GPUC Bible Study and Community Build

Feb 24 The Shaman of Endor

2011-02-17T13:23:00.000-06:00

GPUC Bible Study and Community Build: Feb 24

Mondays from 6:30pm to 8pm in Grace Land room:

February 10 – Sarah

February 17 – Hagar

February 24 – Witch of Endor

March 3 – Queen of Sheba

March 10 – Job’s wife

March 17 – Levite’s concubine

March 24 – Jephthah’s daughter

April 7 – Dinah

1 Samuel 28

28In those days the Philistines gathered their forces for war, to fight against Israel.

Saul Consults a Medium

3 Now Samuel had died, and all Israel had mourned for him and buried him in Ramah, his own city. Saul had expelled the mediums and the wizards from the land. ⁴The Philistines assembled, and came and encamped at Shunem. Saul gathered all Israel, and they encamped at Gilboa. ⁵When Saul saw the army of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart trembled greatly. ⁶When Saul inquired of the Lord, the Lord did not answer him, not by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets. ⁷Then Saul said to his servants, ‘Seek out for me a woman who is a medium, so that I may go to her and inquire of her.’ His servants said to him, ‘There is a medium at Endor.’
8 So Saul disguised himself and put on other clothes and went there, he and two men with him. They came to the woman by night. And he said, ‘Consult a spirit for me, and bring up for me the one whom I name to you.’ ⁹The woman said to him, ‘Surely you know what Saul has done, how he has cut off the mediums and the wizards from the land. Why then are you laying a snare for my life to bring about my death?’ ¹⁰But Saul swore to her by the Lord, ‘As the Lord lives, no punishment shall come upon you for this thing.’ ¹¹Then the woman said, ‘Whom shall I bring up for you?’ He answered, ‘Bring up Samuel for me.’ ¹²When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out with a loud voice; and the woman said to Saul, ‘Why have you deceived me? You are Saul!’ ¹³The king said to her, ‘Have no fear; what do you see?’ The woman said to Saul, ‘I see a divine being^* coming up out of the ground.’ ¹⁴He said to her, ‘What is his appearance?’ She said, ‘An old man is coming up; he is wrapped in a robe.’ So Saul knew that it was Samuel, and he bowed with his face to the ground, and did obeisance.
15 Then Samuel said to Saul, ‘Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up? Why then do you ask me, since the Lord has turned from you and become your enemy? The Lord will give Israel along with you into the hands of the Philistines; and tomorrow you and your sons shall be with me.’
20 Immediately Saul fell full length on the ground, filled with fear because of the words of Samuel; and there was no strength in him, for he had eaten nothing all day and all night. ²¹The woman came to Saul, and when she saw that he was terrified, she said to him, ‘Your servant has listened to you; I have taken my life in my hand, and have listened to what you have said to me. ²²Now therefore, you also listen to your servant; let me set a morsel of bread before you. Eat, that you may have strength when you go on your way.’ ²³He refused, and said, ‘I will not eat.’ But his servants, together with the woman, urged him; and he listened to their words. So he got up from the ground and sat on the bed. ²⁴Now the woman had a fatted calf in the house. She quickly slaughtered it, and she took flour, kneaded it, and baked unleavened cakes. ²⁵She put them before Saul and his servants, and they ate. Then they rose and went away that night.

The Fortune Teller of Endor

There was a woman of Endor,

Who helped King Saul by night,

She told him all that Samuel said,,

How Saul would lose the fight.

She killed the fatted calf,

She baked a little cake,

And frightened Saul enjoyed it all,

And never thought her fake.

Many years ago I lived in Endor. People used to come from miles around to ask me about the future. They wanted to know if they would be rich or poor, who they would marry, how many children they would have, if they would die young from illness or be healthy and live to old age.

One night after dark had fallen three men came to my door. The tallest of the three asked me, "Are you the one they call the witch of Endor?"

“I am she,” I whispered. My tongue stuck to the roof of my mouth. I was scared.

“Will you tell me my fortune by asking the dead? Will you call up the man I name to you?”

I shook with fright.

“Surely sir," I whispered, "you know what King Saul has done, how he killed some fortunetellers and ordered the rest out of the country. I' m not supposed to live here. Why do you force me to do what will lead to my death?”

“As God lives no harm will come to you,” the tall man promised.

I’m not sure why but I believed him. When I asked the name of the dead person he wished me to call up he said, “Samuel.”

I started trembling again. Samuel had been a great prophet. Who was I to try and speak to such a prophet. And yet it seemed I had no choice. I lit my candles and in my mind I called to Samuel. When I saw Samuel appear, I screamed in fright. I know at once that my tall visitor was King Saul. He had put on old clothes so nobody would recognize him. But it was him all right.

"You have tricked me," I shouted at him. "You are Saul!"

"Do not be afraid," Saul said to me. "Nobody will harm you. Just tell me what you see. What is my future?"

So I told him what I saw. It was a ghostly figure coming up from the earth.

"What is it like?" he wanted to know.

"Like an old man," I answered, "wrapped in a cloak."

We both knew it was Samuel. Saul bowed low with his face to the ground.

Then Samuel said to Saul," Why have you disturbed me? What do you want to know?"

"l am in great trouble," said Saul," The Philistines are coming against me in battle. God no longer answers me through the prophets or through dreams. I don’t know what to do. Can you tell me?"

Samuel answered, "Why do you ask me, now that God no longer answers you? You haven’t been loyal to God so God has given the kingdom to another man, D avid. The Philistines will win the battle. Tomorrow you and your sons will all be dead."

Saul fell to the ground. He was sweating. His eyes grew big with fear. He started to roll around the floor and moan and hold his head in his arms.

I said to him, "l risked my life to obey you. I listened to you. Now you listen to me." I knew it was the king I was talking to, but he needed someone to help him. He might be killed tomorrow, but tonight he was still my king.

"Let me feed you a little. You need strength to stand up and go home,” I said. I often did this as part of a forbidden religious ritual to give strength to people who consulted me. I was one of a few women who did this secretly. If people found out we would have been killed for sure.

At first Saul refused to eat anything. Maybe he was afraid to take part in the ritual because he himself had banned it from his kingdom. But his two servants urged him to eat.

Finally he got up and sat on my couch. I had a fatted calf, so I quickly butchered it and cooked it. I took some flour, kneaded it and baked unleavened cakes for the sacrificial meal. Then I set the food before Saul and his servants and they ate it! They left that same night, as secretly and as quietly as they had come. I've never seen them since.

