Author: Eric Sayers

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Base Bible Study – Session 3

Who were the Prophets?

In this session we explore the Old Testament Prophets, a marvelous and diverse group of impassioned preachers who spoke the Word of God to the people of God over the course of many centuries. It’s time very well spent to get to know these books, as they never fail to speak clearly to today’s concerns and call us all to account. It’s amusing to me that YouTube’s AI chose the above image as the “thumbnail” for this video, as to me the image of coach perfectly encapsulates who and what the prophets are. That leads me to the first Bible Lab…

Bible Lab 1 – Amos the Coach

In the video I spend some time unpacking Amos as an exemplar of the Hebrew prophet. As suggested, cozy up in a comfy chair and read the entire book of Amos in one sitting. But before you start reading, think of a coach, teacher, director, or mentor who changed your life in a positive way. As you read Amos, imagine your personal coach saying the words, out loud, with intensity and passion. What hits home? What gets “under your skin”? Always remember that Amos loved his people, and wanted the best for them, and for you. And as you listen for those moments when you read, also remember that it is not Amos speaking to you, but God. And there (perhaps) you thought that God doesn’t speak to you!

Bible Lab 2 – Context of Micah

To start, read the introductory article in your study Bible for the book of Micah. You might also review the timelines in the video to locate Micah’s place in history.

When and where did Micah preach? To whom?

Read Micah 3 (chapter 3). What are some of the problems Micah is preaching against?

What images, symbols, and metaphors do you hear in his prophecy?

According to Micah, what does God want?

Think about our world today. What modern day problems are similar to those Micah preached against? What does Micah say about our modern problems?

Bible Lab 3 – Modern Prophets

Prophecy did not end with the Old Testament. Who are some modern prophets?

Are there particular people who have been prophets for you?

What role do you think prophecy plays in the church today?

Next up: Session 4 – What are the Psalms?

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Base Bible Study – Session 2

The reason the content of this session is particularly important, in my view, is that the first step when reading any Old Testament passage is to place it in the context of this history covered in the video. Every book in the Old Testament speaks to some part of this history, and so by understanding the overall story, we have a much better chance at understanding any Old Testament passage we might read. Let’s see how this works.

Bible Lab: I Samuel 16:1-13

There’s only one Bible Lab this time, and we’ll dig a bit more deeply. After reading the passage, try to identify what important moment in Old Testament history the passage describes. A study Bible will come in handy here, and you may also find the timelines in the video to be helpful.

Let’s see how we did. First, we need to know what kind of book I Samuel is. It’s an historical book, part of the Deuteronomistic history contributed by the D source. That history begins with the book of Deuteronomy and stretches through II Kings. The story in I Samuel 16 describes the moment when God reveals to the prophet Samuel that David is to be the next king after Saul. If we remember that the writers of D viewed David as the greatest king of Israel, and that they were writing after the Exile to explain why it happened, perhaps we should expect them to show why they thought David was such a good king. Let’s explore this a bit.

At the beginning of the story, what kind of person did Samuel expect God to choose as king?

What did God say to Samuel about how God would choose a king?

What do you think it means that “the LORD looks on the heart”?

Now that we’ve thought about the passage in its own context, how might we understand what it says to our modern world? One helpful approach is to place yourself in the story and ask similar questions.

What kind of leaders do you (or our society) expect God to choose?

What does God say to you through this passage about how God chooses leaders?

How do we tend to evaluate other people for leadership roles?

Does this passage call you to change the way you evaluate other people?

Next up: Session 3 – Who were the Prophets?

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Base Bible Study – Session 1

What is the Bible?

In this first session, the topic seems simple enough: What is the Bible? But I think you’ll discover that this is a question you’ll continue to ask yourself the more you journey with Scripture. So let’s get started!

