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The biblical authors expressed their faith by telling stories abouttheir ancestors, their heroes and their prophets. Millennia later these storieshave lost none of their power. The Old Testament, far from being merely aprelude to the New Testament, is full of spiritual insights that can illumineChristian life today. This short course revisits stories about Noah, Moses,Elijah, Amos and the prophetess Huldah whose story may not be as familiar toyou as it should be! What do these narratives have to say to us today?
Week 1
Session Title: Noah and the Flood (Gen 6-9)
What spiritual truth is being taught through the story of Noah? Thestory of Noah and the flood is actually two accounts of a story which has beenwoven together. We will look at the story as it stands in the Bible and thencompare this combined story to a similar Babylonian flood story so thatparticipants will be able to see the particular emphasis present in thebiblical account.
Week 2
Session Title: The Birth of Moses (Exodus 2:1-10) and the Call of Moses(Exodus 3-6)
The story of Moses and the Exodus is the heart of the Hebrew Scriptures.In this session we will focus on two key moments in the narrative. The story of“Moses in the bulrushes” is a charming tale that alerts the reader to Moses’special status. What does it have to say to us today? The story of the burningbush and Moses’ commissioning to lead the Israelites to freedom offers a goodopportunity to think about our calling as Christians today.
Week 3
Session Title: Elijah on the way to Mount Hermon and his Meeting withGod (1 Kings 19:1-18)
In this session we will begin byhighlighting the importance and the context of the prophet Elijah in the HebrewScriptures. We will then focus on the journey of Elijah to Mount Hermon and hissubsequent encounter with God on the mountain. This experience must have beenvery difficult for him as God came to meet him in a totally unexpected way.What is our image of God and how do we encounter God today?
Week 4
Session Title: Amos and the Rushing Waters of Justice (The Book of Amos)
Amos (c. eighth century) is the first of the classical prophets,prophets whose teachings have been preserved for us in collections identifiedby their own names. The world that Amos knew was one of immense wealth andabundant food resources alongside extremes of hunger and poverty. He cried outfor justice for the poor and against the danger of divorcing religious practicefrom daily living. In what ways is the book of Amos a tract for our times?
Week 5
Session Title: Huldah – An Unfamiliar Story? (2 Kings 22:14-20)
In the seventh century BCE, agroup of royal officials, including some priests, was unsure about theauthenticity of what appeared to be an important book – one that described howancient Israel was to live its life before God. To determine the book’sgenuineness, they consulted a woman named Huldah whom they believed to be aprophet. Today, God still speaks in the voices of women who call the church tobecome a more authentic and effective witness to the presence of Christ in theworld.
Introduction
Reading for Session 1
Read Genesis 6:1 – 9:17 – Noah and the Flood
For those who wish to read further
Lawrence Boadt, Reading the Old Testament. An Introduction. Paulist Press, New York, N.Y./Mahwah, N.J.,pp.86-107 – in particular pp.99-103.
For a more detailed analysis of the story of the flood:
Bruce Vawter, On Genesis: A New Reading. Geoffrey Chapman, London 1977, pp.109-137.
Questions for Reflection
1. What stood out for you as you read through Genesis 6:1 – 9:17?
2. Compare 6:5 and 8:21. How much did the flood change people? Why? What kind of change in people is needed?
3. Did you find anything unexpected, surprising or disturbing in this session? If so, explain what it was and why you found it that way.
Reading for Session 2
Read Exodus 1:1 - 2:1-10 (The Birth of Moses) and 3:1 – 4:9 (The Call of Moses)
For those who wish to read further
Luis Alonso Schőkel & Guillermo Gutiérrez, Moses: His Mission. Biblical Meditations, St. Paul Publications, Middlegreen, Slough, 1990, pp.23-42.
Richard Rohr & Joseph Martos, The Great Themes of Scripture: Old Testament, St. Anthony Messenger Press, Cincinnati, Ohio, 1988, pp.19-24.
Questions for Reflection
1. What stood out for you as you read through Exodus 2:1-10 and 3:1 – 4:9?
2. Identify all the women who play a role in 1:1 – 2:10. What trait(s) do they have in common?
3. What adjectives would best summarise Moses’ response when God tells him to go to Pharaoh as the deliverer of the Israelites?
4. Did you find anything unexpected, surprising or disturbing in this session? If so, explain what it was and why you found it that way.
