Summer School
The weekly Bible class has begun its summer break early, the reason being that I will be visiting my brother in Florida in a few weeks, with Holy Week and Easter intervening. I regret having to exchange the late spring snow of Wyoming for the warm, sunny beaches of the Gulf coast. I will be lying on the sand and sticking my toes in the ocean, while my sisters in community may still have snow shovels in their hands.
The good news is that we have a postulant coming to Wyoming for some Bible classes, and there’s plenty of rich material to blog about. A postulant is a young woman who is seeking to join a religious community. In this case, our postulant has had an introductory course in Scripture. I want to give her a solid foundation and still have some fun. I have several topics prepared, each covering more than one book of the Bible and each touching on basic motifs. I may yet add more topics or present them in a different order. Some of these topics touch on folklore and legend in the bible. Women will still have a prominent place, but they will not be the only focus.
The topics are:
- Giants and Sea Monsters
- Barren Women and Miraculous Births
- Rebels and Deviants
- Thugs and Thieves
- Whores and Harlots
- Wise Women and Witches
Do check out the weekly postings on this new page.
Class Postings
Today, Sept. 5, our Congregation observes Founders Day, marking the day in 1874 when five Benedictine Sisters arrived in Missouri, exchanging the mountains of Switzerland for the rolling hills of northwest Missouri. We remember their stories, passed over the generations. … Continue reading →
You probably first heard the story of King Solomon and the two prostitutes in childhood. It is found in 1 Kings 3:16-28, where it is told as an example of King Solomon’s vast wisdom. Solomon’s wisdom was God’s gift. All … Continue reading →
The story of Rahab the harlot is told in Joshua 2:1-24. Joshua sent two spies to reconnoiter the land, especially the fortified city of Jericho. When the two spies reached Jericho, they went into the house of a harlot named … Continue reading →
The Bible strictly prohibits witchcraft in any form. In Deut. 18:10-12, we read: Let there not be found among you anyone who immolates his son or daughter in the fire, nor a fortune-teller, soothsayer, charmer, diviner, or caster of spells, … Continue reading →
Not all prophets spoke the truth. Some prophets were not sent by God, and others spoke in the name of other gods. They spoke only what the king wanted to hear. We know such people as politicians. Ezekiel rails against … Continue reading →