Feb 17 God Hears and Blesses Hagar

2011-02-17T12:04:00.000-06:00

GPUC Bible Study and Community Build: Feb 17

http://gpucbiblestudy.blogspot.com

Mondays from 6:30pm to 8pm in Grace Land room:

February 10 – Sarah

February 17 – Hagar

February 24 – Witch of Endor

March 3 – Queen of Sheba

March 10 – Job’s wife

March 17 – Levite’s concubine

March 24 – Jephthah’s daughter

April 7 – Dinah

Lesson plan:

a. Hearing passage in another language

b. Reading

c. Talking (in small groups) step

1. introduce yourselves – learn at least five things you didn’t know about your partner(s)

2. review English vocabulary and parts of the stories you did not understand.

3. Find five points of difference between the Midrash and Bible story

d. Break time (with food)

e. Sharing (in a large group)

f. Writing (on the blog when you go home)

Genesis 21

The Lord dealt with Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did for Sarah as he had promised. ²Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the time of which God had spoken to him. ³Abraham gave the name Isaac to his son whom Sarah bore him. ⁴And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, as God had commanded him. ⁵Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him. ⁶Now Sarah said, ‘God has brought laughter for me; everyone who hears will laugh with me.’ ⁷And she said, ‘Who would ever have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age.’

Hagar and Ishmael Sent Away

8 The child grew, and was weaned; and Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned. ⁹But Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, playing with her son Isaac.^* ¹⁰So she said to Abraham, ‘Cast out this slave woman with her son; for the son of this slave woman shall not inherit along with my son Isaac.’ ¹¹The matter was very distressing to Abraham on account of his son. ¹²But God said to Abraham, ‘Do not be distressed because of the boy and because of your slave woman; whatever Sarah says to you, do as she tells you, for it is through Isaac that offspring shall be named after you. ¹³As for the son of the slave woman, I will make a nation of him also, because he is your offspring.’ ¹⁴So Abraham rose early in the morning, and took bread and a skin of water, and gave it to Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, along with the child, and sent her away. And she departed, and wandered about in the wilderness of Beer-sheba.

15 When the water in the skin was gone, she cast the child under one of the bushes. ¹⁶Then she went and sat down opposite him a good way off, about the distance of a bowshot; for she said, ‘Do not let me look on the death of the child.’ And as she sat opposite him, she lifted up her voice and wept. ¹⁷And God heard the voice of the boy; and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven, and said to her, ‘What troubles you, Hagar? Do not be afraid; for God has heard the voice of the boy where he is. ¹⁸Come, lift up the boy and hold him fast with your hand, for I will make a great nation of him.’ ¹⁹Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. She went, and filled the skin with water, and gave the boy a drink.

20 God was with the boy, and he grew up; he lived in the wilderness, and became an expert with the bow. ²¹He lived in the wilderness of Paran; and his mother got a wife for him from the land of Egypt.

GOD HEARS

We know a God who sees,

We know a God who hears

The crying of a helpless child

Will put to rest all fears.

Hagar went back to Abraham's house. She had a baby. She named him Ishmael, which means "God hears." Now Sarah also had a baby. She called him Isaac.

On the day Isaac was weaned, Abraham gave a feast for his baby son. Ishmael

laughed and played with the baby Isaac. He accidentally knocked over Isaac's tower

of blocks and Isaac cried. Sarah saw Ishmael laugh at him. She was furious.

"Drive out that foreign slave girl and her son," she screamed at Abraham. "I will not have that slave girl's son sharing your money and your name and your importance with my son Isaac."

She wouldn't even call Ishmael by name.

Abraham got up early the next morning while Sarah was still sleeping. He felt sorry for Hagar. He gave Hagar some food and a waterskin of water, set the child Ishmael on her shoulder, and sent her away.

Hagar and Ishmael wandered about in the wilderness, not knowing what to do. She could smell jackals. It was so hot. Finally the water ran out. She put Ishmael under a bush for shade. Strange noises startled her. Not another living thing moved.

Hagar knew they would both die if there was no water.

"How can I watch my child die?" she moaned. She went off about two bowshots away so she couldn't see Ishmael and sat down by herself. She held her head in her hands. She rocked back and forth on her heels, and cried bitter tears. Ishmael whimpered and cried too.

Then Hagar heard him howl.

Suddenly an angel came to her and said, "What is the matter Hagar? Don't be afraid. God hears your baby crying. Get up and go to him."

Hagar could hardly believe her ears. She stopped sobbing. She stood up. She ran over to where Ishmael lay under the bush. She pulled Ishmael up with her strong hands. She hugged him.

"God will make of him a great nation," the angel said.

She looked around and saw a well. She certainly hadn't noticed it before. But it was there now, so she went to it, filled her waterskin and gave Ishmael a drink. He smiled his tender smile and she smiled back.

They stayed in the wilderness until Ishmael grew up. He learned the ways of the jackals and ravens. He became an archer, and his bowshots were strong and true. His arrows landed far beyond the bush under which she had placed him when they first came to the wilderness. Hagar found him a wife from Egypt. And Ishmael became known as the father of the desert peoples, called Arabs.

Sarah: GPUC Bible Study and Community Build for Feb 10

2011-02-03T20:55:00.000-06:00

GPUC Bible Study and Community Build: Feb 10

Thursdays from 6:30pm to 8pm in Grace Land room:

February 10 – Sarah

February 17 – Hagar

February 24 – Pharaoh’s daughter

March 3 – Queen of Sheba

March 10 – Job’s wife

March 17 – Levite’s concubine

March 24 – Jephthah’s daughter

April 7 – Dinah

Lesson plan:

a. Hearing passage in another language

b. Reading

c. Talking (in small groups) step

a. introduce yourselves – learn at least five things you didn’t know about your partner(s)

b. review English vocabulary and parts of the stories you did not understand.

c. Find five points of difference between the Midrash and Bible story

d. Break time (with food)

e. Sharing (in a large group)

f. Writing (on the blog when you go home)

Genesis18
¹The Lord appeared to Abraham^* by the oaks^* of Mamre, as he sat at the entrance of his tent in the heat of the day. ²He looked up and saw three men standing near him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent entrance to meet them, and bowed down to the ground.
⁹ They said to him, ‘Where is your wife Sarah?’ And he said, ‘There, in the tent.’ ¹⁰Then one said, ‘I will surely return to you in due season, and your wife Sarah shall have a son.’ And Sarah was listening at the tent entrance behind him. ¹¹Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in age; it had ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women. ¹²So Sarah laughed to herself, saying, ‘After I have grown old, and my husband is old, shall I have pleasure?’ ¹³The Lord said to Abraham, ‘Why did Sarah laugh, and say, “Shall I indeed bear a child, now that I am old?” ¹⁴Is anything too wonderful for the Lord? At the set time I will return to you, in due season, and Sarah shall have a son.’ ¹⁵But Sarah denied, saying, ‘I did not laugh’; for she was afraid. He said, ‘Oh yes, you did laugh.’

