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Clifford M. Yeary
There is one event in Scripture that has an unrivaled power to symbolically enter the rest of Scripture as its story of salvation unfolds. This is the power and sweep of the Exodus. Its themes wash over the face of the deep in Genesis and erupt in apocalyptic fury in Revelation.
Every spring, as Jews celebrate Passover and Christians the Resurrection, we both celebrate God's mighty deeds, deeds that have transformed our core identity into worshipers of the God of Israel.
What God did for Israel in protecting them from the angel of death and subsequently freeing them from slavery in Egypt is, for Christians, the pattern for God's redemption of all humanity. In the "Exodus" of God's Son, Jesus passed from death on the Cross to the eternal life of the resurrection.
Luke focuses our attention on the connection between the Exodus and Jesus' passion and resurrection in his depiction of the Transfiguration, when Moses and Elijah speak to the transfigured Jesus of his approaching "exodus that he was going to accomplish in Jerusalem" (Luke 9:31).
John makes the connection in even clearer terms when he reveals that Jesus was condemned to death at the very moment the Passover lambs were being slaughtered in the Temple (John 19:14). Every reference to Jesus as the Lamb of God is a proclamation that he is our Passover and has led us in a new Exodus—one that frees us from sin and death and leads us into everlasting life.
Old Testament scholars assure us that the Exodus account was written down first, and only later was the first creation account of Genesis 1:1–2:4 put into writing. The deliverance of the children of Israel from the might of Pharaoh on the dry land between the separated sea waters is the story of Israel's creation. The theme of parting waters opening to dry land then became the obvious symbols of God's creation of the world itself in the inspired first verses of Genesis (1:1-10).
The Psalms frequently recall the Exodus, sometimes out of sheer joy for God's continuing favor and others out of desperate hope that God will once again deliver Israel from its foes (see Pss 77; 78; 105; 106).
In several passages of Isaiah reminiscences of the Exodus account assure the exiles in Babylon that their return to Jerusalem will itself be a new Exodus. God's foundational blessings and favors are being renewed for all who have the courage to return to the land of promise (see Isa 42:16; 43:16-19; 48:20-21; 50:1-2).
In the gospels, the prophetic figure of John calling the children of Israel to a baptism of repentance in the Jordan is seen by many scholars as a renewal of the birth of Israel. At the completion of their forty year Exodus journey through the wilderness, the children of Israel pass through the parted waters of the Jordan in the same manner as they passed through the sea waters in fleeing Egypt (see Josh 3:14-17; Matt 3:5-6; Mark 1:4-5; Luke 3:2-3; John 1:26-28).
For Catholics and many other Christians, the Exodus is never made a more important part of our own worship than in our celebration of Eucharist. Matthew, Mark, and Luke make certain that we read their accounts of the Last Supper as being an intimate Jewish celebration of the Passover meal (see Matt 26:18; Mark 14:1-16; Luke 22:8-11).
In the Book of Revelation all opposition to God is defeated by the power of Christ's death and resurrection. This defeat is symbolically portrayed through a series of divine acts that draw deeply from the ten plagues of Egypt (Exodus 7:1–12:30).
From the first book of the Bible to the last, the power and importance of the Exodus as the foundational story of salvation is encountered over and over again. As Christians, we should rejoice that our Jewish neighbors and friends recall the Exodus in their Passover celebrations and pray for their continued freedom to worship the God of Abraham without fear of any kind.
For some reason this story has been a haunting force in my spiritual life. Over the years it had pursued me, lingering longer than I sometimes wished. It is a gospel that won't go away. Because of its persistence in my life I have spent many prayer periods pondering what mysterious truth it wants to reveal to me. I firmly believe that when a Scripture passage follows you through life there is a lesson waiting to be learned.
What does it mean to leave all and follow Christ? In praying with this gospel I have sometimes focused too exclusively on detachment. I thought God was calling me to renunciation, so I have spent a number of spiritual seasons trying to rid myself of things. At times this compulsion to free myself of clutter became in itself, a kind of idol. I found myself asking, Is this really drawing me closer to God? Am I becoming a kinder and more compassionate person?
Not long ago, during my morning meditation, a new meaning for this gospel began to take shape. It occurred to me that Jesus might be asking me, not to surrender all, but instead to hold all things lightly. My possessions! My cherished beliefs, opinions and ideas! My friends! My customary way of doing things!
Perhaps I was being asked to loosen my grip a little. Holding things lightly does not demand a total surrender. I began to hear an invitation, deep inside me, to treasure all things given to me and let them become my pathways to God.
Every gift I possess can be an icon: an image of God, leading me to hallowed places. Madeleine L'Engle uses the phrase "a window to God" to describe an icon. I like that image very much. All that I have and possess can be a window to God. However, to truly see these "icons" and allow them to bless me I must hold them lightly. When I tighten my grip or cling to any gift in an exclusive kind of way it becomes an idol instead of an icon.
I have spent a good deal of my life juggling icons and idols. That which I hold lightly is an icon, a pathway to God. That which I hold tightly, fearful lest someone snatch it away, becomes an idol.
Points for your reflection:
Betty Shaeffer
Bible Study? Could this possibly work at our little city parish of 300 households? Rosalie Martinez was enthusiastic and focused on a plan for our parish, Holy Name Catholic Church in Sheridan, Colorado. She had taken part in several LRSS courses at a neighboring parish and she wanted to try it at ours with some adaptations.
