Tom Smith-Myott and Pat Rorke led a group of interested parishioners in studying two gospels: Mark in Fall of 1999 and John in Spring of 2000. The enthusiasm many of us felt led to the meeting of an informal group, outside parish walls, for further exploration and adventures in Christianity.

The night we finished the Gospel of John, we sent around a sign-up sheet. Some of us wanted to keep learning. Dennis donated his office as a meeting place, and Missy contacted interested parties to arrange a first meeting date and time. We decided to reserve actual Bible study for the St. Joan's supervised program. Consonant with this year's Lenten theme, we read and discussed Marcus Borg's Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time in the late spring.

We modified the program slightly, omitting lecture time and focusing on small group discussion. We experienced a pronounced sense of quest, of adventure, as we discussed our personal questions in the light of professional biblical research. After working through Borg's book we decided to continue reading and talking together until the program resumed at church in the Fall.

Because we felt we didn't know enough about life in Jesus' time to understand scripture in its cultural context, we read Art Zannoni's Jesus: Teacher, Messiah, Storyteller, Friend. Each meeting began with a "question smorgasbord" which provided a many discussion questions. After small group discussion we adjourned to snacks, followed by large group sharing of our thoughts. At the last meeting, on August 22, the warmth and enthusiasm of the group was even higher than it was when we began our "independent study".

I asked the people at the meeting what they would like website readers to know about the Bible Study group. They asked me to emphasize these points: Our meetings resembled small Christian community gatherings, sharing faith and trust but waiving membership restrictions. Bible Study is a safe and supportive place to investigate personal questions about faith and religion.

Bible Study resumes at St. Joan's on Tuesday, September 19 with Old Testament books: Esther, Ruth, and Job. We welcome you - wherever you are on your faith journey - and look forward to learning more about Christ in our lives through Bible Study and through each other.

Anne Garvey grew up Catholic in Appleton, Wisconsin and spend most of her adult life in the wilds of western New York State. She is the mother of two mature and interesting teens and is a confirmed dilettante. Anne discovered St. Joan of Arc one year ago this August. It succeeds the Rochester Zen Center as her favorite real live religious community.