Rev. Jean's Bible Study

John 4:1-39   Women Talking John puts a lot into these long discourses that Jesus had with people whom he unexpectedly encountered.  His encounters with women, with Samaritans, with Gentiles prepared the way for the early church to become more than a Jewish sect.  The Jews who were following Jesus probably didn’t expect that his teaching would lead them, after the resurrection, to expand their group to include their estranged cousins (the Samaritans) and their traditional enemies (the Gentiles).   In choosing to speak with the Samaritan woman, Jesus broke so many barriers: male and female; Jew and Samaritan; respected rabbi and ostracized woman.   Photo by Mimi Thian (unsplash) The conversation about worship can provide for us some clues to help us break down barriers we have created.    Neither the woman nor Jesus tried to diminish the historic differences that divided their two communities.    Sometimes we like to engage with people who a...

Goodness in the Dark  John 3:1-21 I know from some people whose skin is dark that they are uncomfortable with the images of light and dark in the Bible because the dark is usually evil and the light good.  The image reinforces racists attitudes towards dark skinned people.  Yet here, at least at the beginning of this story, dark is not scary but safe.  The night provides an opportunity for conversation and for thought without the distractions of the glaring light and blaring noise of day.  Nicodemus came with questions and a willingness to listen.  Jesus did most of the talking.  The conversation is rather rambling.  It doesn’t easily make sense.  It invites us to ponder.  I wonder what Nicodemus got out of Jesus’ words.  It was enough to make him show up again in the story.  Once in chapter 7 when he defended Jesus against his fellow Pharisees and again in chapter 19 when he provided the myrrh and other spices for Jesus’ bur...

John 2:1-12 Rabbit or Duck? I have always liked this story that reminds us that even Jesus had to deal with his mother.   Even Jesus had to learn from, be pushed by his mother.   His first reaction to the news that the wine was running low was, “What concern is that to you and me?”   “Not my problem.”   It may not have been Jesus’ problem, but Jesus’ mother knew that he could fix it.   What look did she give to Jesus as she said to others, “Do whatever he tells you.”?   It struck me that Jesus’ solution to the problem might be helpful for us as we face our climate change crisis.   Jesus told them to use fill the jars used for purification rights with water.   He didn’t just turn water into wine, he turned bath water into wine, or ritual water into wine.   He took an ordinary, or a holy, resource and put it to a completely different use.   Surely this is a time that requires such creativity.   What ordinary things can we “repur...