Symbol of Hope

Summer, fall, winter, spring,
But still no child did the new year bring.

Summer, fall, winter, spring,
Finally a new child God did bring.

Once long ago there was a woman called Sarah. She desperately wanted to have a baby. What was life without a child? Without tender hugs, or walks in the meadows, or fun games, or wet kisses, or somebody asking “Why?” With no joyful noise, no happy confusion? She wanted a child to love.

Sometimes Sarah was angry because she didn’t have a child. Other times she was sad. She was getting too old to have a child. She gave up all hope.

When Abraham was 99 years old, three strangers came to visit. Because they were hungry, he fed them cake and mild that Sarah prepared. He waited under a tree while they ate.

Sarah was in the tent. She heard one of the strangers say to Abraham, “This time next year, in the spring when everything comes alive, Sarah will carry a baby. You will have a son.”

She snickered at the thought.

She giggled at the idea.

She chuckled at the notion.

She opened her mouth wide and guffawed.

The stranger heard her laugh and turned to Abraham. “Why did Sarah laugh? Is anything too wonderful for God? You wait and see. Next year Sarah shall have a son.”

And so it was. They named the baby Isaac, a name that means “laughter.”

“God has brought me laughter,” Sarah said. “Everyone who hears will laugh with me.”

Her friends laughed in delight,

The blind people could see,

The lame danced with gaiety,

And the whole world rejoiced.

When Isaac was old enough, Sarah and Abraham told him how he was born. And the child whose name meant laughter,

Snickered at the thought,

giggled at the idea,

chuckled at the notion.

opened his mouth wide and guffawed.

Hannah: Mother of Prayer

2010-11-29T11:07:00.002-06:00

Hannah the Mother of Prayer

1 Samuel 1

1There was a certain man of Ramathaim, a Zuphite from the hill country of Ephraim, whose name was Elkanah son of Jeroham son of Elihu son of Tohu son of Zuph, an Ephraimite. ²He had two wives; the name of one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.
3 Now this man used to go up year by year from his town to worship and to sacrifice to the Lord of hosts at Shiloh, where the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were priests of the Lord. ⁴On the day when Elkanah sacrificed, he would give portions to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters; ⁵but to Hannah he gave a double portion, because he loved her, though the Lord had closed her womb. ⁶Her rival used to provoke her severely, to irritate her, because the Lord had closed her womb. ⁷So it went on year after year; as often as she went up to the house of the Lord, she used to provoke her. Therefore Hannah wept and would not eat. ⁸Her husband Elkanah said to her, ‘Hannah, why do you weep? Why do you not eat? Why is your heart sad? Am I not more to you than ten sons?’
9 After they had eaten and drunk at Shiloh, Hannah rose and presented herself before the Lord. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat beside the doorpost of the temple of the Lord. ¹⁰She was deeply distressed and prayed to the Lord, and wept bitterly. ¹¹She made this vow: ‘O Lord of hosts, if only you will look on the misery of your servant, and remember me, and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a male child, then I will set him before you as a nazirite until the day of his death. He shall drink neither wine nor intoxicants, and no razor shall touch his head.’
12 As she continued praying before the Lord, Eli observed her mouth. ¹³Hannah was praying silently; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard; therefore Eli thought she was drunk. ¹⁴So Eli said to her, ‘How long will you make a drunken spectacle of yourself? Put away your wine.’ ¹⁵But Hannah answered, ‘No, my lord, I am a woman deeply troubled; I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have been pouring out my soul before the Lord. ¹⁶Do not regard your servant as a worthless woman, for I have been speaking out of my great anxiety and vexation all this time.’ ¹⁷Then Eli answered, ‘Go in peace; the God of Israel grant the petition you have made to him.’ ¹⁸And she said, ‘Let your servant find favour in your sight.’ Then the woman went to her quarters, ate and drank with her husband, and her countenance was sad no longer.
19 They rose early in the morning and worshipped before the Lord; then they went back to their house at Ramah. Elkanah knew his wife Hannah, and the Lord remembered her. ²⁰In due time Hannah conceived and bore a son. She named him Samuel, for she said, ‘I have asked him of the Lord.’

Hannah prayed and said,
‘My heart exults in the Lord;
my strength is exalted in my God.
My mouth derides my enemies,
because I rejoice in my victory.

² ‘There is no Holy One like the Lord,
   no one besides you;
   there is no Rock like our God.
³ Talk no more so very proudly,
   let not arrogance come from your mouth;
for the Lord is a God of knowledge,
   and by him actions are weighed.
⁴ The bows of the mighty are broken,
   but the feeble gird on strength.
⁵ Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread,
   but those who were hungry are fat with spoil.
The barren has borne seven,
   but she who has many children is forlorn.
⁶ The Lord kills and brings to life;
   he brings down to Sheol and raises up.
⁷ The Lord makes poor and makes rich;
   he brings low, he also exalts.
⁸ He raises up the poor from the dust;
   he lifts the needy from the ash heap,
to make them sit with princes
   and inherit a seat of honour.
For the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s,
   and on them he has set the world.

⁹ ‘He will guard the feet of his faithful ones,
   but the wicked shall be cut off in darkness;
   for not by might does one prevail.
¹⁰ The Lord! His adversaries shall be shattered;
   the Most High will thunder in heaven.
The Lord will judge the ends of the earth;
   he will give strength to his king,
   and exalt the power of his anointed.’

A GOD OF SURPRISES (HANNAH)

Walking on the ceiling,

What a crazy clown!

A most surprising feeling,

Being upside down!

If Hannah had a child,

Then dragons can be mild.

If lion and lamb together lie,

The poor are lifted high.

There once lived a woman called Hannah. She had no child, although she longed for one. Her neighbor was poor, and was always hungry. The two friends talked only of children and food. They would sing,

''A baby would be quite a switch,

Just like the poor becoming rich."

Hannah wanted a son so badly that sometimes she could hardly eat for thinking about it She cried bitterly. She sobbed. She moaned.

Once when she was in tears and could not eat, her husband asked her lovingly, ''Am I not more to you than ten sons?"

"No," thought Hannah to herself. "I love him. But I still want a son."

Her husband had another wife. She had borne many sons and daughters. She teased Hannah and made fun of her for not being able to bear a child. It made Hannah long even more for a baby. In her misery, she would seek out her neighbor, who longed for food as much as Hannah wanted a child. They would sing together quietly,

"A baby would be quite a switch,

Just like the poor becoming rich."

Once, when she was crying bitterly and eating nothing, her husband asked,

"Hannah, why are you crying? Why are you so heartbroken?"

