Study on Theology 5: The Bible

This week we are not looking at a limited number of passages. We are looking instead at the whole Bible. The Bible is not so much a book as it is a library; a library containing 66 books (even more if your copy has the Apocrypha) which in turns are divided into two sections, the Old and New Testaments. The books are a varied collection of religious writings and cover many genres; history; biography; poetry; psalms to name but a few. Theology 5 gives an overview of the different types of writing and where and when the books were written down, although many of the books were carried first for centuries through the oral tradition.

After reading through the outline in Theology 5 we looked at the following questions:

1. 
   
   What questions do you think the Bible addresses? Make a list.
   
   
   

   Who is God? Where is God? What is God like? What are we like? What am I like? How does God move in the world? How do people interact with God? What happens when we die? What is important? How was the world made and who made it? Why are we here? How shall we live? What difference does God make in the life of the world and its people? Is the Bible true? Who is Jesus?
   

   
   

   And the list goes on. I'm sure that you can think of other questions. The group only stopped because I asked them to stop as we were running out of time! You can see though that the Bible deals with questions that humanity has always sought to answer. Big, eternal questions, many of which are hotly debated b various people today. The main response to these questions in the Bible is to point it's hearers and readers to God. The Bible tells of humanity's relationship with the One who created all things.
   

   
   

   
   



2. 
   
   Does the Bible provide answers to every question?
   
   
   

   No. If I ask who am I? the Bible cannot tell me. Yes, you can find the answer to everything.
   

   
   

   Interesting. The group decided that the answer is both yes and no. We found a story in one of our books about a woman in Africa who completely disagreed with the first statement. The story goes like this: An ordinary woman always carried a big, heavy Bible. Wherever she went, the Bible went. The other villagers made fun of her. "Why do you always carry that big, heavy Bible with you? There are plenty of other books you could read."
   

   
   

   The woman ignored them. One day though, she sat down and, with a big smile on her face, held out the Bible to the other villagers. She said, "You are right. There are many other books to read, but this is the only book that reads me."
   

   
   

   The Bible holds a mirror up to us. We can see ourselves reflected in its pages by the light of God's love.
   

   
   

   
   



3. 
   
   Many of the books tell stories of individual people. What difference does it make to know how individuals relate to God?
   
   
   

   Shows different views of God. God is not seen the same way by different people. It's helpful. People are different and they react in different ways. It's easier for us to identify with some. The stories show the challenges as well as the blessings. Makes it more authentic. If we study real people we don't get flse ideas about people being perfect.
   

   
   

   
   



4. 
   
   Why do you think poetry features so strongly?
   
   
   

   Can be easier to remember (for some of us maybe, not for others); can be more passionate; could be a cultural development. Poetry, like all the arts is a gift from God, so it's appropriate to use it in scripture. It's part of everyday life, so should be part of scripture; can encourage use of one's imagination.
   

   
   

   There is something here about the way poetry engages us. Poetry does not just require the use of our minds, it encourages us to feel as well. It is often a more wholistic way of drawing us into the ideas it's telling us about.
   

   
   

   
   



5. 
   
   Some of the writing concerns legal matters. Why might these have been included in religious writing?
   
   
   

   In the Old Testament there is not much difference between the sacred and the secular. Priests (who uphold the Law) and Kings are appointed by God.
   

   
   

   In the Old Testament, the Law is handed down to humanity by God. There is no distinction between God's laws and the rules humanity lives by. Later on though, as Israel encountered the laws of other cultures and, indeed, had to live under the occupation of Roman Law, it was necessary to make distinctions. The famous passage where the Pharisees try to trick Jesus by asking him about taxes was based on the assumption that a person cannot keep God's law and the Roman, civil law at the same time. That is why Jesus wisely tells them to 'give to Caesar what is Caesar's and give to God what is God's."
   

   
   

   
   



6. 
   
   Does it matter that there are so many translations and versions of the Bible? Why or why not?
   
   
   

   Helpful. People are able to read it for themselves. God word is meant for everyone and having the Bible in one's own language means that everyone has a chance to engage with it. Some of the translations take liberties with the text and some are more interpretive than others. This can be a problem if the text is manipulated to make it say something that is not in the original texts. Having God's word available to everyone is part of God's plan.
   

   
   

   
   

Bible Study for Theology 4; Galatians 1:1 and 11-24

Paul's Vindication of his Apostleship:
1. Paul opens his letter by telling everyone that he is sent by God. why do you think he might need to begin in this way?
Perhaps the Christian community was suspicious. Paul had previously been persecuting Christians, this may have been why he wanted to contact them. Paul needed them to know that he wasn't bragging about himself -he was in touch with them because God required him to write to them! Paul's apostleship is central to his own identity. He sees himself, first and foremost as an apostle; one who is sent by God to proclaim the Good News. Paul also wants the church to know that his emphasis is on God and God's works - it's not about how wonderful Paul is -Paul is not a false prophet.
Paul is very good at 'cutting to the chase.' He wants to make sure that the church knows why he is writing to them and who he is. He doesn't waste time with flattery or small talk. He sets out the agenda right away. He's writing because God has sent him to tell the Good News and tell it he will!

