Sundays, September 20 – October 18, 9:30 a.m.
The Reformed tradition emphasizes the centrality of scripture. Many, perhaps most of us gain our knowledge of scripture from listening to readings in worship and to exposition on those readings by preachers. But what do we do about books of the Bible that appear infrequently or not at all in the lectionary? We cannot ignore them, since we are told that all scripture is important. The Adult Education Committee has decided to devote one class a year to such works. Last year we discussed Esther and the Song of Songs. Linton Brooks will open this year by looking at the Hebrew scripture book of Lamentations, describing the plight of those left behind after the Jewish elite was carried off into Babylon, the Pastorals (attributed to Paul but certainly written long after his time) discussing early church organization, and Philemon, Paul’s only personal letter which raises questions about slavery and Christianity. This five-week Bible study will seek to discover the meaning of these works for our spiritual life today.