Wednesday Bible Study from St. John's Lancaster

I've been asked to post my notes for Christian Education classes this year, and so I start with many good intentions.  The Wednesday studies, at least initially, will consist of a directed discussion on the assigned Epistle Lesson for the coming Sunday.  Here are my preliminary notes for  Proper 21 C Revised Common Lectionary: I Timothy 6:6-19.

St. Paul in Prison, perhaps writing to Bishop Timothy?

Introduction:
I Timothy is a Pastoral Epistle from what today we might call an archbishop (Paul), to a young Bishop (Timothy.)  All of the book up to today's lesson constitutes a necessary prequel to today's admonition.  In this prequel, St. Paul illustrates the basic nature of orthodox, catholic, apostolic belief and practice.
1. Christ centered doctrine and a call to and definition of faith constitute the bulk of chapter 1.
2. Prayer and moral example dominate chapter 2.
3. Chapter three is about qualifications for ecclesial office.
4. Chapters four and five, and the opening verses of chapter 6, provide admonitions about how to deal with controversies involving devotional practices, extra biblical doctrines, monastic practice, clergy compensation, and social order, and Timothy is admonished not to back down from those who would reject his authority.
 5. Chapter six opens by characterizing the foregoing chapters as a description of Christian faith and practice, and goes on to reject the authority of those who deny or resist such teaching and practice. Then follows a very specific discussion of what constitutes real Christian motives and piety.  Health and wealth gospels are rejected out of hand, and believers are called to model and seek more spiritual virtues to adorn their character: justice, piety, fidelity, love, fortitude, and gentleness. Then comes a final Christocentric statement of faith and exhortations to seek spiritual rather than material wealth, and to avoid vain chatter and false intellectual pretense.

Questions:
1. What are the virtues listed in 6:11-12 called in different translations of the Bible?
2. Are you surprised that the book begins and ends with exhortations to right belief about Jesus?  What constitutes this right belief? (cf 1:15-17 and 6:13-16)
3. What are the "orders to be obeyed" referred to in Chapter 6 verse 14?
4. What elements of the Creeds do you find in the doctrinal portions of chapters one and six?

Outline for This Year's Rector's Forum

Attached is the outline for the rector's forum this year at St. John's.  Please excuse the formatting, I had some trouble moving it from power point to blogger.  I hope to see you there!  Thanks, Bill+

Rector's Forum 2013-14

-Meets 2nd,3rd,4th,and 5th Sundays at 9:15 -Meets in the Long Class in the Education Wing -Will focus on Intro to the Old Testament

Purposes of the Rector's Forum

1. To provide resources which will help to strengthen faith and deepen the student's relationship with Jesus Christ.
2.To teach the "Faith Received" from Christ and his Apostles

Methodology of the Forum

1. Lecture to provide factual data
2. read to provide further background.
Scroll down for rest of outline

 

 

 

 

 

 

October and November: The Pentateuch

Creation Narratives: Purpose, Order, and Love The Nature of God and of Man  Providential History of Israel
 Formed by God through Trial and Deliverance
The Meaning of and Reason for Holiness  The Gift of hope and Land of Promise

December and January: Historical Books

God works through people to accomplish his will

 God's response to human failure

How God even works through bad things

Faithful people in good times and bad

The nature of God's community on earth

 

February: The Poetic Books

Nature of Praise
Good and Evil
Wisdom
Honesty with God
 

March and April: Major and Minor Prophets

Hope of Israel
Getting our Attention
Christ Prophesied
Unpopularity of Truth

 

May: The ApocryphaWhat it is and how we use it Overview of Revelation Before Jesus

Keeping Sabbath, Even When We Don't Want To

Rector's Rambling: October.

Sometimes, our wives need to protect us from ourselves. A bit over a month ago, Rebecca pointed out that I had not taken any vacation this year, and informed me that when Oscar came home from the trainer's, I would be taking some time off to “do whatever it is the two of you do together.” Well, I did, and we have, and it has been wonderful. Vacation, or Sabbath if you will, is something that forms a real part of my theology, but it is so easy to ignore. There is after all so much to do, and so often it is easier to do it yourself than it is to allow someone else to employ the gifts that God has given them. Taking time off from what we usually do is so necessary, because it brings us refreshment and new insights, but it is so easy to justify putting it off, especially when we need it the most.

Oscar by the way, is magnificent. As most of you know, he is a coal black English Cocker Spaniel, field bred, with estate bloodlines. All of that means that he is from a long line of hunting dogs who have proven their mettle over the decades, if not over the centuries. He is an instinctive little guy, but no one could say that he was overly intelligent. That is considered a good thing in the gun dog world. Like all working dogs, he is a joy to watch, and even more of a joy to work. 

Oscar finds absolute happiness in flushing and retrieving game of all types, and he lives to please his people. I cannot help asking as he works if I understand my vocation, my calling in life, as well as he enjoys his- and how I might find that consistency of joy which seems to characterize this beautiful little black dog, Vacation has allowed me a bit more time to read and study than I usually find, and most of that time was spent in the poetic books of the Old Testament, the Pauline Epistles, selected writings of the Caroline Divines, and John Ruskin's Oxford lectures on sculpture. I also read some of William Wordsworth's early poetry. 

I'm always amazed how God ties so many disparate threads together to help me make sense of life, and he has done so again. I can't really say how, but he has brought me a renewal over these past two weeks which fills me with peace and gives me an energized vision of what it means to be a priest. I do look forward to the work of the immediate future, to the honour of presiding at Holy Communion, of catechizing in the faith received, and of working to encourage us all to live as did Jesus. It is good to be a part of this work in this place, and I am blessed by your friendship and by the opportunity to labour with you to the greater glory of God, to the extending of his kingdom, and to the building up of his people. Thank you Rebecca, for looking out for me so well.

Bill+