After watching the video, if you’d like to explore a bit further, I’ve added some “Bible Labs” below that you may find helpful. To get the most out of these, I’d recommend picking up a study Bible. There are many good ones, but here are some popular options that are tried and true:

Bible Lab 1 – Meditation on Oral Tradition

Think about stories that you tell or that others have told you that are meaningful and memorable. Perhaps they’re stories your family tells at gatherings, or you tell your children or your friends. Maybe a well-loved mentor told them to you. Maybe you bring them out at parties or when getting to know a new friend. What makes these stories memorable? What do the stories communicate? Why do you (or the storyteller) tell the story? What emotional reactions does the story generate? Why is it important?

Bible Lab 2 – Contrasting Old Testament Sources

Compare and contrast the two creation stories in the beginning of Genesis: the P (priestly) story in Genesis 1:1-2:3 and the J/E (old epic) story in Genesis 2:4-3:24. To get started, think about how the priestly story is structured like an act of worship (call and response), while the J/E story reads as a classic narrative. Here are some other prompts to consider:

  • Where is the story set (what location)?
  • Who are the named characters in each story?
  • What is the main focus of each story?
  • When were humans created in each story relative to other parts of creation?
  • When were men and women created in each story?
  • And finally… what we would lose if we only had one of these creation stories?

Bible Lab 3 – Comparing English Versions

Read the following three versions of Psalm 23 and ask yourself how you respond to each one. What do you gain from reading all three of them together?

Next up: Session 2 – What is the Old Testament Story?

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Base Bible Study – Introduction

Many years ago, just after the birth of our first child, my wife and I moved to Howard County, Maryland and began attending Glen Mar Church, a Methodist church that was large enough that we both thought we could simply blend in to the background and remain anonymous. This project was an utter failure, as my wife soon embarked on a path that would result in her being ordained as an Elder in the United Methodist Church, and I began a joyous journey through many small group Bible studies, learning both how to facilitate such groups and being continually amazed at the power of Scripture to change lives. It was in this context that I first encountered “Bible 101”, a short class created by Andy Lunt, the long-time pastor of Glen Mar and a great man in the faith. Andy explained that far too often, when he mentioned a particular Biblical story or character, he was met with far too many blank stares from the congregation. Andy recognized this for what it was: the face of Biblical illiteracy. In response, he created Bible 101 to fill in gaps often left open by typical Bible studies that focus on passages of Scripture but that do not address the larger picture of the Bible as a whole: What is the Bible, actually? What do we really know about it? Where did it come from and who wrote it? Why is it often so hard to understand? Why does it sometimes seem to contradict itself? Are we expected to believe everything in it, especially in light of what we now know about our world and the universe?

Andy structured Bible 101 as six 90-minute lectures (three on the Old Testament, three on the New) featuring him simply standing behind a podium. That was it. Now, Andy is the rare individual who can pull this off, as he has the intellect, the presence, and most especially the voice that can keep people’s rapt attention as long as he wants. So when, as he neared retirement, he asked me to take the class and keep it going (gulp!), I knew I had to reformat it to push myself much more to the background. So it became a set of PowerPoint decks that underwent a number of revisions and restructuring over the years of presenting and discussing it. At one point its name became “Base Bible Study” to cast its material as a foundation for understanding Scripture and preparation for subsequent Bible studies. In its current incarnation, it is 10 videos, each about 20-30 minutes long. You’ll find much more information in the short introductory video, and I hope that you find this content a helpful companion on your own personal walk with Scripture!

Next up: Session 1 – What is the Bible?

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O Thou, Who Came To Us

I’m excited to share a recording of my most recent anthem, “O Thou, Who Came To Us”, presented so beautifully by the choir at Glen Mar UMC! It was quite a Sunday: Pentecost, Confirmation, Commitment Sunday, and our last Sunday at Glen Mar before Mandy starts a new appointment. It’s been such a great (second!) run at Glen Mar, and we’re both so thankful for this community, its many gifts, and all the support they’ve given both of us beginning way back in 2002.

This anthem is a revision of A Hidden Gem, and it’s been a great learning process working through these changes with help from Robert Sterling. The text based on Charles Wesley’s hymn “O Thou, Who Camest From Above” and the main tune is loosely based on Hereford. Here’s the text:

O Thou who came to us from above
The pure celestial fire to impart,
O kindle a flame of sacred love
upon the mean altar within my heart.

