Paul’s Letter to the Churches of Galatia           Originally, the Christian movement was essentially a sect of Judaism.  The leadership of this movement, which was known as “The Way,” was centered in the city of Jerusalem.  The head of this movement was James, the brother of Jesus.           Outside of Judea, in the larger Roman […]

Wednesday Morning Bible Study Summer 2019 Paul’s Letter to Timothy      This summer the Wednesday Morning Bible Study group is discussing the book of Second Timothy.  You are invited to make this weekly seminar part of your busy life.  The group meets every week in the parish library from 10:30 to noon.      As the […]

Wednesday Morning Bible Study Spring 2019 Absalom, Son of David      David’s best know son was, of course, Solomon who succeeded his father as king of Israel.  However, David had another son who organized an armed rebellion against his father and came very close to seizing the throne.  This son’s name was Absalom.  The story […]

Wednesday Morning Bible Study Epiphany 2019 The Corinthian Correspondence        The setting for the ministry of Jesus was rural Galilee.  Thus, many of his parables have an agricultural theme.  But the Biblical record clearly shows that as Christianity spread through the Roman world, it was a largely urban phenomenon.  One of the earliest Christian […]

Wednesday Morning Bible Study November/December 2018 Hymns of Second Isaiah In the concluding chapters of the Book of Isaiah we find a collection of beautiful hymns from the liturgies of ancient Israel.   As we prepare to enter the Advent Season, we will be revisiting these familiar passages from the Hebrew Scriptures.  Come and join us […]

Song of Songs The author of the Book of Kings tells us that David’s son, Solomon composed more than a thousand poems. (I Kings 4:32) The Old Testament book known as the “Song of Songs” contains a collection of love poems attributed to King Solomon.  Some are written from the perspective of a woman — […]

Jesus and the Pharisees “For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”  (Matthew 5:20) In the four gospels there are numerous accounts of antagonistic interaction between Jesus and the Pharisees.  The Pharisees claimed Mosaic authority for their interpretation of Hebrew Scriptures. […]

Parables of Grace “Jesus told the crowds all these things in parables; without a parable he told them nothing.” Matthew 13: 34 In chapter 9 of Luke’s gospel we are told that Jesus “turned his face toward Jerusalem.”  As he traveled south from his native Galilee, he preached to many large crowds.  Luke tells us […]