Scripture
One Book at a Time
Have you always wanted to spend more time with Sacred Scripture but it just seems so daunting, filled with names of strange places and lots of people whose relationships are hard to keep track of? Need an overview? The “Big Picture”? This is the place for you!
Week 3: Rebellion and Grace
Welcome to Week 3!
With the preliminaries covered in Weeks 1 and 2, we start our coverage of the Books of Sacred Scripture. This week we look at the first 11 chapters of the Book of Genesis. These opening chapters can be thought of the story of “God and Whole World.” Next week, our overview of the second part of Genesis (12-50) are a story of “God and One Man: Abraham.”
In this first part of Genesis, the Biblical authors are telling us far more than the creation of the world, a movement from chaos to order. They are telling us a story of Wisdom, moral agency, free will, and the results of human choice and forgetfulness. In part, it is a story of how sin enters the world, turning order back to chaos. How will God respond?
One theme emerging from the first 11 chapter is one of human rebellion against God and all the consequences in human life and relationships. But another theme that emerges is the divine response of Grace, ever seeking to invite humans back into communion with God. It is a story of God’s determination to rescue us and to bless the world we have disordered.
In the secon videod, we explore the themes of God’s justice and the justice due to God, our breaking of the covenant, and God’s gracious response.
There are many themes that were presented in our videos, but two key themes are: (a) Covenants as the story of Salvation History and (b) being created in the Image of God. A file of the presentation is shown below:
Bible in a Year
Day 1 – In the beginning Day 1: In the Beginning — The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 2 – The Fall Day 2: The Fall of Adam and Eve — The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 3 – Noah’s Ark Day 3: Noah’s Ark — The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 4 – The Flood Day 4: The Flood — The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 5 – The Tower of Babel Day 5: Tower of Babel — The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Week 2: An Old Testament Overview
Welcome to Week 2!
In keeping with our design intent to (a) provide summary overview and continue to emphasize (b) the unified narrative in the Hebrew Scriptures that tell a story, ever pointing to a promised Messiah – this weeks presentation is a 12-minute summary of the entire Old Testament.
This first video gives an overarching accounting of human failure starting with Adam and Even, but continuing in every generation. Even the great heroes such as Abraham, Sarah, Jacob, Isaac, Moses, King Daivd and more – all fail to live up to what it means to fully human: to love God and to love man. Such is the effect of sin in the world.
What are the different ways in which “sin” is understood and discussed in Sacred Scripture? That is presented in the second video: “Sin Involves More Than You Might Think.”
Week 1: What is the Bible?
What is the Bible? Seems like a strange question. Afterall you can read any number of translations online. Sure, the Catholic and Orothodoc Churches have different books from the Protestant/Reformed Churches – mostly the same, but a few are different.
Is the Bible the same as Divine Revelation? How does Tradition fit into all this? Watch the video: a short presentation followed by Q&As.