So what are your plans for the summer? Come along with us at PCC for the "Summer of the Bible." Over the next 13 weeks (until the end of August) we'll be reading our way through parts of the Bible - from Genesis to Revelation. Each week a "sample" of texts from different parts of the Bible will be available. I'll post them here ... and they'll be available for download at our website: www.pcchestertown.org. Come join the journey!
SUMMER OF THE BIBLE - Readings for Week 1 (June 5-11)
Background on the Book of Genesis, chapters 1-11 (from “The Year of the Bible” by Dr. James E. Davison, p. 2 - Louisville, KY: Bridge Resources):
These first 11 chapters of the Book of Genesis deal with the “prehistory” of Israel. “They are the stories that place Israel within the context of world history as a whole. As you read, try not to get caught up in how these events relate to modern science. It is more useful to ask yourself what these stories would have meant to the children of Israel as they heard them told many times. The nations surrounding Israel believed in many gods. For them, the sun, the moon, and the stars were divine. Observe that, in the story of the creation of the heavens and the earth in Genesis 1, a basic point is that there is only one God. This God is above all things, and all things have been created by God.
“The implications for the religious beliefs of other nations are clear. Notice that, even though light is created immediately by God, the sun and the moon and the stars are not created until much later. For our scientific understanding, that sounds strange; however, it is a very good way of pointing out that the gods worshiped by neighboring peoples are not gods at all.
“Likewise, the story of Adam and Eve in Genesis 2 and 3 shows us what human nature is like. It tries to explain in a simple manner that God has not brought evil into the world. Humans are responsible for perpetuating evil. This and the later stories in this section [chapters 1-11] attempt to show, in a way that is clear to all generations, how God first interacted with human beings, how evil increased rapidly in the world, and how, because of that, God pronounced judgment on human beings.”
SUMMER OF THE BIBLE – 2011
Readings for June 5 – 11:
· Genesis 1 & Genesis 2 – two versions of the Creation
· Genesis 3 – 4:16 – “East of Eden: Sin and its consequences”
· Genesis 6:5-7 – a “Grieving God”
· Genesis 6:9-14 and 7:6-12 and 8:6-12, 18-22 and 9:8-17 – Noah and the Flood and God’s new way upon the earth
· Genesis 11:1-9 – the Tower of Babel
Questions for reflection:
What do we learn from having two different versions of creation – one in Genesis 1 and one in Genesis 2?
What do we learn about humanity … and about God … through the stories of Cain and Abel, Noah, and the Tower of Babel?
How does God’s intention that creation be good persist in spite of human wrongdoing?
What do you think that means for us living in the 21st century?
