Reflections on Learning Ministries Day

What a beautiful and enriching day we had at Learning Ministry Day 2009. I am using this space to share some of my notes for folks who may have missed this Day. I encourage others to add their notes, highlights, and comments about the day.  

We opened the Bible several times to Deuteronomy, "Moses' farewell speech." During devotions we found a way to remember Deuteronomy 6:4-5. We then read the next section together with the instructions of what to do with these words of faith. The Rev Dr Rolf Jacobson highlighted the covenant in DT 5:1-3 and reminded us that this Book of Faith is for all of us today, it is about us, the family of God, today. Here are a few quotes I jotted down from his keynote address.

His title for our time was "Open the Bible and Find Yourself."

• "We are in the stories." 
  

• "God gives the law because of our neighbor, not to make us a better us."

We opened our Bibles to Exodus 21:28 regarding the goring ox.  In Exodus 23:4-5 the ox and the donkey are the "engines" of the day. We were asked to recontextualize the text and think of our automobile as our ox. Each of these two laws has an obligation to do the right thing with our neighbor in mind. Jesus summed up, about loving our enemy, laws that already existed. 

• "Every law has a positive and negative obligation. When do the obligations end?Never"
• "We teach the Ten Commandments to children but they are laws for adults. When do we teach them to adults?"
• "The Psalms are prayers for us to pray. The stories tell us who we are."

In John 4:46ff The man had to walk back home for two days to find out if what Jesus said was true. Faith tells us, we are this man. 

During the workshop "Let's Talk" we looked at Amos 5:15a as an illustration of what the new Lutheran Study Bible will do. "...establish justice in the gate" -- the "world of the Bible" note will tell us that it was at the gate, the entrance to the community, that legal issues were settled.

A question was asked how to respond to the reaction of people--the words "Bible study" receive the same negative reaction as "stewardship campaign" What images do we possess about a "brand"? What images do we possess about "Bible study"? The image may be an 80 year old widow. How do we change the brand? Format and hospitality are key. Having a meal and childcare eliminate two excuses. Having Bible study in homes changes the "brand". An atmosphere of openness to express opinions is key rather than being told you have the wrong answer. The "brand" of the Book of Faith Intiative is Open Scripture. Join the Conversation. The Initiative is not curriculum driven but Scripture and conversation driven. Augsburg Fortress is providing resources to allow the conversation to happen.

More conversations about resources began in this workshop.

So what happened in your workshop? What notes do you want to share with others about the Keynote Address? Come and join the conversation.

Marlane Druckenmiller, Book of Faith Advocate

NEPS Book of Faith Advocate

As the Northeastern Pennsylvania Synod's Book of Faith Advocate, my responsibilities are to:

• serve as a point person for the ELCA Initiative on synod territory;
• encourage congregations to participate;
• support the goals of the intiative;
• encourage use of the web site (this one and http://www.bookoffaith.org);
• speak to leadership groups work with existing program structures;
• plan Bible teacher training enrichment events; and,
• serve as a link between ELCA and NEP Synod.

If you have any questions or ideas, respond to this blog!

~ Marlane Druckenmiller, NEPa Synod Book of Faith Advocate

Using the ELCA Book of Faith Initiative in Shared Ministry Settings

How can a shared ministry church use Lutheran specific resources? Share your ideas here.

~ Marlane Druckenmiller, NEPa Synod Book of Faith Advocate

Book of Faith Road Trip - Day 1

Confirmation Student Ryan Hart travels around the Northeastern Pennsylvania Synod to learn about how we open up the Bible.

Share Ideas

How are you opening the scriptures in your congregation, with your friends, in your family, and in your own life? What works? What does not? What have you tried? Share your ideas and read the ideas of others so that everyone in the Northeastern Pennsylvania Synod can become fluent in the first language of the faith: the scriptures.

Click on "comments" below to be a part of the conversation.

Scripture Conversation

The Authority of Scripture
Here are some short thoughts on what Lutherans are talking about when they speak of the "authority of scripture." These thoughts come from Augsburg Fortress' 2008 publication "Opening the book of faith: Lutheran Insights for Bible Study" by Diane Jacobson, Mark Allan Powell, and Stanley N. Olson.

"Lutherans say the Bible is inspired. The Spirit of God speaks there" (p. 2).

"The Bible is authoritative because it communicates the grace of God in Jesus Christ. Grace comes to us as law and gospel, demand and promise" (p. 2).

"The Bible is authoritative for us in much the same way that Jesus Christ was authoritative for those first-century women and men who became his disciples. They encountered God in him. We encounter God through the Bible because it effectively conveys Jesus Christ to us" (p. 2).

"Lutherans begin with what the Bible does, rather than beginning with claims about its nature or origin." (p. 3)

Lutherans tend to think that the power of the Bible does not come from the book itself. We do not worship the book. The power of the scriptures take hold of us when God encounters us through the words printed there.

This is the conversation starter. What thoughts or questions do you have concerning the "authority of the scriptures?" Click on "comments" below to be a part of the conversation.

Online Resources

There are many resources on the web that help us engage the scriptures. What have you found? Click on "comments" below to add descriptions and web addresses of trusted websites that help us to faithfully open up the scriptures. Go ahead and be a part of the conversation.