​Welcome! Just before Thanksgiving, the class on Wisdom Literature ended. I had asked the class members to do a survey following the three one hour class sessions. Here are the results:
 

1. What's  your favorite book?
   1. Ruth-7
   2. Ecclesiastes-4
   3. Psalms-2
   4. Proverbs-1
   5. Esther-1
2. Which Illustration was your favorite?
   1. Jonah Children's Story-6
   2. Song of Solomon sermon
   3. When Ruth stayed with Naomi
   4. Strength of the women for these books
3. What was the most important thing you got from the course?
   1. Scholarly information
   2. Increased knowledge of scripture and how it can apply to modern day living
   3. New appreciation for wisdom literature
   4. How the books relate to modern times
   5. Each of the wisdom books has a lesson for us today
   6. The handout
   7. Knowledge by the instructor in depths of books and various interpretations
4. Length of class sessions and spacing
   1. Just right-13
   2. Too short-4
      1. Needed more sessions
      2. One more week or 1/2 hour longer in each of the 3 sessions

 
One person said the instructor did not ask very clear questions to promote discussion, and that was very helpful. I found myself agreeing with that evaluation, and I'm going to work at that.
My thanks to the class for their interest and participation. This made it a real pleasure to be part of a learning process, and I learned a lot more than I knew before.

Monday, November 19, 2018
7:36 PM
Welcome! How does The Song of Solomon make sense to the preacher? He digs into the rest of scripture, and to the basic description of God-a God of steadfast love. That, he says is what makes this love poetry make sense, and this is from the female poet reflecting on God. (Remember that Wisdom personified is female.)
 
It's the overriding summary that keeps the various strains of the Old Testament working together. What's that?
"Love the Lord God with all your heart, soul, and mind, and your neighbor as yourself."
 
One cannot read Wisdom Literature without understanding that it is the Creator God found at the beginning of the Book of Genesis that underlies the whole thing even if God is not explicitly named  in every other verse. God looks at all God has made and proclaims it good. Humans are made in the very image of God. This is not an ambivalent and detached God, but a God who loves to a degree that goes beyond rational sense to mystery.
 
Next week I'll try to share some of the insights from the class at NIACC as we conclude. They have been a great group!

​Welcome! The class on Wisdom literature started on Wednesday of this week, and continues  for two weeks. Some of the members of the course may attend, and we are glad to have them participating .
 
I am sharing some views of how to understand Jonah.
 

1. A satire in which Jonah finally says the right things, but his actions belie his words
2. OR an extended Parable.
3. The people of Israel should remain separate, and satire drives that view of things.
4. An indightment of the failure of the prophets.
5. The justice of God. Why isn't God just and so destroy Ninevah?
6.  A  God of justice and mercy. The chesid of God- a God of grace.

 
What's your favorite?
 
How do we become a part of the Book of Jonah?  In what way are WE Jonah?
There's no ending to the Book. Do we furnish an ending?