The foundations of our faith are built on the words of The Bible - the history contained in the Old Testament, the poetry of the Psalms, the story of Jesus' life in the New Testament, the accounts of the early church in Acts, the letters of Paul and others and finally, John's vision in the Book of Revelation. Some parts of The Bible may be very familiar to us, others less so. Some make easy reading, offering comfort, support and hope; other parts are more difficult and challenging.
In April 2020 Covid-19 led to the closure of our church buildings for worship. However this did not stop us from being together online. Over more than a year, using the medium of 'Zoom' we met from our homes, with a cup of tea/coffee and a biscuit for 'Conversation at 10' every Wednesday morning.
Guided by our Rector, Chris, and using short video clips from 'The Bible Project' we set out to learn more about the Bible - when was it written, by whom and what messages does it send to us?
We discovered something of the styles of ancient Jewish literature and looked at many of the Old Testament books. Then we traveled over the bridge that links the Old and New Testaments.
If you followed these sessions you might like to look again at some of the material. If you weren't able to join us then don't worry because all the clips are here. Each one is short - most are less than 10 minutes and they are presented in a lively way that is easy to take in. So, just click on any of the links below at any time that suits you.
LENT COURSE 2021 - 'The Character of God'
Here are links to the video clips that help to guide us through our Lent course:
Where did the Bible come from? (45 minutes)
Below are links to the Old Testament chapters we explored:
Genesis Part 1 / Genesis Part 2
Deuteronomy (version1) ; Deuteronomy (Version 2)
Samuel (1) / Samuel (2) / Kings 1 & 2 / Chronicles 1 & 2
The Day of The Lord / Isaiah (Part 1) / Isaiah (Part 2) / Obadiah / Daniel
Song of Solomon (cartoon) / Song of Solomon (text)
Proverbs (cartoon) / Proverbs (text)
Esther A book in which God is not mentioned - the origin of the Jewish festival of Purim
. . and here are some useful insights into Bible writing styles
How to read The Bible (3): Literary Styles in The Bible (3)
Learn about Jewish Meditation Literature and discover King Solomon's Temple
St John Howsham Apse ; St John Howsham reredos
Some Jewish words: 'Shema' (Hear) ; 'YHWH' (LORD) ; 'Ahavah' (Love) ; 'Lev' (Heart) ; 'Nephesh' (Soul) ; 'Me'od' (Strength)
Plot / Character / Setting / Design Patterns / Poetry / Metaphor
Theme for the week (3 June): Atonement
Now for the New Testament books:
The New Testament - an overview
How to read the parables of Jesus
Mark - cartoon version : Mark - textual version
Matthew - part1 : Matthew - part 2
NT Letters - Historical context / NT Letters - Literary context
Romans - part 1 : Romans - part 2
Tim Mackie's talk (30 min) 'The Good News of the Bible; Heaven and Hell'
Introduction - Spritual Beings
The Divine Council / The Satan and Demons
The Satan and Demons: Question responses
How to read Apocalyptic Literature
Revelation - part 1 / Revelation - part 2
All the clips are from 'The Bible Project' and from our Links page you can access the full Bible Project website.