Hannah wasn't able to answer him, she was so miserable. She stood up, deeply upset, and sobbed bitterly. She went to the temple alone to pray to God. She made a vow, a promise. If God would give her a child, she would give that child back to God's service in the temple for his whole life. She went on praying for a long time. She stayed after everyone else had gone. She prayed silently, and although her voice could not be heard, her lips moved. Eli the temple priest watched her. Finally he could stand it no longer. He scolded her.

"Enough of this drunken behavior. Go away until the wine has worn off!"

"No sir," she answered. "I have drunk no wine or strong drink. I have been pouring out my heart to God. I am not drunk. All this time I have been speaking to God of my grief and misery."

Eli knew he had been wrong. He spoke to her kindly.

"Go in peace, and may God answer your prayer." After his gentle words she felt better. She ate something for the first time in days.

She left the temple and visited her neighbor who was poor. Hannah told her about her vow. Then she shared her food with her. Together they hummed quietly their favorite song,

"A baby would be quite a switch,

Just like the poor becoming rich."

What a surprise it was later, when God blessed Hannah with a baby boy.

She laughed with delight.

She giggled in excitement.

She chortled with glee.

She rushed to tell her neighbor.

She dashed to tell her husband's other wife.

What a surprise! It was like having Christmas in June. It was like having Spring in December. "Quite a switch," her neighbor said.

She called the baby Samuel. She nursed him at home. She loved him dearly. When she had weaned him, she remembered her promise. She took him to the temple. He was to serve God all the days of his life. Her heart broke as she left him there, but she had promised.

She thought a lot about what had happened to her. How God had surprised her!

If she had a "her" or a "him," then dinosaurs could surely swim!

If God surprised her with a son, then God could surely feed everyone!

How surprising God was! She hummed the song she and her neighbor used to sing before Samuel was born, but with these words,

"A baby boy is quite a switch,

Just like the poor becoming rich."

Talk about surprises!

It sounded as if God could turn everything upside down. Hannah knew that was true. She hoped that her neighbor who was hungry, would soon have lots and lots to eat.

JAEL descendant of Moses wife Zipporah

2010-11-19T14:26:00.000-06:00

Jael: A Friend to Israel

12 When Sisera was told that Barak son of Abinoam had gone up to Mount Tabor, ¹³Sisera called out all his chariots, nine hundred chariots of iron, and all the troops who were with him, from Harosheth-ha-goiim to the Wadi Kishon. ¹⁴Then Deborah said to Barak, ‘Up! For this is the day on which the Lord has given Sisera into your hand. The Lord is indeed going out before you.’ So Barak went down from Mount Tabor with ten thousand warriors following him. ¹⁵And the Lord threw Sisera and all his chariots and all his army into a panic before Barak; Sisera got down from his chariot and fled away on foot, ¹⁶while Barak pursued the chariots and the army to Harosheth-ha-goiim. All the army of Sisera fell by the sword; no one was left.
17 Now Sisera had fled away on foot to the tent of Jael wife of Heber the Kenite; for there was peace between King Jabin of Hazor and the clan of Heber the Kenite. ¹⁸Jael came out to meet Sisera, and said to him, ‘Turn aside, my lord, turn aside to me; have no fear.’ So he turned aside to her into the tent, and she covered him with a rug. ¹⁹Then he said to her, ‘Please give me a little water to drink; for I am thirsty.’ So she opened a skin of milk and gave him a drink and covered him. ²⁰He said to her, ‘Stand at the entrance of the tent, and if anybody comes and asks you, “Is anyone here?” say, “No.” ’ ²¹But Jael wife of Heber took a tent-peg, and took a hammer in her hand, and went softly to him and drove the peg into his temple, until it went down into the ground—he was lying fast asleep from weariness—and he died. ²²Then, as Barak came in pursuit of Sisera, Jael went out to meet him, and said to him, ‘Come, and I will show you the man whom you are seeking.’ So he went into her tent; and there was Sisera lying dead, with the tent-peg in his temple.

23 So on that day God subdued King Jabin of Canaan before the Israelites. ²⁴Then the hand of the Israelites bore harder and harder on King Jabin of Canaan, until they destroyed King Jabin of Canaan.

Jael the foreigner

It was a dangerous time. There were few caravans passing our tents. Travelers chose safer ways. My husband Heber had become a spy against the Israelites. I didn't go along with this spy business. It was a dangerous game.

One day, as I stood by our tent, I saw a man running toward me. He was panting, and stumbling a little as he dragged his left leg. He must have been hurt in the battle with the Israelites.

He needed to rest and hide. I recognized him as Sisera, my husband's friend. He expected me to save him. But as I said, I didn't go along with that spying business .. However, I said to him, "Come in my lord, come in; do not be afraid." He came into our tent and I covered him with a rug and made him comfortable.

He begged for a drink of water. I opened a skin full of milk, gave him a drink, and covered him up again.

He said to me, "Stand at the tent door, and if anybody comes and asks if someone is here, say 'No.'"

I wasn't sure what I should do. My husband Heber would expect me to hide Sisera from the Israelites. But I knew they had won the battle. There was no hope for Sisera. He had lost, and my husband with him. I always thought it wrong to be against the Israelites anyway. Now was my chance to do something about that.

I took a tent peg, picked up a hammer, and crept up to Sisera as he slept. I drove the peg into his skull. He died immediately. It was horrible. Then I went out to meet the victorious Israelites.

Their general, Barak, came up looking for Sisera. I said to him, "Come, I will show you the man you are looking for." He went into the tent with me and found Sisera with the tent peg in his skull. The death of Sisera meant the final victory for the Israelites.

Barak was very excited.

"Deborah told us this would happen," he exclaimed. "She prophesied, The Lord will have Sisera fall into the hands of a woman. The glory will be hers, not yours.' I had always thought she was talking about herself. But she wasn't. She was talking about you, Jael. You have struck a blow for the unity of Israel."

The Israelites blessed me for the final defeat of their enemy. But I didn't do it to unify Israel. I did it to save my own skin. I knew my husband's side had lost. I do not want ever again to have to kill a man for any reason. I don't feel like the heroine the Israelites make me out to be.

I'm scared now. I don't know what my husband will do to me. I might have to flee for my life. I wish Deborah had killed Sisera herself. She is welcome to all the glory.

Deborah: Prophetess, Judge, and Mother of Israel

2010-11-15T19:22:00.000-06:00

Judges 4

The Israelites again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, after Ehud died. So the Lord sold them into the hand of King Jabin of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor; the commander of his army was Sisera, who lived in Harosheth-ha-goiim. Then the Israelites cried out to the Lord for help; for he had nine hundred chariots of iron, and had oppressed the Israelites cruelly for twenty years.

