Year Two Class

Pastor Greg Kaufmann’s Class THE BIBLICAL NARRATIVE YEAR ONE DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

All Readings come from “The Bible: An Introduction” by Jerry L. Sumney

September: Introduction to the Biblical Story

Beginning with the life of Jesus, we will work backwards through the Biblical story. Using numerous overheads, and a timeline your small group will create, we will familiarize ourselves with the “high points” of the Biblical timeline. Some representative questions include:

1. What other options did first century Jews have? What led to the growth of apocalyptic literature? Why was Jesus unacceptable to most of his contemporaries? What led to the birth of Judaism after the exile? Why were parts of the Southern Kingdom of Judah in exile? What happened to the Northern Kingdom? Why were there two kingdoms in the first place? Why did they have a king? Why did the Exodus happen? What were the Israelites doing in Egypt?
2. Why did God choose a people?

1. Journal Summary: Reflect on issues raised during our September discussion of The Story. Relate it to the story you learned as you grew up.

November: Creation Literature

Psalms 3, 19, 33, 100, 104

1. Journal Summary: What do I mean/believe when I weekly confess that “I believe in God the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.”
2. What would change if we adopted Harry Wendt’s suggestion to add “and owner” after the word “creator?”

December: Following the Exodus Trail

Psalms 78 & 105
Sumney: Chapter 5

1. Journal Summary: We proudly point to the Reformation as the birth of the Lutheran Church. The Exodus is the defining event that created the people of Israel. Compare these two events.
2. What does a comparison of Psalms 78 and 105 with Exodus suggest about the “10 plagues”?

Aland: Bring it to class!
Sumney: Chapter 12

1. Journal Summary: React to the following statement “The four canonical gospels are less interested in telling their reader/auditor what happened and much more interested in explaining how the death of Jesus could possibly be good news.”

February: The Passion of Jesus (Part 2)

1. Journal Summary: How has your study of Jesus’ arrest and trial helped you understand the unique portraits of Jesus in each of the four canonical gospels? Outline your favorite gospel’s account of Jesus’ Passion. Why is it your favorite?
2. Outline your favoriate Gospel’s account of Jesus’ passion. Why is it your favorite?
3. Is Luke’s portrayal of Jesus’ passion and crucifixion more like John or Matthew/Mark?

March: The Four Gospel Accounts – Is that Good News?

1. Journal Summary: Reflect on the church’s practice of using a three-year lectionary. Each year highlights one of the synoptic gospels. How has this shaped your beliefs about who Jesus is and what he did?
2. What are the benefits/drawbacks of having four distinct gospels in our NT?

April: God’s Spirit in the Bible

The readings are on a series of handouts which will be passed out at the close of the March session.

1. Journal Summary: Reflect on any surprises you discovered as you worked through the OT and NT passages on God’s Spirit. Some scholars suggest that John portrays the Spirit as none other than Jesus’ presence after his return to the Father. What do you think?
2. How has the Spirit of God been active in your life?

May: The Catholic Letters

1. Journal Summary: No one operates with a portrait of Jesus identical to any one of the four canonical gospels. In our journal, reflect on how your congregation has adapted Jesus’ message to fit your situation. Which of the Catholic letters comes closest to your congregations adaptation?

Pr. Greg Kaufmann’s Class THE BIBLICAL NARRATIVE – YEAR TWO DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

Sumney: Chapter 9

1. Journal Summary: Compare your own prayer life to that exhibited in the Psalms. Do you find yourself more or less “reverent” in your prayer life? Why do you think that is?

October: “Exilic Literature”

Sumney: Chapter 6

1. Journal Summary: Exile and the return of the remnant to Palestine is the lens through which the Jewish community views its theology. Baptism is our lens. Compare the two.
2. Change at any time is difficult. The experience of Exile elicited a variety of responses from the Israelites in Babylon and Palestine. Some confessed their past wrongdoings, making exile inevitable. Others longed to return to the good old days. Some just wondered whether or not God was even out there! How does your congregation’s response to change (or yours) compare?

November: Paul and the Corinthians

1. Journal Summary: Paul is more important in shaping Lutheran theology than any of the gospel writers. Do you agree? Why or why not.

December: Paul and Galatians
Read Galatians
Sumney: Chapter 16

1. Journal Summary: Parallel to Paul’s task, missionary work today faces the challenge of crossing cultural borders and translating the gospel from one side to the other. Where in the world today is this challenge most evident? What kind of Paul do we need today to do the job? Which Paul does your congregation need? Your community?