There let it for thy glory burn
With ever bright, undying blaze,
And to its source trembling return
In humble prayer and fervent praise.

O Jesus, confirm my heart's desire
To work and speak and think for thee;
Still let me guard the holy fire
And still stir up thy gift in me.

Stir up in me!
Rise up in me!
Burning in me!

I'm ready for all thy perfect will,
My acts of faith and love repeat,
Till death thy endless mercies seal,
And make my sacrifice complete.
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Easter, April 20 – Psalm 150

The text: Psalm 150 – NRSV

The day has arrived! This is no “little Easter” in Lent. This is the “Big Easter”, the Great Day, the turning of the calendar and the reshaping of the world. On this day we celebrate the exclamation point of the psalter, the very last psalm. This short, bombastic, almost out of control song calls us to throw off regular order and shout our praise in a most unruly fashion. This is a “turn every light in the house on” psalm and a “gather every instrument and every person (regardless of musical talent) you can find” and create a joyful noise! And a loud noise at that! I am reminded of a celebration of that other great Christian festival, Christmas, as described in Whoville in the famous Dr. Seuss cartoon:

They’ll blow their floofloovers! They’ll bang their tartookas!
They’ll blow their whohoopers! They’ll bang their gardookas!
They’ll spin their trumtookas! They’ll slam their slooslunkas!
They’ll beat their blumbloopas! They’ll wham their whowonkas!

Not long from now I will be directing several musical groups in worship in an attempt make a very orderly joyful noise produced by people and instruments coming in at exactly the right times and singing exactly the right notes in a very harmonious fashion. Not so with this psalm!

Praise him with clanging cymbals; praise him with loud, clashing cymbals!

Harmony is not the idea here. Rather, it is barely controlled exuberance, loud and clashing, not necessarily in tune, not necessarily in time, and most certainly disruptive in our nice, normal, well-planned worship services. It is as if the energy and power of this event is so potent and explosive that there is no containing it, no stopping it,  and no possibility of taming or even properly explaining it. It is powerful enough not only to blow the stone away from the grave, tear the Temple curtain into shreds, and shake the world and our lives to their foundations. This is no “little Easter”. This is, quite simply, God being God. I pray that on this day you may allow the full-throated joy of God being God blow through you Spirit and break asunder the hardened molds of your life and show you a new path. This is our Creator God making all things new. Hallelujah!

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April 19 – Psalm 116

The text: Psalm 116 – NRSV

On this Holy Saturday, the penultimate step on our journey, we come to a truly beautiful song of thanksgiving. Psalm 116, on its surface, is a prayer of thanksgiving to God for deliverance from a close encounter with death. Whether from illness, injury, or an attack we do not know, and need not know since the prayer can easily apply to any of these and many other less dire but stressful situations. But on this day, and as a Christian, I cannot read this without imagining the Christ speaking the words, as one person of the Trinity giving thanks to another. Read it today, and watch the darkness of Good Friday begin to fade before the dawn of tomorrow. Read it tomorrow and bask in the thanksgiving for the restoration—no, the creation of new life. On the second day of this journey we lifted up Psalm 30, another song of thanksgiving that points to the importance of approaching any situation with gratitude first, which then changes the hue of whatever the situation was before. I pray that you can now look back over this Lenten journey, wherever it has taken you, and be thankful. With that in mind, you have an marvelous excuse to read Psalm 116 once more.

Curious about this series of posts? Read the initial post.

Want to catch up on any you missed? See them all by clicking on ‘Lenten Psalms” below.

