Tonight is the second half of teach week. My small group (and I think every small group in the church I attend) has been going through the last events in Jesus’ life culminating in the resurrection. Week one was the Last Supper, week two was the Trial, this week is the crucifixion, next week is the resurrection.
I was a bit bummed that we didn’t have a Palm Sunday sermon. I grew up with the tradition of Easter being a big honking deal. There were seders all over, watching the sun rise over the ocean on Easter morning, and many other things. My dad is really big on Lent, but I never figured out why. Palm Sunday was ‘the buildup’ and I miss it in a way. (The Buildup while I was growing up wasn’t hype or any kind of hyperthermodynamathayes. It was more or less an exultation of the Christ. Various ministers I have known really tried to infuse a sense of the excitement of the Triumphal Entry.)
But I digress…
Covering the Crucifixion is a bit of a big deal to me. The way I used to teach about it involved all kinds of dramatic presentation. It was pretty shamelessly theatric. Folks said that they enjoyed it and that it really moved them. I used to say that everyone I led the Cross study with got baptized. There’s a time and place for dramatic presentation (think Mel’s movie), but I was downright manipulative. I hope a lot of that doesn’t come back.
As far as Sunday, it went well. The big point that I hoped to make was that unbelief is not so much a lack of understanding as much as a lack of trust. That seemed to open folks up to share about various things. As far as the weird handbook, it was pretty conservative on this chapter as well. One thing about the Handbook: it is not broken up into chapters. It takes some effort to find things that pertain only to a given chapter. The Greater than Angels concept from Hebrews 1
seemed to get a lot of ink, but Greater than Moses was just casually mentioned. Oh well.
For those that were not there, I used all four of the previous columns. Neckties, brakes, all kinds of things. I enjoyed it, I think some others did as well.
That’s all for now, I’m off to switch drivers of the car with my wife.
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8 Responses to “Teach Week part Two”
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I tend to get a bit fired up at times. I think it’s a good thing to put yourself in it.
I had never heard of Lent until your dad explained it. Of course, that holds true for many other things as well.
Me, too. Then again, being my Dad, I guess that goes without saying.
Like I’ve said before, my Dad is pretty liberal theologically. He also like to takes certain traditions from various denominations and make them his own. Lent is one example.
He’s also not afraid to try new things. He tried the Mayberry curriculum for a while. Bible lessons were augmented with episodes of the Andy Griffith show. (It didn’t work very well, he said.)
He helps me deal with people in class that share a perspective I do not agree with. Considering the current mix of people I come in contact with, this is good info to know. Most of our congregation is fairly liberal by ICoC standards (isn’t everybody?). Once in a while, though, folks move in that are real ICoC traditionalists.
“Most of our congregation is fairly liberal by ICoC standards (isn’t everybody?)”
i refer you back to that mainline church y’all visited a few Sundays back……the ICOC is way too liberal for some. it’s an interesting dynamic sometimes.
True. By CoC standards, we are way-left whacked-out liberals. By Methodists standards, we are grim, judgmental conservatives.
Go figure.
I’ve heard that the ICoC is a bit different then us CoCs It’s been explained to me but I still don’t get it. I’d need to actually sit in the pew or chair or floor in your sanctuary or home or room or lodge or teepee.
I attend a rather liberal thinking CoC for most CoCs. Hee that’s a funny thing to say being considered the frozen chosen. Liberal! Sorry I cracked myself up. I wasn’t actually raised CoC I was raised in a CoC home but I attended other churches so I have a broad perspective of things. I have always been open to the idea that we may not be the most rightest in the world. My dad was always open to others thoughts and let me know to respect others while still holding on to my core belief.
Hi Milly,
I don’t think you can plot the difference between ICOC and CoC on a line from liberal to conservative. I would say that both have a very “high view” of scripture, making both quite conservative. The differences spring from how to understand the scripture, not in how emphatically we hold to our understandings.
Alan - you could plot it but you might go nuts trying to connect the dots! ICOC - ok w/dancing but only ‘double’s dating’ allowed. CoC - no dancing…but go out all you want by yourselves. But I do understand your point re how we understand scriptures. It’s very confusing sometimes, especially to someone not familiar with both ways. (and even for with someone who is!)
Milly - per Alan’s multiple recommendations I ordered and my husband and I are reading “The Body Broken” by Jack Reese. Just started it but a very good take on why we’re in the mess we’re in both places.
ttk