2. How do you think you would feel if we received a letter just like this one tomorrow?
Afraid. Why us? Worried. Cautious, there are many false prophets today; happy; very special to get a letter from God! There may be problems with the use of the word 'apostle' (Rema gave us an example from India here), people may misunderstand what an apostle is; how would we know the person was really sent from God?
This question brought a mixed reaction as you can see. Without being sceptical, we felt that we would want to be sure that the person was sincere. Some of us have met people who claimed that God was working through them, yet the way they treated other people seemed incompatible with God's words as we understood them. We decided that Paul's approach of focusing on God and what God wanted was a much more convincing introduction than any other.

3. Why do you think St Paul needs to tell people that the Gospel is not a human invention?
So that people will see how important and valuable the gospel is; that the gospel is relevant; a living document; what Paul preaches is reflected in the way he lives.

4. Look at verses 13 and 14. Was Paul a very different person before he followed Jesus?
Yes, very. He was nasty; violent; he persecuted other Christians; he was strong, aggressive; a destroyer.
I beg to differ. Before his conversion, Saul was a zealot. He was passionate; a fighter for a cause (the purity of Judaism); he loved and feared God. After his conversion, his behaviour changed - he no longer persecuted the church BUT he was a zealot - for Christianity; he was passionate; he was a fighter for the cause of Christ; he loved and feared God. In my opinion the most wonderful thing about transformation of Paul's life was that God took Paul as he was, turned him around and used all his skills and talents in more positive way. So, instead of using all that vigour and passion in a negative way, causing harm to others, God showed him how to use everything he was for good, to proclaim the Gospel and set people free. God does not change vigorous people into wimps; God can use anyone.

5. Why do you think that Paul did not seek out other apostles when he came to faith? Why did he take three years before he went to see Peter?
It was important for Paul to spend time alone and adjust to his new way of life. Perhaps it was his own 'wilderness' time. It may have been that he used this time to build up trust so that his former life would not be an impediment to his future work.

6. Paul is proud to be an apostle now. Do you think he feels proud to remember that he was a zealot against Christ? Why or why not?
He is not ashamed to tell people about his past. He is a witness to God's transforming power. Proud is probably the wrong word, but he accepts his past behaviour and is keen to emphasise the transformation e has experienced. If God can do this work in Paul, then God can do this for anyone. Paul is open and honest. Paul does not pretend to be better than he is.

Christmas Comes Early

Saturday's dull weather was enlivened by our Christmas Fayre. We opened up the cafe and the Chapel and vestibule to provide tea, coffee and bargains. Laura and Mampionona assisted our younger friends in card making and, as you can see from the pictures, we had a lot of fun.
We raised the sum of £157 which we will be sending to Akany Avoko, the Chidren's Centre in Madagascar.

We will remember them….

Today is Remembrance Day and the 90^th Anniversary of the end of the war which was supposed to have ended all wars. Unfortunately, humanity seems unable (as yet) to learn that there are other ways to settle differences. The cost of war is too high. Anyone who is related to or knows someone in the armed forces, of this country or any other, faces the harsh reality that their loved-one might be called upon to die for the sake of the cause they support. War is brutal, harsh, cruel and ultimately tragic.

90 years ago today, Britain's people felt the liberation that peace brings. The Armistice was signed and a whole new world was due to begin. The reality of the huge cost of the war, in lives as well as money, was probably engulfed by the euphoria and relief that the fighting was over. We know now though, that this war did not end all wars. Many thousands of people have died in battle since and we, in the U.K are active in two major war-zones in Iraq and Afghanistan. In addition we are also part of the UN Forces in the DR Congo and other 'trouble spots' in the world.

Today in Llanfair's café, we observed two minutes' silence in respect of all those who gave so much to enable us to have the freedom and prosperity that we enjoy today. So we remembered men and women of all nations, who died or were maimed as a result of war. We also listened to a song by Eric Bogle called No Man's Land, written as a reflection on his visit to the war graves in France. It is a poignant song, very poetic. I am moved by the lines:

"The sun's shining down on these green fields of France, the warm wind blows gently, the red poppies dance. The trenches are buried long under the plough, there's no gas, no barbed wire, no guns firing now. But here in this graveyard it's still no man's land, the countless white crosses in mute witness stand, to man's blind indifference to his fellow man, and a whole generation that was butchered and downed."

We still wait for the time when all will live in peace and people will beat their swords into ploughshares and nations shall study war no more. In the meantime we do well to remember the high price of freedom and how much has already been spent.

