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September
2009
Dear Members & Friends of Trinity,
Peaceful greetings.
The Rev. Dr. Harry Wendt is the originator of the world-renown Crossways Bible Study program that our Thursday morning Bible Study group used for four years. In a recent newsletter article, Dr. Wendt cites a suggestion by author John Frye [with some minor editing]: Why doesn’t some Bible publishing company come out with “The Fortune Cookie Bible”? Many Christians treat the Bible like they do a fortune cookie – pithy, little positive sayings that perk up your life and create a little fun curiosity. That’s what fortune cookies do. And that’s all that many Christians want from their Bibles. Life is about me, and so the Bible should be about me, too. God is nice … in a fortune cookie kind of way. Maybe his Word will tell me something I really want to hear, and if it doesn’t, I’ll just close it up until I want another fortune told.
Question: Is this what the Bible is to you – a book filled with pithy little sayings that may or may not have interest for you?
Trinity Lutheran Church wants to help you change that perception of the Bible … God’s Word, scripture, holy writ, The Good Book! For years and years Trinity has had numerous and frequent opportunities for children, youth, young adults and mature adults to study and gain insights into the scriptures. This month (September) again marks the beginning of a new school year and church program year with several Bible Study opportunities and fun time faith-building activities:
- Sunday School, with classes for 3-years olds through adults levels (nursery and child care provided)
- Wednesday afternoons and evenings, Confirmation classes for 8th & 9th Graders, Godly Play for grades K-2; Godly Play2 for grades 3-5; and SoulFuel for grades 6-7. NOTE: Celebration Choir rehearsal also meets; and this time also includes EATS (an evening meal).
- Thursday Morning (9:00-10:30 AM). Open to all ages from post-high school through older adults. Yes, coffee and donuts are available!
- Trinity Lutheran Church Women (TLCW) has several Bible study offerings in each of their once-a-month Circle meetings.
- Trinity Men’s Breakfast and Bible Study is a weekly Saturday morning gathering of Senior High School and adult men for … surprise … breakfast and Bible Study!
These are all special opportunities for discovering a magnificent truth – that the Bible isn’t like a fortune cookie, but a great story about a great God who deeply loves his people and calls and equips believers to live new and renewed lives … to glorify him! Check it out. Read the Gospel According to Saint John 3.16; and Romans 6. 3-5; and the First Epistle of Saint John (read the whole thing; it’s only 5 short chapters); and many other such scriptures.
But there is one other opportunity for Bible study that most folks may not consider – worship! Do you know that our Lutheran worship liturgy is solidly Bible study through and through? Do you know that every segment in the liturgy, every invitation and response, every gesture, every congregational hymn and choir anthem, the sermon and everything we say and do in our Sunday worship is based on scripture? Our Lutheran worship liturgy is a Bible study from beginning to end.
Here is an assignment for you. See if you can find the Bible basis of each part of the liturgy. Start with the Apostolic Greeting: “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” Or try to find the four places in the Bible where we find the words of Jesus instituting the Lord’s Supper. Or where in the Bible do we find the words of the blessing with which we close our worship liturgy? (OK, OK. I will give the answers and references at our first Adult Sunday AM Bible study on September 20. RALLY DAY is September 13 with registration at Trinity and an all-community Sunday School picnic and games in Central Park. Fun for the whole family!)
Joy & Peace, s/ Pr Curtis Zieske