Dear Friends,
One of my favorite things about the people depicted in the Old Testament is their complexity. They aren’t perfect. They struggle with God. They ask the hard questions. They cry out when things aren’t going well. They have real human feelings toward their enemies and their own circumstances. In fact, the people of ancient Israel and the individuals described in these narratives are a lot like us today, even a guy named Jonah who was swallowed by a fish. Especially a guy like Jonah.
Jonah was a true believer, called by God to be a prophet. At the same time, he was sullen, angry, and defiant. He questioned God’s decisions and argued with him about everything, until he was in trouble. Then he cried out for help. Sound familiar? It certainly resembles my rocky spiritual journey (minus the prophet part).
I hope you join us as we embark on a 6-week adventure through the book of Jonah where we will learn tips about studying the Bible and discuss some weighty and relevant concepts like:
Loving our enemies
Walking the tightrope between mercy and justice
Giving and receiving grace
Learning how to worship God from “pagans”
Observing God at work in creation
We’ll also see what it looks like to have a real relationship with God through the eyes of someone who grew up in the faith and had preconceived ideas about what that meant. When God challenged everything Jonah thought he knew, Jonah responded with honest emotions. The book doesn’t tell us if Jonah had a change of heart. Instead, it leaves it up to the reader to decide how we will respond to God’s call for mercy.
Ready to dive in? Don’t worry about being swallowed by theology, we’ll have fun.
We’ll be meeting for six Sundays after church starting on October 19th, upstairs in the 2nd Floor Conference Room of the Parish House.
We will start promptly at 11:30 so come a little early, grab some lunch that will be provided and be ready for the unexpected.
Amy Saylor