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Source: (consider it)
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Thread: The Bible in the Life of the Church
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IconiumBound
Shipmate
# 754
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Posted
I was just made aware of this project and am interested in its development since it was begun in 2009. It surprises me that I have not seen a thread about it on the ship.
The link is Anglican Communion News
An interesting quote from this site refers to the "gap" and uses the phrase "mind the gap".
quote:
Across the Communion there is also evidence of ‘gaps’ between what might be called the ‘received wisdom’ of the Church (about Scripture) … and what actually happens in practice.
Those gaps include, for example, the one between “the academy and the pew”, or the scholar and the ordinary Christian
This seems to be purgatory stuff. Any comments?
Posts: 1318 | From: Philadelphia, PA, USA | Registered: Jul 2001
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Raptor Eye
Shipmate
# 16649
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by IconiumBound:
An interesting quote from this site refers to the "gap" and uses the phrase "mind the gap".
quote:
Across the Communion there is also evidence of ‘gaps’ between what might be called the ‘received wisdom’ of the Church (about Scripture) … and what actually happens in practice.
Those gaps include, for example, the one between “the academy and the pew”, or the scholar and the ordinary Christian
This seems to be purgatory stuff. Any comments?
I haven't read the report, but to comment on the example you quote, I think that the academic gap is real enough. Very rarely do we hear ministers in any denomination talking about the Bible in depth, sharing academic learning with the congregation. Rather, verses are picked out and somehow connected to life in a kind of extended ' Thought for Today.'
In many churches, even the readings are doctored so that verses which might be difficult to preach on are left out. Perhaps they think that people won't want to be challenged as well as affirmed in their faith. Or that they're not bright enough to grasp it. Or that it might take a lot of time to prepare the sermon. Perhaps they're afraid that difficult questions might be raised, and it's better to keep Jack in the box.
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Be still, and know that I am God! Psalm 46.10
Posts: 4359 | From: The United Kingdom | Registered: Sep 2011
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balaam
Making an ass of myself
# 4543
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Posted
Our church publishes the readings of the Sunday service on the take away notice sheet. We're asked to read and think about the readings on our own, but we don't push it.
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Last ever sig ...
blog
Posts: 9049 | From: Hen Ogledd | Registered: May 2003
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Horseman Bree
Shipmate
# 5290
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Posted
Our group of churches also publishes the lectionary readings each week on the take-away sheet - but I have yet to hear any reflection or response at all to this.
And a significant number of the sheets don't make it out the door.
"Bible Study" is the same - people talk about wanting "more depth" in their discussion, and, as soon as "more depth" is introduced, those people stop coming out for the gathering.
[ 07. April 2013, 00:12: Message edited by: Horseman Bree ]
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It's Not That Simple
Posts: 5372 | From: more herring choker than bluenose | Registered: Dec 2003
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Nicodemia
WYSIWYG
# 4756
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Posted
quote:
Raptor Eye said:
Very rarely do we hear ministers in any denomination talking about the Bible in depth, sharing academic learning with the congregation.
RE - you haven't been in the churches I've been in then! The Assembly of God Church I was in some years ago would preach quite deeply on a subject, with accompanying Bible references, and the Charismatic Baptist Church I was in for several years just took a book of the Bible and we studied that, every Sunday for three quarters of an hour to an hour, verse by verse, with none left out.
I don't think either of these churches, or the Independent Evangelical Church I have more or less transferred to, albeit a trifle reluctantly, could be called deficient in their preaching. AND any Bible reading never left out verses. As the congregation is encouraged to follow it in their Bibles, any omissions would be soon noticed.
And I don't think these non-conformist churches are in any way unusual.
Maybe you need to get out more. ![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
Posts: 4544 | From: not too far from Manchester, UK | Registered: Jul 2003
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Raptor Eye
Shipmate
# 16649
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Nicodemia:
RE - you haven't been in the churches I've been in then! The Assembly of God Church I was in some years ago would preach quite deeply on a subject, with accompanying Bible references, and the Charismatic Baptist Church I was in for several years just took a book of the Bible and we studied that, every Sunday for three quarters of an hour to an hour, verse by verse, with none left out.