Journey of a Lifetime

Last evening we had the privilige of holding our very own book signing event. John, (John Morgans) has just published a book which is a compilation of his diary writing since he began to write on January 1st 1952. He claims that he has never missed a day and, considering the fact that he was confronted with editing 5 million words, it's easy to believe! So, the book is now on sale and John and Norah are on the book launch tour. We were stop 3 or 4 and John gave us a presentation which included a showing of the photographs in the book, many of which were taken in Penrhys. He played to a full house (John and Norah can certainly pull a crowd) and everyone was delighted to be reunited for this special occasion.
The book itself not only tells John's story, it is a chronicle of a life lived in a world that has now, for the most part, disappeared. The coal mines and factories that provided work for the valleys have now gone. The black and grey hills have been reclaimed by nature and are presently a myriad of autumnal shades. The Rhondda of 50 years ago is no longer accessible except in memory, so John's generosity in sharing with us, allows us a window onto a vanished world.

Visit from Year 8 Pupils, Llanelli

Here are some of year 8 on their recent visit to Llanfair. Five pupils from each of the year 8 classes were chosen to come on this field trip and on their return they were due to write up and present their findings to the rest of their class.

They have been studying Church and Community and had already done some work on Llanfair and the difference that John and Norah Morgans' work had made to the village.

We talked about Penrhys's history and had a tour of the building, explaining the various projects and opportunites that we offer the wider community. The young people were particularly interested in the cafe and its supply of chocolate! Some of them also noted how inexpensive our goods are; we do try and offer good value. After lunch they set off on their own mini pilgrimage from the chapel down to the statue.

It was gratifying to be able to share time and enthusiasm and know that our work is helpful, not just in Penrhys but to a much wider audience.

Great to meet you all - do come again!

Bible Study Exodus 3

This is the first Bible Study encounter I've posted since we moved from aol to Blogspot, so I'm hoping the features will support the same format I used before.

For those of you who have never been to one of studies, I should explain… We use the Llanfair 'Theology' lectionary which follows a pattern devised by the Rev'd Dr. John Morgans. Each week we have a scripture passage (or passages) that we look at on Wednesday evening's bible study. We then read the same passage in Friday, Sunday and Wednesday morning worship – Monday is different because we worship with a class from the local primary school and we usually use Godly Play.

The group reads the passage and then considers six questions, designed to aid our thinking and get the discussion going. When we put them on the blog we invite you to join in by clicking on the 'comment' at the bottom of the post and leaving your own thoughts. For clarity the questions are in black, the group's response in Blue and my own cogitations in green.

This week's study looks at the extraordinary story of Moses' encounter with God in the desert, found in Exodus 3.

1. In the past two weeks, we have looked at some of the things we learn about God in the Psalms. Using Psalm 139 and 140 we see that God is affirmed as creator, sustainer, a God who is involved with the everyday life of creation and, more than that delights in creation. Everything has its source in God and depends upon God for its life. What then, are some of the things we can learn about God in this passage?
   

God is a God of justice. God sees that the Hebrew people are being oppressed by the Egyptians and so seeks to liberate them. God is God of liberation; of mystery and wonder, caring; an active God; the one true God; reassuring; compassionate; a God who seeks out and provides company; God speaks; is the Foundation Stone of the Hebrew people; God knows everyone – no one escapes God's notice; God is Holy; God is alive; God is eternal, God has been with the people since the beginning and God will be with them at the end; God sends people and God goes with people; God works with people.

Wow, excellent stuff! As you can see this passage gives very clear messages about God's identity. There's no mistaking who God is, even if Moses doesn't get a specific name.

1. Who is Moses when this passage opens and where has he come from?
   

He is a shepherd, a hired-hand working for his father-in-law Jethro. He isn't rich now, but he used to live in the Pharaoh's palace. He was brought up by the Pharoah's daughter and so would have had everything such a privileged up-bringing would provide. He also retained some Hebrew influence though as his own birth-mother was employed as his wet nurse. He would probably have had a good grasp of both Egyptian and Hebrew cultures.

At the time of this stoy's opening, Moses has made a new life for himself in Midian. Despite having grown up in the palace in Egypt, he can no longer live there because he killed an overseer who was mistreating a Hebrew slave. He had had to flee from Egypt. He found himself amongst foreigners but soon married into Jethro's family. He is living a life he can scarcely have imagined as a shepherd. Little does he know, he about to trade from shepherding sheep to shepherding a whole nation.

1. God uses fire to attract Moses' attention – why do think God chose fire in the desert?
   

To catch his attention; fire is cleansing; is very visible; is a symbol of God's power; fire has significance for the Hebrew people – they use in their burnt offerings; to ward off wild animals; to keep warm. (It was noted that in the New Testament, John the Baptist speaks of Jesus as one who will baptize with fire – but we're concentrating on the Old Testament here folks)!