Questions for Personal Application
1. When the pressure was on, the midwives risked their lives to preserve the Israelite babies. When have you felt pressurised to do wrong? Have you ever been able to bring justice into an unjust situation? What gives a person the motivation to make the right choices and act courageously in such situations?
2. The Israelites came as strangers in need to Egypt. Who are the newcomers in your city or parish or workplace? How could you reach out to them and offer friendship and help?
3. Moses countered with several objections when God told him to go to Pharaoh. Are you reluctant to respond to some call that you sense God is giving you at this point in your life? Why? How could you respond to God’s call?
The Elijah cycle of stories has 5 major scenes, one each in 1 Kings 17, 18, 19 & 21 & one in 2 Kings 1.
Read 1 Kings 19:1-18 attentively for the first time in order to capture the sense & become aware of the basic facts of the story.
For those who wish to read further
Charles Conroy MSC, 1-2 Samuel, 1-2 Kings, Michael Glazier Inc., Wilmington, Delaware, 1983, pp.178-189.
Enzo Bianchi, “Elijah and the Still Small Voice” in God, Where Are You? SPCK, London, 2008, pp.54-68.
Questions for Reflection
1. What stood out for you as you read through 1 Kings 19:1-18?
2. God asks “What are you doing here, Elijah?” What would your answer be if the same question were posed to you in your own situation?
3. Did you find anything unexpected, surprising or disturbing in this session? If so, explain what it was and why you found it that way.
Questions for Personal Application
1. What do you expect from God and what is your favourite image of God?
2. Elijah became aware of the presence of God “in the light murmuring sound”. Where can you meet God today? Have you ever been surprised by the presence of God in situations where you never thought of encountering God?
3. Elijah felt himself alone but God told him that there were seven thousand others who had not bent the knee to Baal. Are you sufficiently aware of other Christians in your own spiritual life?
If you have time and the interest to do so, you may want to take this opportunity to read the whole of the short Book of Amos.
The text we shall focus on is Amos 1:1 – 2:8
For those who wish to read further:
John Eaton, “Amos – The Lion’s Roar” in Mysterious Messengers, A Course on Hebrew Prophecy from Amos Onwards, SCM Press, London 1997, pp.30-46.
William Sanford Lasor, David Allan Hubbard, Frederic William Bush, “Amos” in Old Testament Survey (Eerdmans, Cambridge, 1996) pp.243-253.
Questions for Reflection
1. What stood out for you as you read the Book of Amos? The text of Amos 1:1 – 2:8?
2. The words of Amos might be described as a wake-up call. Who is Amos trying to wake up?
3. In 2:6-8, what “transgressions,” or wrongs, is Amos attempting to call his listeners’ attention to?
4. Did you find anything unexpected, surprising or disturbing in this session? If so, explain what it was and why you found it that way.
Questions for Personal Application
1. Based on your reading of Amos, what is God most concerned with? In what ways are God’s concerns applicable today?
2. In addition to the economically impoverished, who are the poor in our society? How are the poor being trampled upon in society today? In other places in the world?
Read the story of the prophetess Hulda in 2 Kings 22:12-20. There is a similar mention of her in 2 Chronicles 34:19-28.
For those who wish to read further:
If you Google “The Prophetess Huldah”, you will find a number of short articles on her. You may find short articles from a number of Jewish perspectives of particular interest.
Questions for Reflection
1. What stood out for you as you read 2 Kings 22:12-20 (and 2 Chronicles34:19-28)?
2. Did you find anything unexpected, surprising or disturbing in this session? If so, explain what it was and why you found it that way.
Questions for Personal Application
1. Is there an area where you are being called to speak out courageously?
2. Are you being led to take a stand for what is right or to speak out in faith?
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5
Brian is a tutor in the theology stream. Originally from Birmingham, Brian studied philosophy and theology at the Gregorian University, Rome and later gained a Masters Degree in Franciscan Studies from St. Bonaventure’s University, New York. He has given retreats and courses throughout the UK and Ireland, North America, the Far East and Australia. He taught at the International Franciscan Study, Canterbury and at Campion House, Osterley before joining the Mount Street Jesuit Team when it began in 2004. Brian also taught at Heythrop College on the Foundation Degree in Pastoral Ministry. His particular interest is in opening up the Scriptures to people, young and old, at a level that they can understand and seek to apply to their daily lives. Brian is married to Deborah who works for CAFOD. They live in Buckinghamshire.