I don't think either of these churches, or the Independent Evangelical Church I have more or less transferred to, albeit a trifle reluctantly, could be called deficient in their preaching. AND any Bible reading never left out verses. As the congregation is encouraged to follow it in their Bibles, any omissions would be soon noticed.
And I don't think these non-conformist churches are in any way unusual.
Maybe you need to get out more.
I am speaking from experience. While the Bible was mentioned quite a lot in some churches and verses repeated, there was little Bible depth to the sermons however long they were. What I learned about the Bible when studying theology was all new to me, despite having attended churches of various denominations for some years, one of which you mention. Some of my colleagues found it difficult as it contradicted the naive attitude toward the Bible that had been taught and encouraged in their churches.
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Be still, and know that I am God! Psalm 46.10
Posts: 4359 | From: The United Kingdom | Registered: Sep 2011
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chris stiles
Shipmate
# 12641
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Nicodemia:
quote:
Raptor Eye said:
Very rarely do we hear ministers in any denomination talking about the Bible in depth, sharing academic learning with the congregation.
RE - you haven't been in the churches I've been in then! The Assembly of God Church I was in some years ago would preach quite deeply on a subject, with accompanying Bible references, and the Charismatic Baptist Church I was in for several years just took a book of the Bible and we studied that, every Sunday for three quarters of an hour to an hour, verse by verse, with none left out.
Well, from my experience of churches that have done the same, I'd say that it's perfectly possible to do this *and* never share in depth academic reflections with the congregation/bible study group. There's generally a rough consensus already with a few personal reflections. I mean, you could cover Genesis 1 and 2 verse by verse and never mention Source Criticism.
However, it would worth hearing what Raptor Eye is thinking of when they mention 'academic learning'.
I can imagine that there are plenty of topics that couldn't easily be covered in a congregational setting because of the different places various members of the congregation would be at.
Posts: 4035 | From: Berkshire | Registered: May 2007
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Ad Orientem
Shipmate
# 17574
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Posted
That's the last thing I'd want when I go to Church: a long boring sermon with everyone taking notes. Bible study in another context is fine but not when we're supposed to be celebrating the liturgy. The liturgy itself gives us the context of the readings and the liturgy itself is essentially scripture.
Posts: 2606 | From: Finland | Registered: Feb 2013
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Raptor Eye
Shipmate
# 16649
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Posted
Any of the exegetical perspectives might be employed, without forgetting the hermeneutics.
An example might be to highlight the contrasting angles of the gospel writers, what they left out as well as what they included, and how it was presented. All aspects of the Bible are fascinating, and it's stories are wonderful. A good sermon for me brings out more than we hear from the reading alone. It teaches us as well as stimulating thought and reflection.
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Be still, and know that I am God! Psalm 46.10
Posts: 4359 | From: The United Kingdom | Registered: Sep 2011
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leo
Shipmate
# 1458
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by IconiumBound:
I was just made aware of this project and am interested in its development since it was begun in 2009. It surprises me that I have not seen a thread about it on the ship.
The link is Anglican Communion News
An interesting quote from this site refers to the "gap" and uses the phrase "mind the gap".
quote:
Across the Communion there is also evidence of ‘gaps’ between what might be called the ‘received wisdom’ of the Church (about Scripture) … and what actually happens in practice.
Those gaps include, for example, the one between “the academy and the pew”, or the scholar and the ordinary Christian
This seems to be purgatory stuff. Any comments?
I found the actual report quite bland BUT the 600 or so pages that follow it have some excellent stuff which i am reading through, gradually.
Of particular interest was an essay on Cranmer's sense of scripture as having an almost sacramental quality, which suggests that his eucharistic theology wasn't entirely owed to Zwingli.
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My Jewish-positive lectionary blog is at http://recognisingjewishrootsinthelectionary.wordpress.com/
My reviews at http://layreadersbookreviews.wordpress.com
Posts: 23198 | From: Bristol | Registered: Oct 2001
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