Sacred Discussion Group 2nd July 2016
Breakfast with lively company was enjoyed from 8.30, a pleasant way to start the day with the added anticipation of the Celebration B-B-Q in the afternoon. The meeting expanded with those arriving for the discussion group at 9.00.a.m.
This month we completed the reading of Exodus and moved on to Philemon, with it’s difficult pronunciation of Phy-lee-mun and Hosea interspersed with a few of the uplifting and encouraging Psalms.
For those who started at the same time this means we have completed book one in six months. What is encouraging about this system is that you cannot fail. It is designed to help rather than burden. You can move ahead when you have time, possibly the longer evenings of Autumn, or when on holiday, or you can catch up when the story grips you and you can’t put either the Bible or the book down.
Rev’d Dr Philip Moon’s reflections may also be read alone and the Bible read later if time is short and you don’t want to fall too far behind, the reflections can point you to relevant passages, for clarification anyway. Some of us have already used this method!
Now that we are moving on to book two others could join in, knowing that book one can be read at any time in the future, these books do ‘stand alone’. Do not be discouraged let your hearts and minds be free to explore God’s word with enjoyment. See Rev’d Lynn for copies of Sacred, ‘Simply a chapter read each day’
Paul’s letter to Philemon is his shortest, written to a friend asking for his understanding for a run-away slave who has turned to Christ. Paul, probably written whilst he himself was imprisoned in Rome, is paving the way for the returning slave to be received with compassion.
In Hosea we are introduced to the first of the ‘minor’ prophets, the first in order of listing in the Bible but not the first chronologically. This book introduces us to a personal relationship with God and demonstrates God’s love for his people.
Phil’s closing words on the book of Exodus, “Exodus is our story too. God delivers us from our captivity to sin, gives us an eternal inheritance, and promises to be present with us on our life’s journey, through his Spirit, both in times of need and in times of plenty. Like the Israelites, we too are invited to learn to live as his people in response”, these words encourage us to carry on with our reading and our Christian journey.