It may be that because fire is such a strong symbol and is often associated with power, God chose to show Moses that such power need not be destructive. When ancient people fought, they would often use fire as a weapon of war. Whole settlements would be raised to the ground; indeed God used fire to destroy the towns of Sodom and Gomorrah. In this setting though, the fire that engulfs the bush causes it no harm whatsoever. This is an example not only of God's ultimate control over the elements, but also that God's use of power does not result in destruction(unless that what God wants). God can use the power of fire to give light and warmth yet not harm the bush that is engulfed by it.

1. Why might God have chosen Moses? Is he a likely or unlikely prophet?
   

After discussion we thought Moses was actually a likely choice. He'd been brought up in the Egyptian Court, he would speak the language of the court and the language of the Hebrew people (given that his mother looked after him when he was small, it is likely she taught him much about Hebrew life). He is also likely to have known how to get into the court and how to address the Pharaoh – we wondered who else in the Hebrew nation might have had such knowledge?

We also considered his present task, leading sheep. The task that God was calling him do would turn out to be very similar in many respects. The skills he had learnt as a shepherd would soon be translated into taking care of people. Sheep and people have a lot in common!

1. Why do you think Moses asks God for a name?
   

Moses doesn't know God? Is he worried? Perhaps it's because he now lives in a nation where there are many Gods, each of whom has a name.

Had Moses forgotten the Hebrew God? Maybe that's why God reminds him that God is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Moses has lived among foreigners for long enough, it's time for him to return to God and to God's people – to reclaim his true identity.

1. From verse 16 onwards God's words are very specific. Why do you think there is so much detail?
   

God is trying to 'hammer it home' to Moses. Moses' mission is very important, so God needs to make sure that Moses understands the task; God is also explaining what will happen when Moses does as he is asked; this is a reassurance. When Moses does as he required, People will see that God is at work in Moses.

Half Term is ending...

I found this aerial photo knocking about and thought I'd add it so that you can see our wonderful world for yourselves! I am making the most of the quiet time afforded by its being half term week –although school does restart on Monday. We are planning to resume our normal opening hours next week, having had to shorten them for the past couple of months as we were waiting for our new volunteers to arrive. Now though, we've got Rema, Heritiana and Mampionona with us and they have 'hit the ground running.' I often wonder at the way in which our overseas volunteers manage to fit in with our funny little ways so quickly and effectively. It can't be easy!

Our friends from Manchester arrived last Monday with a van load of goodies to supply our boutique and we will be sorting and putting them on sale over the next couple of weeks. We are also making cards and goods for our Christmas Fayre on 15^th November. This is earlier than last year, but everyone seems to be already in the throes of Christmas shopping (and I'm expecting to see trimmings appear any day now) so we're hoping to have a good response. All proceeds are going to Akany Avoko in the hope that we can help them celebrate and have a very happy Christmas this year.

School Coffee Morning

Today we began earlier than usual. Worship was at 8.30am with prayers for the world church – this week featuring Germany. We were then able to go to school in time for the start of the charity coffee morning at 9.30. We took some of our fair trade goods and set up an information stall, so that we could help promote fair trade. There were lots of people there already by the time we arrived and the event seemed to 'go with a swing!' A very big 'thank you!' must go to Julie who put so much work into the event and, as always, her enthusiasm and warmth added much to the occasion.

Did I mention everyone was supposed to wear pink? This was something of a challenge to Paul (who has a somewhat irrational dislike of the colour), but the rest of us managed to find something pink. The Hall was a heaving mass of many and various shades of pink, from salmon to cerise with all stops in between.

Mampionona, Rema and Heritiana were introduced to school life via this morning's do and they have been spending this afternoon at Alltwen in the Swansea Valley. We have evening café for the young people tonight and then we have a week of cleaning and catching up, during next week's half term. Our friends from Manchester are arriving with new supplies for the boutique on Monday. We are looking forward to welcoming them and catching up with news of our partners.

I think that's as much 'catch up' as there is for now – see you later!

On the move...

Congratulations! If you are reading this then you have successfully navigated the waters from the old redundant site to this new one - which I hope will be our home for much longer.
Church life continues to be busy with our many worship services, activities such as homework club, cafe, boutique and launderette. We have had the welcome news that our newest volunteers, Heritiana and Mampiono will arive from Madagascar next Wednesday. All of us are really looking forward to meeting them, perhaps, especially Rema, as he is at present our only overseas volunteer. I know the children are very impatient as they ask at every session, 'when will the new volunteers arrive?'

We are still having regular bible studies on Wednesday evenings at 7pm and I will be posting them on this site once I've got organised. I hope you all enjoy the new layout and that you will join in by leaving comments or emailing to keep in touch.