Last night we had our fifth session on the New Testament focused on the book of Acts. We talked about Acts being the “bridge” between the Gospels and the letters of the Apostles which we will be reading in the coming months. Here’s the notes and other info. from last night.
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Last night, via video, we talked about our latest Gospel reading, The Gospel of John. I missed being with you, but I’m trusting that the investment of my time here in Kansas City at the Leadership Institute at The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection will bear fruit for our future journey together. Here’s the notes and other info. from last night.
To listen to the audio from last night or any previous week online, please click here.
To subscribe to the Transformation Journey podcast, click here.
This evening I will be joining you via video for our Transformation Journey session on John. I’m currently in Kansas City for a gathering of the Young Pastors Network and I will be attending the Leadership Institute at The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection. I’m sorry to miss tonight. There are few books as “rich” as the Gospel of John. I hope tonight’s video will enhance the readings you have already done.
I will see you next week!
Last night we reviewed the Gospel of Luke during Transformation Journey. We reviewed the key themes of this Gospel writer and talked about some of the unique aspects of Luke’s Gospel before working through two key passages from Luke’s Gospel. More info. about last night’s session is below.
To listen to the audio from last night or any previous week online, please click here.
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We’re now officially trucking along through the Gospels after reviewing Mark last night, the second of four gospels we find in the New Testament. We’ve also settled into our new time slots, 5:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. It’s been great to see a good crowd at both of those times. Remember, if you have questions or comments from last week’s reading or what we are currently looking at in the Gospel of Luke, feel free to shoot me an email.
Here’s the handout from last night. A link to the audio is also below.
To listen to the audio from last night or any previous week online, please click here.
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I promised this post last Wednesday night during our Transformation Journey session on the book of Matthew. I’ll be summarizing the information I shared regarding different social groups and other developments that are helpful for understanding the New Testament.
The Synagogue
The synagogue is a component of Jewish life that develops after the Israelites are exiled from the Holy Land following the Assyrian takeover of Israel in 722 BC and the Babylonian takeover in 586 BC. Separate from the Temple in Jerusalem the focus of Jewish religious practice shifts from the sacrificial system to the study of the law and an emphasis on personal piety. This is also known as the rise of “Rabbinical Judaism.” The “Rabbi” as the “teacher of the law” becomes the dominate religious leader in the community.
Saducees
The Saducees were the aristocrats who controlled the Temple and the High Priesthood at the time of Jesus. As the representatives of the Romans among the Jews, this group had a vested interested in maintaining the status quo. The Saducees rejected all religious writings outside of the Torah and rejected any and all doctrines not found within the Torah including the “Resurrection of the dead.” The direct threat to the Saducees, outside of the threat they saw in Jesus, would have been the Pharisees and particularly, the Rabbi’s whose authority with the people caused tension with the priesthood.
Pharisees
The Pharisees were the party of the synagogue, and were filled with the Rabbi’s who instructed the people. Their main emphasis as ethical [following the law] rather than theological. They believed in the Resurrection of the dead and the idea of reward and retribution after death. The power of the Pharisees derived from their power with the people. It was not only their proximity to the common person, but also the disciplines they supported which gave a sense of control in a chaotic time which made this group a popular segment of Jewish life.
Essenes
The Essenese were a small, separatist group who stressed strict legal observance of the Torah, but considered the priesthood and the Temple system entirely corrupt. They stressed a strong devotion to personal purity and believed their small communities to be a place to prepare for the “final day of the Lord.” They stressed communal ownership of property, daily worship and study and participation in the sacrifices, though not at the Temple.
Zealots
The Zealots were those who opposed any payments of taxes to the Roman Caesar viewing them as an affront to their singular devotion to God. The Zealots endorsed the use of violence to achieve their desired end; the removal of the Romans from the Holy Land. The Zealots also opposed the use of Greek in the Holy land considering it an “unholy” language unfit for the Jewish people.
Last night, we finally entered “familiar territory” in our year long journey through the Bible. We started the New Testament looking at the first Gospel written by Matthew. We also moved to our new times for Transformation Journey, 5:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday nights. In a few weeks, we will be also be moving into our new Chapel for this mid-week class which I’m really excited about. The chapel project is coming along great and it’s going to be a beautiful space for worship and learning.
Here’s the handout from last night. A link to the audio is also below.
To listen to the audio from last night or any previous week online, please click here.
To subscribe to the Transformation Journey podcast, click here.
Last night’s session of the Transformation Journey focused on our readings from the book of Zephaniah and Haggai, and was our fifth of six weeks in the minor prophets. Only one more week to go before we move on from the Old Testament and begin our four week journey through the Gospels.
Near the end of the session last night, I referenced Abraham Joshua Heschel’s book, “The Sabbath.” It really is a great read that I would highly recommend. It’s a very short book that could be digested in a few hours, but I would recommend you savor it for a while. Here’s a few quotes which speak to our discussion on claiming, “sacred space & time.”
Spiritual life begins to decay when we fail to sense the grandeur of what is eternal in time.
Judaism teaches us to be attached to holiness in time, to attached to sacred events, to learn how to consecrate sanctuaries that emerge from the magnificent stream of year. The Sabbaths are our great cathedrals; and our Holy of Holies is a shrine that neither the Romans nor the Germans were able to burn.
Here’s the other info from last night.
To listen to the audio from last night or any previous week online, please click here.
To subscribe to the Transformation Journey podcast, click here.
