summer 2003 Bible Study

Chapter 2

"St. Joan of Arc Bible Study is an open and growing group that meets for fellowship and to discuss the Bible and other faith-centered literature. Our informal study group draws from biblical scholarship, historical perspectives, current events and personal reflections. We welcome honor and respect the personal ideas and spiritual journeys of all who join us."

Good evening

Many among us had quite an interesting, educational and enlightening experience at the old country church.  I was amazed the minute I walked into the Hall as the chairs were in a perfect circle!  Go figure that.  Who did that?  You now have that privilege henceforth.  We then centered ourselves for several readings to put us in the mood and were then shocked and stunned by our first-time facilitator's marvelous job of taking us through chapter 4.

I do not have an electronic copy so I will touch on some of the points discussed.

The Hebrew people saw God revealed in their freedom from bondage, in their call to a covenant with God, in the preaching of the prophets (which we also make a habit of killing), in God's protection and mercy and in God's punishment of the wicked. The Christian community continued to understand revelation in this way but for Christians Jesus was the "word" par excellence: In Jesus God is revealed in a unique way.

One challenge facing Christians is to rescue the understanding of revelation from boundaries that are too narrow, boundaries that suggest that God's revelation was first focused on the Hebrew people and then, through Jesus, on Christians.  In other words, revelation does not come only to Hebrews and now Christians.  (How goofy that we might ever think it would.)

As we shift from the belief of living in exile from God to an understanding that God's Spirit has always been and is still active in all of creation, we will inevitably broaden our theology of revelation.  (And free ourselves from tremendously hampering beliefs.) How easy is this for those of us who have been steeped in the old ways of thinking about Christianity?  Can we break free from this indoctrination? Should we?

If the Spirit of God works in and through the development of culture, we world expect to find a development of religious insight as culture develops. Indeed this is what we do find.  Does this not provide us with the challenge of discerning Scripture being written today?  Is Scripture being written today?  Will the bible of 500 years from now be the one we read today?

The belief in one God took a long time to take firm hold in the religious practice of the Hebrew people.  The idea of life after death is another example.  The idea of was virtually unknown for centuries and at the time of Jesus was a point of debate between the Sadducees and the Pharisees.  (what about the idea of Satan?  I believe that idea came much later than even the book of Job, for example.)  What debates do we have going on within Christianity today?  Women teachers?  Homosexuals?  Priestly celibacy? Others?

One big problem Morwood finds with modern theology is that our theologians are put in straight jackets.  Theology may speculate how we might better understand doctrine today but is not permitted to question them.  Most of us have been taught these doctrines and have also been taught not to question them.  This is very much my upbringing and many of yours as well.  "The bible says..."  "The Bible means..."  And you had best not question the authority of the bible.

We humans have so much going for us ; yet we act toward each other and toward the planet as if the Spirit of God were not present and active in all of creation, including us.  I'll leave this comment stand alone for fear I may start ranting about man's inhumanity to man.

What we need desperately is someone to light the way of human existence for us, to show us how the Spirit of God may be better expressed in our lives, how to create a human society that will give witness to God's reign among us.  Who is that someone?  Would we know him / her if they were here now? Are they here now?

Thanks a million Ron!

This was interspersed and followed with much conversation and questioning. One thing we immediately cleared up is that we are troubled by statements like that last one in the overview about needing someone to "light the way for us", without qualifying that.  And actually, Morwood does.  On Page 67 he says Jesus is that someone for us but doesn't actually tell us to step up too and live the life.  However, our experience includes the knowledge that those "lights" are here now and have been since Jesus and before.  It may behoove us to stop waiting and start creating.

Hey, wait a minute!  It's 8-o-something and you all know what that means. Treat time!  I don't know what is with me lately but once again I was caught up in thrilling conversation and consequently was one of the last to reach the gourmet bar. (must be inner ear) When I did round the corner and finally catch sight of our dessert de-jour, I must have gone into a stupor as I distinctly recall someone slapping their hands, with tremendous force, in front of my face...Bruce?  I did come to and to my surprise and delight, had not been hallucinating.  We had our pick of Vanilla Bean, Dreamy Creamy Chocolate, and or, Chunky Banana Fudge ice cream! 

Are you kidding me!  

By the by, this was not your run-of-the-mill Land-o-lakes or Jolly Green Giant ice cream.  Noooooo siiirrrreeeee.  This was Old fashioned homemade (Bryers) ice cream just like the good old days.  And that is only half the story.  The other half is the garnish our old-fashioned ice cream received with luscious wild-crafted raspberries from Michigan's upper peninsula, selected and picked by Arlette herself!  That is dedication!  As if that wasn't enough, we also had the option of garnishing these Sundae Supremes with a fancy French or was it Italian, very dense and semi-sweet Almond roll, and then, hot fudge.  Are you getting this?

I've got that Joy Joy Joy Joy
Down in my heart
(Where?)
Down in my heart
(Where?)
Down in my heart
I've got that Joy Joy Joy Joy
Down in my heart
(Where?)
Down in my heart today!

And that is what happens at the old country church on any given Tuesday evening.  Note:  We are not responsible for spontaneous outbursts of any kind.

When things quieted down, we moseyed back to small groups where each group was to discuss one of the topics from the end of the chapter.  Our group was to discuss:

• Were you ever literalist in your reading of scripture?
• Who or what helped you to read scripture differently?