At that time Deborah, a prophetess, wife of Lappidoth, was judging Israel. She used to sit under the palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim; and the Israelites came up to her for judgement. She sent and summoned Barak son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali, and said to him, ‘The Lord, the God of Israel, commands you, “Go, take position at Mount Tabor, bringing ten thousand from the tribe of Naphtali and the tribe of Zebulun. I will draw out Sisera, the general of Jabin’s army, to meet you by the Wadi Kishon with his chariots and his troops; and I will give him into your hand.” ’ Barak said to her, ‘If you will go with me, I will go; but if you will not go with me, I will not go.’ And she said, ‘I will surely go with you; nevertheless, the road on which you are going will not lead to your glory, for the Lord will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman.’ Then Deborah got up and went with Barak to Kedesh. Barak summoned Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh; and ten thousand warriors went up behind him; and Deborah went up with him.

Martha and the Dragon

2010-11-05T13:53:00.000-06:00

Martha: Biblical Witness and Legend

This week's Bible study will focus on two Bible stories and one legend. By comparing these three very different perspectives on the women we hope to understand better the significance of this person for Jesus, for the Church and for our own Christian living.

Luke10
38 Now as they went on their way, he entered a certain village, where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. ³⁹She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to what he was saying. ⁴⁰But Martha was distracted by her many tasks; so she came to him and asked, ‘Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me.’ ⁴¹But the Lord answered her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; ⁴²there is need of only one thing.^* Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.’

John 11

Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. ²Mary was the one who anointed the Lord with perfume and wiped his feet with her hair; her brother Lazarus was ill. ³So the sisters sent a message to Jesus,^* ‘Lord, he whom you love is ill.’ ⁴But when Jesus heard it, he said, ‘This illness does not lead to death; rather it is for God’s glory, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.’ ⁵Accordingly, though Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus, ⁶after having heard that Lazarus^* was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was.
7 Then after this he said to the disciples, ‘Let us go to Judea again.’ ⁸The disciples said to him, ‘Rabbi, the Jews were just now trying to stone you, and are you going there again?’ ⁹Jesus answered, ‘Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Those who walk during the day do not stumble, because they see the light of this world. ¹⁰But those who walk at night stumble, because the light is not in them.’ ¹¹After saying this, he told them, ‘Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am going there to awaken him.’ ¹²The disciples said to him, ‘Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will be all right.’ ¹³Jesus, however, had been speaking about his death, but they thought that he was referring merely to sleep. ¹⁴Then Jesus told them plainly, ‘Lazarus is dead. ¹⁵For your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.’ ¹⁶Thomas, who was called the Twin,^* said to his fellow-disciples, ‘Let us also go, that we may die with him.’
17 When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus^* had already been in the tomb for four days. ¹⁸Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, some two miles^* away, ¹⁹and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them about their brother. ²⁰When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, while Mary stayed at home. ²¹Martha said to Jesus, ‘Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. ²²But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask of him.’ ²³Jesus said to her, ‘Your brother will rise again.’ ²⁴Martha said to him, ‘I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.’ ²⁵Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life.^* Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, ²⁶and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?’ ²⁷She said to him, ‘Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah,^* the Son of God, the one coming into the world.’

MARTHA LEGEND

adapted from Jurgen Moltmann

and Elisabeth Moltmann-Wendel,

"Martha, A Forgotten Medieval Tradition,"

in Humanity in God

Martha was a leader,

Full of love and power,

Martha tamed a dragon

ln just one hour!

Many years ago a great fire-breathing dragon roamed the country side of France. It had teeth like swords. It was fatter than an ox and stood higher than a horse. The dragon destroyed everything in its path- houses, trees, plants, rivers, caterpillars, birds, insects, apples, people, everything! The people were very afraid of the dragon. They knew only one woman in the village who could stop the dragon. She was very wise and brave. She had cradled her brother Lazarus in her arms when he was sick.

She had helped her sister Mary stop crying when Lazarus died. And when J esus was praying in the garden just before he was crucified, so the story goes, she had stayed awake to watch with him, although all of Jesus' disciples fell asleep.

She wore a long flowing purple robe, with a pure white cloth belt. She never wore

Shoes because she liked the feel of the grass on her feet and of the sand between her toes. She always carried two things with her: a small cross, and a small jug of water. The village people trusted Martha to deliver them from the wicked dragon. She felt sad for the people. She thought and thought about what to do. First she thought of drowning the dragon in the sea. Then she thought of burying him in the snow. Finally, she decided that killing the dragon was not the thing to do. She decided to tame him instead.

So one day she went searching for the dragon. She found him deep in the forest.

When t he dragon saw her coming, he was angry and spewed fire at her. But Martha held the small cross before his eyes and sprinkled some of the water from her jug on him, and the fire didn't burn her. In fact it stopped burning altogether. The dragon just stood there.

Then Martha took the white cloth belt from around her waist and wound it around

the dragon's snout. She wore no armor and used no spear. As she wound the belt around him she patted him tenderly and whispered quietly to him that his fire could be used for the village people, not against them. And when she stroked and polished his scales so that they glowed in the sun, he lay down at her feet, as quiet and tame as a little lamb.

Later, because the dragon had remained quiet for so long, she removed her belt

from around the dragon's mouth.

"What do you want me to do?" asked the dragon.

"l'm not sure, but I will ask the people of the village," said Martha.

When Martha returned to the village with the dragon she asked the people," What do you want the dragon to do?"

"We want the dragon to help us. He can breathe fire into our homes to give us

heat to cook our food and keep us warm during the cold winters. We will gladly care for him, if he will care for us in this way."

And so it was. As time passed the dragon and the people of the village came to accept each other. The dragon no longer hated the village people and the village people no longer feared the dragon. The villagers collected money and hired one of their best glass makers to make a beautiful stained glass window for the village church. It showed Martha in her purple cloak and pure white belt, holding her jug of water and the small cross, and the dragon lying peacefully at her feet You can still see the window today if you visit this church in the south of France.

Poor Widow Giving Two Cooper Coins

2010-10-29T14:44:00.000-06:00

The Widow's Two Cooper Coins:
Our Bible study today will focus on a simple but vivid story about a woman who gave two cooper coins to the Temple while Jesus watched. As we read the story we will try to imagine what this woman would have been like and who she was. What was the meaning of her gift and what is its significance in the Bible story?

Mark 12:41-44

The Widow’s Offering

41 He sat down opposite the treasury, and watched the crowd putting money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums. ⁴²A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which are worth a penny. ⁴³Then he called his disciples and said to them, ‘Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury. ⁴⁴For all of them have contributed out of their abundance; but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.’

