The Bible, Explained
During our Thursday night online gatherings, we’ve been making our way through the Bible, from start to finish. When we wrap up our high-level journey this week, the final installment will be our 18th discussion in the sequence.
The Bible. Sixty-six books, forty or more authors, dozens of editors, centuries of work—in 18 conversations. Why did we choose to look at the big picture of the Bible’s content? Two reasons:
The book has often been weaponized, and thus it has played a harmful role in many of our lives (hence we seek to deconstruct the ways it has been read and used).
We still look to Jesus as the centerpiece of our faith, and the Bible is a great place to learn about him (hence we seek to reconstruct ways to read and use the book).
The blog post you’re now reading will list out our community’s 18 steps through the Bible. Why? Who cares? Fair questions. Maybe no one!
But for those who have only been able to attend some of these Zoom calls, perhaps this can fill in some of the gaps they missed. For others who have never graced the screen of the Harbor weekly call, maybe this can serve as a resource for group use or personal study. In fact, we should probably just make this into a curriculum; but for now, enjoy this recap of the Bible.
Here are the passages we have looked at and some of the reflections we engaged together. If you have any questions or would like more of the material we used, just let us know over on the Get Involved page!
The Bible in 18 Easy Steps
Genesis 1: Creation in God’s Image
Why might it be important to view the planet, animals, plants, humans, and our own bodies as very good and valuable? How do you react to Lima Silva's image of a "Black God, Mother God, Worker God"? Can we see God in every different type of person, and see every type of person in God?
Genesis 4: The First Murder
Why is injustice such a big deal to God (Abel’s blood crying out from the ground), and whose blood us crying out today? How can we identify with Cain? In what sense, then, is God’s love for Cain good news for us?
Genesis 12, 16, 21: Hagar & the Theology of Survival
Do you think this is a repeated pattern of God: being with the oppressed and, not always liberating them, but giving them internal resources to survive and fight for liberation? What gifts do Hagar, Dolores Williams, and other women of color have to offer the rest of the church based on their social locations and lived experiences?
Exodus 3-4: God’s Self-Revelation to Moses
How do you feel about yourself and your abilities; has God’s presence made a difference? When the Israelites do escape their enslavement, they are granted economic reparations; is this an important part of liberation today?
1 Samuel 8: The Shift to Monarchy and Empire
How do political and religious empires value affluence, use oppression, and control people’s access to God? How do Moses, the Old Testament prophets, and Jesus challenge empire? How do they both criticize the status quo and energize people to resist evil?
Lamentations 5: Lamenting Violence and Oppression
Do we lament? If so, what do we lament and how? Based on our experiences, do we agree with Rah’s and Duff’s ideas about the importance of lament and its absence from church culture?
Esther: Courage in the Face of Evil
Is justice inevitable, or does it require work (or both)? How has your self-image and self-concept changed over the years? Were there moments where you began to “find your voice”?
Luke 1-2: Messianic Expectation
Who did first-century Jews expect the Messiah to be? Who do we expect our Messiah to be? How does Jesus meet or not meet those expectations? Which elements of politics and culture (first-century Greco-Roman or our own) might Jesus’ teachings and example be positioned to undermine?
The Gospels: Parables of the Kingdom
Do Jesus’ parables shed light for you on the nature of the kingdom? What is shalom, and what does the kingdom look like in context? Do you agree that discipleship includes position and location? How might we “reduce the distance” and move toward solidarity with those who suffer?
The Gospels: Jesus and His Opponents
Is there anything good going on with the Pharisees in these passages? What are their good and bad motives? In what ways are religious leaders still exhibiting the same patterns of error and evil that Jesus’ opponents displayed long ago?
The Gospels: Crucifixion
How does Jesus see the humanity of his murderers; how can we see the humanity of our “enemies” and participate in forgiveness? How do you currently, day in and day out, commend your spirit to God? What “paradise” do you hope for after death?
The Gospels: Resurrection
How might Mary Magdalene’s background have prepared her for this moment; what do we make of her process of recognizing Jesus? What are the connections between resurrection and nonviolence; is it true that God can do new things with dust?
Acts 10: Divine Desire, Divine Transgression
What is it that God desires in this story, and how does that relate to our lives? What do you most desire? What boundaries does God transgress in this story? Which rules, norms, practices, or beliefs must we transgress as we follow Jesus? What might interreligious dialogue and relationship look like?
Ephesians 2: Tear Down the Wall
In our shared context, which people groups are separated by “walls of hostility”? How have you personally experienced these divisions? How might the theological resources of grace, reconciliation, and inclusion work toward some sort of unity?
2 Timothy 4: The End of Paul?
What do we make of the instruction to “do the work of an evangelist”? Are there healthy expressions of evangelism, or is it all problematic proselytization and cultural imperialism? Is this pattern still visible today: people “will not put up with healthy teaching, but will heap up for themselves teachers in accordance with their own desires, in order to have their ears tickled”?
James: Christian Ethics within Empire
James is trying to work against ways the Roman Empire has colonized the minds of Jewish Christians; how has the American Empire colonized the minds of Christians today? How do the rich oppress the poor today, and how can our faith shape our approach to economic injustice?
Revelation: Come out of Babylon
What is your personal history with the book of Revelation? If we choose to answer the call to “come out of Babylon,” what would that mean for us? How do we reject, reform, or dismantle unjust systems? This book contains a critique of dehumanizing practices; what do we mean by “dehumanization,” and why is it such a big deal to God?
Revelation: New Heaven and New Earth
What are the main features of this final vision from John the Revelator? Why do our hearts long for these things? To what extent is this vision something we wait for as a gift, and to what extent is it something we partner with God and each other to bring about here and now?
If you’re interested in having conversations like these, please sign up to join us for one of our Thursday online gatherings!