January: Life in the Promised Land – Part 1

1. Journal Summary: Between the time of the Exodus (@1200 BCE) and the Exile (597 BCE), Israel struggled with its relationship to God. Worship of Yahweh was only one of many religious options. Compare this period with our own in modern America.

February: Life in the Promised Land – Part 2

1. Journal Summary: One of the major dilemmas faced by the Israelites was determining who spoke for God. How did one know just what God expected out of the average Israelite “in the pew?” Was God more interested in an individual’s belief in God and his/her worship in the temple, or in one’s dealings with the stranger in our midst? How does this compare to the tension in our own church surrounding social justice issues?

March: Acts and the Early Church

Sumney: Chapter 14

1. Journal Summary: Acts shows the struggle the early followers of Jesus had in determining how inclusive the church should/could be! Compare the choices made in Acts with those made by your congregation/the ELCA.
2. The Greco-Roman world was in many ways a very pluralistic one, as is our own. How does the way Acts portrays Paul and others dealing with this pluralism shed light on our own struggle to deal with the pluralism in our age?

April: Apocalyptic Literature

Sumney: Chapter 18

1. First the Assyrians, then the Babylonians, Persians, Greeks, and finally the Romans romped and stomped on Israel. One response to this experience was Apocalyptic literature such as Daniel (written about 168 BCE) and Revelation (written about 95 CE). How can the modern Christian Community use these books filled with vivid images and esoteric symbolism?

May: Your Biblical Questions

No additional readings

This will be our final meeting of the LSM. We will spend the two hours answering any questions you wish to pose. I look forward to this session!

Christian and Spiritual Formation
Year One and Two
Pastor Natalie Leske

Year One

“Study Guide on Faith Practices,” Dorothy C. Bass

YEAR TWO

Soul Feast– Chapter 4

Practicing Our Faith – Chapter 3

Simple Ways to Pray for Healing – Chapter 4

Simply Ways to Pray for Healing – Chapter 8

Simple Ways to Pray for Healing – Chapters 1-2, 6-7

May – Wrap up and Sending

WORSHIP • Year One

Instructor Pastor Jamie Brieske, ELCA Pastor, Immanuel, Eau Claire

Worship

Bible

An NRSV (New Revised Standard Version) is the best choice, whatever you use in Biblical Studies this year. The Synod Resource Center has good deals on The Lutheran Study Bible if you are in the market for a new Bible.

Other Readings as Assigned. From time to time I will hand out or email other brief readings.

Syllabus

Worship Year One

September – What is Worship?
October – The God Whom We Worship: The Triune God
November – The People that Worships: A Brief History of Christianity, The Place We Worship: Christian Architecture
December – The Principal Service (I): The Word
January – The Principal Service (II): The Meal
February – Entry into the People of God: Baptism (I)
March – Entry into the People of God (II): Rites Related to Baptism
April – To Be Announced
May – To Be Announced

Worship Year Two

Required Textbooks:
Evangelical Lutheran Worship

September – Time of Worship: Daily Prayer
October – Time of Worship: The Church Year (Lent – Christ the King)
November – Time of Worship: The Church Year (Advent – Transfiguration)
December – Life Passages: Healing
January – Life Passages: Burial
February – Life Passages: Marriage
March – Proclamation: The Word (I)
April – Proclamation: The Word (II)
Assignment for April: Prepare a Sermon, Sermon Outline, or Devotion based on the text discussed during the April class (if you want to).
May – The Music of Worship

Practical Congregational Leadership

Bishop Laurie Skow-Anderson

Dear Lay School Students,

I’m so excited about teaching the leadership track in your program this year. The good news is, I won’t be adding any homework assignments for you! However, it would be helpful if you read the scriptures listed as foundations for each of the sessions before the session. I’m looking forward to meeting you all soon.

Bishop Laurie Skow-Anderson

Practical Congregational Leadership for Lay School of Ministry

1 Corinthians 12

We’ve all gone to meetings that never seem to accomplish anything. This session will examine your role as a leader in your congregation and how you can help get things done.

1 Corinthians 15

Session 3 Conflict is normal, really!

Matthew 18/Acts

Session 4 Leading Congregational Renewal

Luke 10

2 Corinthians 8-9