Luke 21:1-4

The Widow’s Offering

21He looked up and saw rich people putting their gifts into the treasury; ²he also saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. ³He said, ‘Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them; ⁴for all of them have contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in all she had to live on.’

Just an old woman

by Rev. WiIIiam Hendrig, Kingston, Ontario

I'm just a poor widow

who witnessed his birth,

But gears and gears later

I saw his true worth.

Jesus stood at the steps of the treasury...

I dont know if he saw me or knew me...but I have known him

for a long time.

My name is Deborah. I was there when he was born, 30 years

ago. I was 14 then...

I'm 44 now - not really old, but old for my days. My husband

died several years ago and I have no family. It has been difficult to

keep myself fed and clothed. I care for the babies of the young

women I know, and they give me a little money to buy food at the

market. I come regularly to the market and to the temple as well.

When I've saved a coin or two, I put them in the temple treasury and

give thanks to God.

People come from all over to make their gifts. I felt so small

with what I had to give, just two small coins.

When I was 14, I used to help my dad the innkeeper. I put

clean linen on the beds, washed dishes, and tended the animals in

the stable. I especially liked the camels. Camels are gentle and

really big. When they lie down for the night you can rub their

heads and faces and they just close their eyes. They make a purring

sound like kittens.

I remember that year. The emperor of Rome, Caesar Augustus,

had declared that a census would be taken. All over our land, people

were returning to their home towns to be counted. Oh, it was

busy. I had to run to keep up with the work - watering and feeding

the camels, making the beds and helping Dad in the kitchen.

I remember the young couple coming to Bethlehem to our inn.

We were filled up. She was about to have a child and she was very

tired. I guess it had been a long journey for them. Dad asked some

of the other guests if they would give up their rooms, but thev had

come great distances too, and no one wanted to. Dad had even

rented out our own rooms. We slept in the kitchen those nights.

This young woman and her husband were really sad. The wind

had started to blow and it was dark.

"They can stay in the stable. I'll go out and take some straw

and put it around the edge of that large stall, to keep the wind out,"

I blurted.

My dad hesitated.

"And they can have the blanket I have in the kitchen. What do

you think, Dad? Is it all right? It’ll only take me a few minutes to

make things ready," I pleaded.

Before Dad could say no I was off making the stable clean

and warm.

The young woman and her husband had just got settled in

when she went into labor. I had helped last year when my aunt gave

birth to her daughter, so I wasn't as frightened as I had been the

first time. I remember thinking how quiet it was at first. I couldn’t

hear the wind. The camels were down - all the people inside the inn

full to overflowing - but there was no sound until the birthing

started. Her breathing became heavier and louder as she labored to

bear her child. She began to sweat. Her hands squeezed mine

tightly. Her moans were echoed by the noise the barn animals

started to make as if in sympathy - the bleating of the lambs and

the braying of the donkeys. A final push and out carne a little head,

wispy with very dark hair.

It was a boy! I helped to bathe him and hand him to his mother.

She named him Jesus.

Ifs hard to believe - here he stood at the foot of the steps today,

watching. I wonder if he noticed me. I wonder if it would be alright

if I told him I was there the night he was born.

No, I'd better not. I'm just an old widow.

Bible Study for October 25

2010-10-22T10:26:00.001-06:00

A Woman Who Was Set Free!Last week's Bible study was a challenge. It was long and the story was difficult to understand. This weeks is more simple. It is a story of a healing. But a healing from what? Was it a simple crippling disease? Or was it a spiritual problem? Our Midrash might help us to see what was happening.

Luke 13:10-17

Jesus Heals a Bent Over Woman

10 Now he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath. ¹¹And just then there appeared a woman with a spirit that had crippled her for eighteen years. She was bent over and was quite unable to stand up straight. ¹²When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said, ‘Woman, you are set free from your ailment.’ ¹³When he laid his hands on her, immediately she stood up straight and began praising God. ¹⁴But the leader of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had cured on the sabbath, kept saying to the crowd, ‘There are six days on which work ought to be done; come on those days and be cured, and not on the sabbath day.’ ¹⁵But the Lord answered him and said, ‘You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the manger, and lead it away to give it water? ¹⁶And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen long years, be set free from this bondage on the sabbath day?’ ¹⁷When he said this, all his opponents were put to shame; and the entire crowd was rejoicing at all the wonderful things that he was doing.

THE WOMAN WHO

WAS SET FREE

from an idea of Rev. Lee Oo-Chung

South Korea

Here is the woman

Here is the sun

Here is Jesus

New life has begun!

A woman was bent over. She could not straighten her back. She could not stand

up straight. Her face was constantly turned towards the ground. She could see only what was at her feet. No matter how bright the sun was, she couldn’t look at it. No matter how fleecy the clouds were, she couldn't see them. All she could see was her own dark shadow, cast by the sunshine on her back. She kept out of the center of things. She often felt cold and lonely. She was afraid people might notice her. Children made fun of her. When she heard the birds twitter, she wondered if they were talking about her. Most people never noticed her, because she stayed on the edge of crowds.

She was not sick. But for some reason she could not straighten herself. She felt as if all the dragons of the sea and the beasts of the forest were riding on her back. She had been like that for 18 long years.

But Jesus noticed her. He called her over. He took both her hands in his. He looked her in the eye.

"Woman, you have been set free from being bent over." Right away she was able

to stand up straight.

"l can see the sun," she yelled.

"l can watch the clouds in the sky," she whooped.

"l can follow the birds in their flight," she roared.

It had been a long, long time since she had seen another person face to face as she now saw Jesus. And when she heard the birds twitter she no longer feared they were talking about her.

"l can stand up straight," she shouted with excitement. And she thanked God.

RIZPAH: Bible Study for Oct 18

2010-10-14T12:36:00.000-06:00

BIBLE STUDIES FOR COMING WEEKS

October 4 - Joanna

October 18 – Rizpah

October 25 – Woman set free

November 1 – Woman of Abel

November 8 - Martha

November 15 - Deborah

November 22 – Jael

November 29 - Hannah

February 7 – Hagar 1

February 14 – Hagar 2

February 21 – Pharaoh’s daughter

February 28 – Puah Shifra

March 7 – Job’s wife

March 14 – Levite’s concubine

March 21 – Jephthah’s daughter

March 28 - Dinah

The Story of Rizpah:

Today's Bible story will look at the life and actions of Rizpah, a concubine of Saul who sons were used as scapegoats to satisfy the Gibeonites anger against the king and the kingdom of Israel. Instead of acting out of rage and the injustice she and her children had suffered, Rizpah's non-violent action and persistence won for herself, a measure of justice and caused King David to reconsider his actions.

