Horizons Bible Study 2017-2018 “Cloud of Witnesses: The Community of Christ in Hebrews” Lesson 1: Hebrews 1:1-4 A good novel will grab our attention quickly. Beautiful language or quirky characters engage us. The tension of a person stumbling upon a dead body makes us want to discover who has committed the murder. The Letter to the Hebrews is gripping in quite a different way. The first verses are poetic and soaring, meant to lift up those who struggle to be faithful to Christ. Phrase upon phrase pile up in one long, breathless sentence as if the writer cannot pause because what he has to say is so important.  (The English translation uses three sentences.) Like a child spilling out a story, the words tumble one upon the other. We can see this better if we line out the rich descriptions in Hebrews 1:1-4: Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets, but in these last days God has spoken to us by the Son, whom God appointed heir of all … [Read more...]

2017-2018 Presbyterian Women/Horizons Bible Study “Cloud of Witnesses: The Community of Christ in Hebrews” Preview I received a note recently. There was no return address nor was the writer’s last name written anywhere. It was signed “Nancy.” I know three women with that name. So I was baffled as to who had written it. Like my note, the Letter to the Hebrews (hereafter “Hebrews”) comes with no envelope nor a return address and no signature or addressee. But we do know the purpose of Hebrews. It speaks eloquently of Christ and urges the community of faith to stand fast and hold on to Jesus, the Son. “Cloud of Witnesses: The Community of Christ in Hebrews,” written by Melissa Bane Sevier, will engage us in understanding this complex and eloquent book of the Bible. Hebrews is more like a sermon than a letter. It begins with a soaring description of Christ. The Son is the “appointed heir of all things,” through whom the worlds were created and through whom all things are sustained … [Read more...]

  Horizons Bible Study 2016-2017 Who is Jesus? What a Difference a Lens Makes Lesson 9: Jesus According to Contemporary Cultural Interpretations Luke 10:38-42 Thomas Troeger is a preaching professor, poet and hymn-writer. In a class, Troeger emphasized the need for us to understand our upbringing and the personal stories of others as we interpret Scripture. To illustrate his point, Troeger related a personal story of his tutoring children in a poor neighborhood through a church-related program. Troeger was teaching the children the Lord’s Prayer and noticed that one child could not get past the first line, “Our Father who is in heaven.” Troeger got to know the boy and found out that he could not say the word “father,” because his biological father had taken a two-by-four board and beaten him. Troeger asked the boy, “Is there anyone who loves you?” The boy thought and said quietly, “I have an auntie who loves me.” Troeger said, “Well, why don’t you pray, ‘Our Auntie who is … [Read more...]

Horizons Bible Study 2016-1027 Who is Jesus? What a Difference a Lens Makes Lesson 7: The non-canonical Gospels When we wonder about how certain writings became part of the New Testament, I think about what is treasured. There are things handed down to us that we cherish and want to pass on to our children. It might be a family Bible that lists all the marriages and births for four generations or letters from Dad to Mom during World War II. The letters of Paul were the first writings to be treasured by the early Christian community. The letters were kept, copied and passed on to other churches. Paul often addressed problems in the church. Yet his letters were also highly valued because of Paul's passionate experience of knowing Jesus as risen from death and guiding us now in the present. Paul and the early church experienced the power of Jesus directly through visions, inspired speech, the ability to heal the sick and deep generosity. Paul's letters were not about a Jewish … [Read more...]

  Horizons Bible Study 2016-1027 Who is Jesus? What a Difference a Lens Makes Lesson 6: Hebrews 4:14-16; 12:1-2 Have you ever had a moment when you felt like you just wanted to give up? There are times when family relationships, finances, illness, addiction or other trouble kicks us in the gut. Maybe you feel that way today or maybe it was long ago. Certainly that is how the early Christians to whom The Letter to the Hebrews (hereafter "Hebrews") is written were feeling. Society at large was suspicious of these early Christians, calling them depraved and disloyal to the government. If these Christians refused to give sacrifices to the Roman gods, they were denied promotions at work. Sometimes there were riots because the Christian message was seen as undermining the economic system (Acts 19:23-41). Christians were publicly abused and had their possessions plundered. Some were imprisoned (Hebrews 10:32-33). The Christians to whom Hebrews is addressed were tempted to … [Read more...]