Unitarian & Free Christian Bible Discussion

 MIRACLES? Monday 28th November 2022 Bible discussion led by Bill Darlison. Topic: Unitarians and religious liberals generally don't pay too much attention to the miracles recorded in the Gospels. We tend to concentrate instead on the teaching of Jesus. But there are at least 37 miracle stories in the Gospels, 22 in Mark's relatively short narrative, so they can't really be ignored. How would you define a miracle? Are miracles possible? Have you ever witnessed or experienced a miracle? Did Jesus really perform miracles? Do miracles happen today? We'll be looking at some - or all - of the above questions and considering two miracle stories from the Gospels; Mark 6: 45-53 Mark 7: 24-37 Zoom link:  https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82378042367...?fbclid=IwAR0moCDlue6J9iylxw8Ggy4RvKxp52jykUU3rSATCSUCx4iuGxrtevZzHTo Meeting ID:823 7804 2367  Passcode: 460019

 Monday 21 November 2022 – 6.30 p.m. Bible Discussion led by Alex Bradley on the theme – Should Christians ‘keep Sunday special’? And what was Jesus’s teaching about how to observe the Sabbath? We will look at two passages – Mark 2.23-28 (there are parallel texts in Matthew 12.1-8, and Luke 6.1-5, but we will concentrate on Mark’s account) and the story of the healing of the woman with a spirit of infirmity in Luke 13.10-17 (Luke is the only Gospel writer to tell this story). Zoom link:  https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82378042367...?fbclid=IwAR0moCDlue6J9iylxw8Ggy4RvKxp52jykUU3rSATCSUCx4iuGxrtevZzHTo Meeting ID:823 7804 2367 Passcode: 460019

 Our Bible Discussion on Monday 7th November at 6.30pm will be led by Indra Sikdar. All Welcome:  ‘Going the extra mile’ Readings from Matthew chapter 5, and reflections from the Napoleon Hill Foundation   Matt 5: 38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ 39 But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. 40 And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. 41 If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. 42 Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.” Napoleon Hill Foundation: “The end of the rainbow is reached only at the end of the second mile. Christ’s admonition to the faithful in Matthew 5:41: “And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain,” was in response to the Roman custom of allowing officers to force others to carry their load for a mile. The purpose of the bi

 Our Bible Discussion on Monday 7th November at 6.30pm will be led by Sheena Gabriel. All Welcome:  ‘Jonah and the Big Fish’  The book of Jonah tells one of the most well-loved and humorous stories in the Bible; how the reluctant prophet refuses his calling to preach repentance to the people of Ninevah. Heading in the opposite direction, Jonah brings down a storm. Only after he’s spent 3 days in the belly of a big fish (a 'whale' is never mentioned!) does he agree to do as God has asked. But still, this petulant prophet gripes and complains about the mercy God shows to Ninevah. We’ll read the whole book together (it’s short) and consider when we might have been a ‘Jonah’ - refusing or trying to evade our vocation or calling. We’ll also explore the metaphor of Jonah’s 3 days in the belly of the fish (mentioned by the Gospel writers as a sign of Christ’s death and resurrection) and consider the Universalism of the story; how God’s mercy and forgiveness don’t obey the limits human