Bible Studies

READ & LISTEN TO THE "BIBLE VERSE OF THE DAY"

Through the courtesy of BibleGateway.com we are showing a daily changing Verse of the Day.

If you click on the small speaker icon you can also listen to the actual reading of that chapter.

SPIRITUALITY, LITURGY AND BIBLE STUDY

The world of spirituality in our day is one that has reached a new high with people making every attempt to see what sense they can make out of Prayer, the Bible, and Communion. Our book shops are full of volumes on everything from angels to the "Last Things", from saints to Christian mystics.

In this section we will ask people to engage with Bible study leaders, as well as those who can help us understand more fully the gift of prayer and the joy of liturgical worship.

One challenge for us as Christians is that we view the Bible in differing ways at times, but all Christians hold its unique importance in the life of the church and amongst all believers.

BIBLE STUDY ON LINE FROM THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH

A WEBSITE ON THE BIBLE: A LOOK AT THE BOOK 

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

This is Our Faith – A Popular Presentation of Church Teaching.

It has always been a major difficulty finding good and useful material which can be used to help people understand the faith; often not just those who are new to the church but also those who are long-time members in need of refreshing!

One of the best that has come out in recent years is ‘This is our Faith’, produced in by the Redemptorist Press. Originally, this was provided for the Roman Catholic Church, but there is now an Anglican Edition.

These are not books which overwhelm with deep theology or ecclesiology; instead they are a bright and informative way of learning about the faith. There are chapters on the Bible, the Church, the Sacraments as well as on how to live the faith. The book is edited by the Dean of St Albans, Jeffrey Johns.

We would like to encourage everyone in our diocese to have one of these; the more we understand our faith the better we can live it and the better we can share it. One hope is that groups within parishes could use the chapters as the basis for discussion groups, as well as being used by those enquiring about the faith.

A UNIQUE METHOD OF BIBLE STUDY: 

Click:THE SWEDISH METHOD  for an article from Australia

Excerpts:

As far as I can tell, the name ‘Swedish Method’ was first attributed to this simple Bible reading approach by Ada Lum, an IFES staff worker and Bible reading enthusiast of many decades. She named it in honour of the Swedish student group where she first saw it used.

Starting a Bible reading group using this method requires a minimum of resources and preparation, and can be highly rewarding as it leads readers to confront the Scriptures directly.

Begin by praying, asking God to speak through his word. Then read a short Bible passage aloud (10-15 verses is ideal). Instruct each person to go back over the passage on their own while being on the lookout for three things:

	A light bulb: This should be something that ‘shines’ from the passage—whatever impacts most, or draws attention.
	A question mark: Anything that is difficult to understand in the text, or a question the reader would like to ask the writer of the passage or the Lord.
	An arrow: A personal application for the reader's life.

They should write down at least one thing next to each item. Allow people time to savour the text and explore it at their own speed. This usually takes about 10 minutes in silence.

Afterwards, get each reader to share one of their ‘light bulbs’ with the group. Spend some time discussing these, if your group is keen; it's always interesting to discover what has impacted different members.

Also visit: http://www.biblesociety.org.uk/