2 Samuel 21

David Avenges the Gibeonites

21Now there was a famine in the days of David for three years, year after year; and David inquired of the Lord. The Lord said, ‘There is blood-guilt on Saul and on his house, because he put the Gibeonites to death.’ ²So the king called the Gibeonites and spoke to them. (Now the Gibeonites were not of the people of Israel, but of the remnant of the Amorites; although the people of Israel had sworn to spare them, Saul had tried to wipe them out in his zeal for the people of Israel and Judah.) ³David said to the Gibeonites, ‘What shall I do for you? How shall I make expiation, that you may bless the heritage of the Lord?’ ⁴The Gibeonites said to him, ‘It is not a matter of silver or gold between us and Saul or his house; neither is it for us to put anyone to death in Israel.’ He said, ‘What do you say that I should do for you?’ ⁵They said to the king, ‘The man who consumed us and planned to destroy us, so that we should have no place in all the territory of Israel— ⁶let seven of his sons be handed over to us, and we will impale them before the Lord at Gibeon on the mountain of the Lord.’ The king said, ‘I will hand them over.’
7 But the king spared Mephibosheth, the son of Saul’s son Jonathan, because of the oath of the Lord that was between them, between David and Jonathan son of Saul. ⁸The king took the two sons of Rizpah daughter of Aiah, whom she bore to Saul, Armoni and Mephibosheth; and the five sons of Merab daughter of Saul, whom she bore to Adriel son of Barzillai the Meholathite; ⁹he gave them into the hands of the Gibeonites, and they impaled them on the mountain before the Lord. The seven of them perished together. They were put to death in the first days of harvest, at the beginning of the barley harvest.
10 Then Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took sackcloth, and spread it on a rock for herself, from the beginning of harvest until rain fell on them from the heavens; she did not allow the birds of the air to come on the bodies by day, or the wild animals by night. ¹¹When David was told what Rizpah daughter of Aiah, the concubine of Saul, had done, ¹²David went and took the bones of Saul and the bones of his son Jonathan from the people of Jabesh-gilead, who had stolen them from the public square of Beth-shan, where the Philistines had hung them up, on the day the Philistines killed Saul on Gilboa. ¹³He brought up from there the bones of Saul and the bones of his son Jonathan; and they gathered the bones of those who had been impaled. ¹⁴They buried the bones of Saul and of his son Jonathan in the land of Benjamin in Zela, in the tomb of his father Kish; they did all that the king commanded. After that, God heeded supplications for the land.

Vigil for her dead sons

I wouldn't give up

I would not forget,

My sons are not sticks

They're persons - you bet!

I couldn't believe it at first. David handed over to his enemies the

two sons I had by Saul along with five of Saul's grandsons.

I can understand why he did it. Getting rid of Saul's offspring

was the best way of making sure he got the throne. Those seven

boys had no choice. They were caught in a political game.

It was just at the beginning of the barley harvest. There had

been no rain for months. The fields were parched. There hadn’t

been much food for three years.

I learned that our enemies, the Gibeonites, were going to take

my boys to the mountain top. Then they'd torture them by thrusting

a sharp stake through their living bodies, and leaving them

there to scorch in the desert sun until they died of their injuries.

And they’d stay there until they rotted.

O God, help!

When I first heard, I fell to the ground. I pulled my cloak tightly

around me, and moaned and cried for two days. I took nothing to

eat. I ached in every part of my body. My face was swollen with

weeping. I had nightmares about that dark mountain, and of the

bodies pierced through by sharp stakes. I was always awakened by

noises in the night. I thought I heard bloodcurdling screams, begging

for mercy; I could feel the stakes as if they were ripping

through my own body.

O God, help!

For a while l was all alone in my crying and grief. But then

friends came to sit with me and mourn. We sat in a circle facing

each other. Our bodies rocked back and forth irr our grief, waiting

in our unspeakable agony. We comforted and hugged each other.

They brought bread and water and grapes. The water jug and

the food were passed around our circle. I couldn't keep anything on

my stomach, but it was good to have my circle of friends with me.

Every day I got good hugs.

Finally, our circle of friends even talked a little about my fine

two sons. Everybody had known them, so they all had a special

story to tell. How Armoni had hated lamb when he was a small boy,

and how he used to pile his serving of lamb onto his brother’s plate

when his brother wasn’t looking. How Mephibosheth had spilled all

our dinner one night when he was small, but he told me with a

straight face that the wind did it! How strong they had been, just on

the verge of manhood! And Saul's grandsons - delightful boys who

loved tricks and fun.

Our circle drew in more when we slowly realized that

David didn't plan on burying the bodies. He was Just going to leave

them to the vultures and wild animals to feed on. Surely he

wouldn’t be so cruel. It couldn’t be. But it was!

Our circle of sorrow turned to one of anger. It was terrifying

enough to have them murdered. It was worse to dishonor their bodies

by not burying them. They were to be forgotten in our tribe -

never mentioned ever again. That’s what I couldn’t believe when I

first heard it. Nothing like that had ever taken place in Israel before.

On the third day my circle of friends helped me put aside my

rich queenly robes which I had worn when I lived with Saul. I asked

my maidservant for sackcloth. In between my tears I put it on. I let

my hair down. Then I stumbled out to the mountain where the bodies

of the men still hung on those terrible stakes. There was a foul

smell of rotting flesh. The fierce sun had shriveled and blackened

the bodies. They looked like scarecrows and smelled like rotten

eggs. I was sick at my stomach. My legs were trembling so much

that I had to sit down. Spasms shook my body.

When I saw the vultures picking the flesh off a leg I grabbed a

big stick and scared them off. That nig[rt, my friends came to be

with me. They made a circle around our flickering campfire. Each

of them brought their own blankets. I made myself a bed out of

more sackcloth, and sat on the rocks near the fire.

I didn't get much sleep. We lit torches from the campfire, and

used the bright light to frighten off the lions and animals that

close, hoping to feast on my sons. I was scared and tired. I

thirsty. At first I couldn’t be bothered even to wash my face or

my hair.

For all the days of the next five months, my women

came with food and water and prayers for me. The women

turns sitting with me. They took turns washing my hair

perfuming it with frankincense to ward off the ugly smells in

place. They brushed and braided my hair. They got me to

myself with water they had brought, and they tempted me with

grapes, pomegranates, oranges and other good food' I

to feel better. I could even keep some food in my stomach'

We held tightly to each other's hands as we vowed to

David's indifference to the preciousness of human lives.

murdered men were humans. whatever David thought they

done, they deserved to be honored as humans.

Day after day it went on. Night after night. Dry as dust. No rfi-

The harvest had been taken in. Even the fields were brown or yellow

and seemed dead. I kept praying for my country, but God didn’t

answer. Why was there only silence?