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April 18 – Psalm 141

The text: Psalm 141 – NRSV

We are nearing the end of this journey. On this day, the darkest day of the Christian year, we lift up a personal lament. Rather, I should confess that the Spirit is lifting it up, as reading it now it’s amazing how appropriate this song is for this day in ways I did know until now. For this is an evening prayer, often used in modern worship at a day’s end. The prayer here is intensely personal and self-aware: the enemy here is not armies nor even the wicked themselves, but rather the danger of the psalmist succumbing to the temptations of the wicked and their many delicacies. The psalmist goes so far as to plead for correction from righteous mentors, fully aware of how potent the temptations are. Finally, the psalmist confesses faith in God, who alone is the true guide to the true path. No wonder this psalm is often called a song of sanctification, the life-long journey and struggle to maintain true to our faith and our baptisms amidst a world full of moral headwinds. Perhaps this psalm shows us a way to personalize Good Friday. None of us will ever walk the walk Jesus did on this day; none of us will ever suffer the fate Jesus suffered on this day. But what, then, is our cross? We are called to this journey of sanctification, beset by a myriad of moral snares and temptations. But we do not journey alone. Our righteous mentors are our church and anyone else who has helped us stay on the path. Remember them this day. We journey with God, who is alongside us every step of the way. Remember God’s presence this day, and when you can be in a place, a mindset, where you sense this fully, read this psalm. Make it your own.

Curious about this series of posts? Read the initial post.

Want to catch up on any you missed? See them all by clicking on ‘Lenten Psalms” below.

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April 17 – Psalm 108

The text: Psalm 108 – NRSV

Psalm 108 is a remarkable thing: the first half is a copy of portions of Psalm 57, and the second half is a copy of portions of Psalm 60. So on the surface we have here a case of the Hebrew community repurposing older content in new ways, likely in a new context. That, in and of itself, is an important insight into the dynamic and living nature of Scripture, and encourages us to use them in our own mediations as the Spirit guides. Moreover, this recombination of earlier material indicates intentionality, and prompts us to ask why the psalmist editor knitted 57 and 60 together in this way. Reading the result, one might surmise from its beginning that this is a song of praise and celebration, but in fact the psalmist is in deep distress. The first hint is in v.6, the last verse included from Psalm 57. The core of the pain comes toward the end: but you have rejected us, God, haven’t you? You, God, no longer accompany our armies. The sense of abandonment is clear. As in other examples we have discussed, if it is hard to relate to the image of an army, try substituting your own community, family, or even your individual life. For the psalmist, and perhaps for us in our darker times, God seems nowhere to be found. Nevertheless, the psalm begins with an anthem of praise! Seen in the overall context, as knitted together, this praise comes not as a response to the psalmist’s current bleak situation, but rather is a proclamation of faith in God and God’s salvation, despite all evidence to the contrary. By now, if you have journeyed this far, you will recognize this common pattern in so many laments in the psalter. This is why they always contain verses of praise: the psalmist sings a song of praise from the darkness into the face of the darkness, knowing full well that the darkness has no chance against the might of God. Could there possibly be better news? Hallelujah!

Curious about this series of posts? Read the initial post.

Want to catch up on any you missed? See them all by clicking on ‘Lenten Psalms” below.

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April 16 – Psalm 104

The text: Psalm 104 – NRSV

If you are a nature lover, then there are few psalms that can compete with Psalm 104. It is an extended poem about the totality of Creation framed as a song of praise to the Creator. While there are echoes of Genesis 1 here, the level of detail is much greater. Clearly the psalmist was a keen observer of the natural world, and one cannot help but come away from reading this psalm with an appreciation of the complexity and interconnectivity of all life. It’s fascinating, and even a bit amusing, to see humans treated just like the other animals (v. 23, 26). There go the ships and Leviathan that you formed to sport in it. Leviathan was the great sea monster of the deep, the sum of all fears of every ancient sailor and the symbol of the chaos of the limitless ocean. What juxtaposition! What is clearly missing here is any exalting of humanity over the rest of creation like we find Genesis or Psalm 8. We are simply another small part of the vastness of God’s created order. This leads to the core of the psalm, v. 27-30, a beautiful statement of how all life comes from God and continually depends on God. In this way, Psalm 104 is closer to John 1, where the Christ is the agent of creation: All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overtake it. There is a word here for us as we journey through Holy Week. Perhaps we should remember with the psalmist that fundamentally our God is a Creator, and is still at work. After all, what is Easter if not a profound act of creation? As our Creator God says through Isaiah: Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?

Curious about this series of posts? Read the initial post.

Want to catch up on any you missed? See them all by clicking on ‘Lenten Psalms” below.