Unitarian & Free Christian Bible Discussion

On Monday 27th March at 6.30pm our Bible Discussion will be led by Sheena Gabriel, on the feminine figure of Wisdom (‘Hokmah’ in Hebrew, ‘Sophia’ in Greek) hidden in plain sight within the Hebrew bible; in the book of Proverbs (where she’s personified as ‘Lady Wisdom’, and present with G-d at creation), and the apocryphal books of ‘The Wisdom of Solomon’, ‘Sirach / Ecclesiasticus’, and 'Baruch' (all found in the Catholic Bible).  Within the session, we’ll focus on several key texts from Proverbs, and consider this extraordinary passage from the Wisdom of Solomon: The Nature of Wisdom (chapter 7 v.22-30 - NRSV) 22 There is in her a spirit that is intelligent, holy, unique, manifold, subtle, agile, clear, unpolluted, distinct, invulnerable, loving the good, keen,  23 irresistible, beneficent, humane, steadfast, sure, free from anxiety, all-powerful, overseeing all, and penetrating through all spirits that are intelligent, pure, and altogether subtle.  24 For wisdom is more ...

Monday, 20th March, at the Bible Discussion Group Peter Godfrey shall centre on the Book of Proverbs. It is not a very long book so I hope you will have time to read all or a fair portion of it. As you know, very often in our discussions we have to look carefully at the background and date of the texts we are considering. One of the delights about some of the wisdom in Proverbs is that it is timeless.  Nevertheless some important things do not resound today as they did for people in the past. I suggest we look at the beginning at one of these - Proverbs' frequent reference to 'the fear of the Lord'. After my opening thoughts I suggest that the first group session of ten minutes might look at what this meant for the writers of Proverbs and whether it means anything to us today. Then I suggest we might go with a session in which each of us brings something from Proverbs that we find helpful, particularly wise or joyful - something that brings a smile and/or lifts up our heart...

Throughout the Old Testament/Tanakh there are severe warnings to the people of Israel to keep themselves apart from 'the nations': the different religious/cultural/national groups that they lived near to, even among. On Monday, 13th March, from 18.30 to 19.30 we'll look at a few examples of this and then ask these questions: What was driving this message? Did it reflect a valid concern, irrational prejudice, a bit of both, or was it about something else? A similar(ish) message about keeping separate from other religions can be discerned in the New Testament. Is this more of the same, or is there a different context or message going on here? Has there been a shift? What might we learn from these verses as members and attendees of Unitarian & Free Christian Churches today? Is there a positive message for us here as well as a negative one? How might we use these passages as part of Unitarian & Free Christian worship? There are LOADS of verses relevant to this. To get y...

  This week our Bible Discussion at 6.30pm on Monday 5th March will be led by Donald Jacobs on the topic of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse . We will read from the prophetic vision in chapter 6 of Revelation and explore what we can derive from the text for our own time.   Zoom link for the meeting [ https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82378042367 ] https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82378042367?fbclid=IwAR2TUo5655H9chvhlER2wma5soC8d6gMydgE4TG7ly5zWKn8Awv-nTTHb18 Meeting ID: 823 7804 2367 Passcode: 460019 Some believers have used and still use the text to identify the end-times, yet each generation suffers wars, famines, and pestilences or diseases, although in different measures. Recent years have been historic in terms of the pandemic, war in Europe, and even food shortages to some extent. Yet in each case we are aware it could have been worse, and could yet become so much worse.  Does the text, and end time prophecy in general, speak to the uniqueness of the times we are living ...

Come and join us (all welcome whether you are Unitarian, Unitarian Christian, Christian, from another faith, or have no faith) for our Bible Discussion Group at 6.30 p.m. tomorrow, Monday 27 February.  Zoom link for the meeting [ https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82378042367 ] https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82378042367?fbclid=IwAR2TUo5655H9chvhlER2wma5soC8d6gMydgE4TG7ly5zWKn8Awv-nTTHb18 Meeting ID: 823 7804 2367 Passcode: 460019 "Therefore, I tell you, do not be anxious about your life...": from the teaching of Jesus, in 'The Sermon on the Mount', found in Matthew's Gospel (Matt. 6.25-33) Easier said than done, one might think. In fact, bearing in mind the number of people on anti-depressants, the rising cost of living,  not to mention other things like family problems, workplace pressures, and the Inland Revenue, one might be tempted to call it utterly unrealistic advice. OR IS IT? What might Jesus have meant by these words? And quite apart from what he intended his disciples...

 The Temptation in the Wilderness: 20th February - discussion led by Rob Oulton This coming week the traditional 40-day period of Lent begins; 40, of course, being the number used in the Bible to convey the archetypal struggle (days or years) of a period of growth, change and transformation. This can be personal, as in Jesus’s case here, or as a community such as the Israelites in the wilderness after the escape from captivity in Egypt. Much is made traditionally in Lent of fasting, self-denial and self-reflection; but perhaps less of the actual content of the ‘temptations’ described here. Does the personification of the ‘tempter’ as Satan or the Devil, makes it easier for us to skip over this narrative?  But if the ‘temptations’ are re-cast as a picture of Jesus’ internal psycho/spiritual struggles, as he wrestles with the implications of his forthcoming ministry, then do we begin to see how his choices define the path of liberation he wishes his contemporaries (and all who c...

 Our discussion on Monday 13th will be led by Indra Sikdar, looking at Matthew 13:12 (NIV) "Whoever has will be given more, and they will have abundance.  Whoever does not have even what they have will be taken from them." Indra writes: * Sounds cruel ? * Is Jesus saying * only * if you follow his path will you have abundance ? Or * Are there universal laws which if broadly followed we will have abundance ? Login link [ https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82378042367](https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82378042367?fbclid=IwAR2TUo5655H9chvhlER2wma5soC8d6gMydgE4TG7ly5zWKn8Awv-nTTHb18 ) Meeting ID: 823 7804 2367 Passcode: 460019 Photo credit and thanks: "472301" on Pixabay