I thought of my two sons before they were born. How I used to

spin dreams of what they would do with their lives! How wondrous

it was when they came out of me as live human beings - breathing

howling, with their perfect little hands and feet. what a miracle.

And now, all that was not only wasted, but was to be forgotten.

No, I decided. I will not forget them. so did my friends. They

stayed on and on with me until finally, it started to rain. The heavens

opened and God's sweet merciful rain fell upon their bones-

The fields looked greener. The little hilts clapped their hands. God

smiled on me.

One bright morning we saw some of David's servants arrive at

the mountain. They looked around, held their noses, and then

carefully edged over to where the remains of the bodies lay. They

paid no attention to us. I scrambled over the rocks to them, and

asked them what they thought they were doing'

..orders," they said. *David says we're to take the bones and

bury them honorably."

I could hardly believe it. I clambered over the rocks to ten my

circle of friends that we had won! My murdered sons would now

always be remembered. As we looked over that brooding mountain,

we saw the servants gather up the bones and shovel fhem into a

cart which they took with them. our circle of friends had won over

mighty King David.

God smiled again, and listened to the prayers we offered for

our country. The mountains shouted their gfladness, and. the litfle

lambs jumped for joy.

GPUC Bible Study and Community Build: First Bible Study

2010-10-13T17:40:00.000-06:00

GPUC Bible Study and Community Build: First Bible Study: "www.gpuc.caGreetings and welcome to out Bible Study Blog. This is a new experience for me. It feels like an adventure of sorts.

First Bible Study

2010-10-01T13:24:00.000-06:00

www.gpuc.caGreetings and welcome to out Bible Study Blog.

This is a new experience for me. It feels like an adventure of sorts.

GPUC Bible Study and Community Build

Mondays from 6:30pm to 8pm in Grace Land room::

October 4

October 18

October 25

November 1

November 8

November 15

November 22

November 29

February 7

February 14

February 21

February 28

March 7

March 14

March 21

March 28

Theme: Women of the Bible and building bridges between diverse individuals in the community.

Goal: To learn about the women in our Bible and to build relationships between new and long-time members, English speakers and English learners at GPUC.

Method:

a. Song – we will open our time with a simple song

b. Pairing –small groups: English speakers/long-time members will be paired up or grouped with English learners / Newcomers

c. Reading - two texts: 1. A Bible passage, and 2. A story based on that passage.

d. Discussion - In pairs or small groups the English learners will be asked to identify new words or phrases to discuss with English speakers. The pairs or groups will identify the who, where, when what, and how of both texts.

e. Large Group Sharing - we will share new English words and expressions. We will discuss the who, where, when, why, how of the texts and compare them.

f. Writing – a final part of the study for those who are able to follow through to the end and have the required energy and enthusiasm will be to write about one of the stories we have covered in our study time. The article will be printed up in a GPUC-made magazine with other participants stories to share with the rest of the congregation.

Bible Passage and Story Monday, Oct 4

Luke 8:1-3

Some Women Accompany Jesus

8Soon afterwards he went on through cities and villages, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. The twelve were with him, ²as well as some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, ³and Joanna, the wife of Herod’s steward Chuza, and Susanna, and many others, who provided for them^* out of their resources.

Luke 23:55 – 24:11

The Burial and Resurrection of Jesus

⁵⁵The women who had come with him from Galilee followed, and they saw the tomb and how his body was laid. ⁵⁶Then they returned, and prepared spices and ointments.

On the sabbath they rested according to the commandment.

24But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb, taking the spices that they had prepared. ²They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, ³but when they went in, they did not find the body.^* ⁴While they were perplexed about this, suddenly two men in dazzling clothes stood beside them. ⁵The women^* were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, but the men^* said to them, ‘Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen.^* ⁶Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, ⁷that the Son of Man must be handed over to sinners, and be crucified, and on the third day rise again.’ ⁸Then they remembered his words, ⁹and returning from the tomb, they told all this to the eleven and to all the rest. ¹⁰Now it was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them who told this to the apostles. ¹¹But these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them.

GPUC Bible Study and Community Build

Feb 24 The Shaman of Endor

1 Samuel 28

Saul Consults a Medium

Feb 17 God Hears and Blesses Hagar

Hagar and Ishmael Sent Away

Sarah: GPUC Bible Study and Community Build for Feb 10

Symbol of Hope

Summer, fall, winter, spring,But still no child did the new year bring.

Summer, fall, winter, spring,Finally a new child God did bring.

Once long ago there was a woman called Sarah. She desperately wanted to have a baby. What was life without a child? Without tender hugs, or walks in the meadows, or fun games, or wet kisses, or somebody asking “Why?” With no joyful noise, no happy confusion? She wanted a child to love.

Sometimes Sarah was angry because she didn’t have a child. Other times she was sad. She was getting too old to have a child. She gave up all hope.

When Abraham was 99 years old, three strangers came to visit. Because they were hungry, he fed them cake and mild that Sarah prepared. He waited under a tree while they ate.

Sarah was in the tent. She heard one of the strangers say to Abraham, “This time next year, in the spring when everything comes alive, Sarah will carry a baby. You will have a son.”

She snickered at the thought.

She giggled at the idea.

She chuckled at the notion.

She opened her mouth wide and guffawed.

The stranger heard her laugh and turned to Abraham. “Why did Sarah laugh? Is anything too wonderful for God? You wait and see. Next year Sarah shall have a son.”

And so it was. They named the baby Isaac, a name that means “laughter.”

“God has brought me laughter,” Sarah said. “Everyone who hears will laugh with me.”

Her friends laughed in delight,

The blind people could see,

The lame danced with gaiety,

And the whole world rejoiced.

When Isaac was old enough, Sarah and Abraham told him how he was born. And the child whose name meant laughter,

Snickered at the thought,

giggled at the idea,

chuckled at the notion.

opened his mouth wide and guffawed.

Hannah: Mother of Prayer

Hannah the Mother of Prayer

1 Samuel 1

1 Samuel

Samuel’s Birth and Dedication

JAEL descendant of Moses wife Zipporah

Deborah: Prophetess, Judge, and Mother of Israel

Judges 4

Martha and the Dragon

John 11

The Death of Lazarus

Jesus the Resurrection and the Life

Poor Widow Giving Two Cooper Coins

Luke 21:1-4

The Widow’s Offering

Bible Study for October 25

RIZPAH: Bible Study for Oct 18

2 Samuel 21

David Avenges the Gibeonites

GPUC Bible Study and Community Build: First Bible Study

First Bible Study

Luke 23:55 – 24:11

The Burial and Resurrection of Jesus

Summer, fall, winter, spring,
But still no child did the new year bring.

Summer, fall, winter, spring,
Finally a new child God did bring.