We decided to divide each lesson into two sessions. This way we would have a total of three hours in class for each lesson. We could move more slowly and answer the questions more completely than in a regular format. We began in the fall with the short three-lesson study of The Infancy Narratives of Jesus. That first Thursday morning in 2005, we had a nervous group of nine women and one man. Many voiced the concern that they would not be able to keep up with the group and that they did not know anything about the Bible. It was just beautiful to see the growing love for Scripture that blossomed in the group. Many of the participants bought index tabs for their Bibles so that they could find references more easily. We all learned together and developed a close community that has continued to grow to over twenty-five participants this last fall.
Hearts are changed by God’s Word. One group member, Julie, told us that she kept hearing about God’s loving judgment and forgiveness. Her heart was drawn to her estranged sister. She finally just picked up her phone and called her. She told her that she was sorry for twenty years of foolish anger. They spoke for twenty minutes or so and have called each other once a week since then. Julie said that the burden and sorrow of this family rift is lifting from her shoulders. “The past is forgotten. We can talk and laugh and share just like sisters always.”
Several years ago, Pastoral Associate Sr. Priscilla Lemire, RJM, gathered a number of parishioners at Transfiguration Parish in Manchester, New Hampshire to begin the Leadership Training considered vital for success in doing Little Rock Scripture Study. Through the training, participants learned and experienced all the elements of LRSS and a number of them felt encouraged to become facilitators of the small groups that would be formed in their parish.
After participating in a few of the studies, several members of the group decided to share their good experience of Bible study in a parish newsletter, parts of which are included here.
“[W]hen I heard about the Little Rock Scripture Study program, I decided to try it out… .I found three things were happening [for me]. First, the faith I found in my discussion group helped to shore up my own. Second, as I learned about the history and culture… words long familiar to me took on deeper meanings and troubling passages became easier to comprehend. But most importantly, devoting that little extra time to prayer and study… allowed me to feel the presence of God again, more strongly than ever.” (Barbara Puder)
“During the Lenten season my tradition has always been to “give up” something… . This past year I decided to do something positive in addition to this traditional ‘sacrifice’ of mine. Having heard a parishioner… speak on his positive experience with the Little Rock Scripture [study] group, I decided to give it a try… . In a non-threatening environment we prayed together, shared our lives’ experiences, all while learning about Jesus during the Passion and Resurrection.” (Erika Villemure)
“The program is a good way for people to come together in a discussion group and focus on this sacred collection of works… The conversational prayer sharing at the opening of each session helped me to sincerely express prayers for the needs of others and helped in opening up to prayer overall… . The video lectures at the close of each session help develop and clarify the themes of the lesson.” (Greg Desaulniers)
This fall, thirty-four parishioners will meet in four small groups and begin their next study, Acts of the Apostles.
Dawn C. Ligibel
Sts. Peter and Paul Parish in Hopkinsville, Kentucky has adapted Little Rock Scripture Study to fit a vision its leaders have for the parish. “We wanted to develop a Scripture study program for our parish that would revolve around small group meetings and discussions,” explained Dr. William Sweet, parishioner, permanent deacon candidate and coordinator of the program. “We had such great success with Renew ten years ago that we decided to adapt this study similarly to fulfill our vision,” he added.
Although Sweet considered many different study materials while researching available resources on-line, it was the LRSS leadership training materials that caught his attention. “The training materials were affordable, comprehensive and inspirational,” he explained. The materials were used to recruit and train parishioners who were willing to be small group facilitators. “The training materials, videos and discussion questions helped to prepare our leaders to fulfill our mission for this adult catechesis program,” Sweet said.
Since the LRSS materials were adaptable to a small group setting and are also available in Spanish, the leadership of the parish decided to proceed with using the individual study materials as well as the training materials. “Given the time of the year in which we began, we decided to study “The Passion and Resurrection Narratives of Jesus,” explained Sweet.
Hoping to attract at least 30 to 50 participants for the first study, Sweet and his co-leaders were amazed and thankful when 165 parishioners signed up before the program began. “Although we expect some shifting of groups and facilitators, we hope to retain and even add more people to our next study,” he said. The parish plans to begin studying the “Acts of the Apostles” just after Easter this year.
In addition to using LRSS materials in their small group discussions, Sweet also introduced “A Year of Sundays” to his parish. “This small, affordable booklet allows parishioners to familiarize themselves with the weekend readings before attending Mass,” Sweet explained. “Our purpose is to enable the Liturgy of the Church to enter daily life and to enliven personal daily prayer,” Sweet elaborated.
Cackie Upchurch
In the summer months, bookstores and online book distributors often feature lighter fare for their customers, books that require little or no critical thinking and are easy to pack up and take to the beach, even if only in our dreams. Well, there's nothing wrong with that, but I think easy reading can also deepen our faith and stir our curiosity.Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa, OFM Cap, may be familiar to you as the Preacher to the Papal Household. He is a former professor of History of Ancient Christianity, has a doctorate in classical literature, and is an internationally known speaker. In 2008, he produced a slim volume on the Word of God to help facilitate the world synod of bishops who were meeting on that topic. Those reflections were combined with meditations from his preaching to produce a lovely book,Jesus Began to Preach: The Mystery of God's Word (Liturgical Press, 2010). There are seven clearly written chapters exploring various aspects of the Word of God and how it gives life to our daily lives. This little book is lively and thoughtful.
We're about halfway through the liturgical year focusing largely on the Gospel of Matthew. I never cease to be amazed at how much more I have to learn about even the most familiar parts of Scripture, and I search for fresh ways to approach these readings. Matthew, The Book of Mercy (New City Press, 2002) is certainly fresh. Megan McKenna, a skilled storyteller and speaker, brings the ancient together with the contemporary in very rich ways. She discovers in Matthew's gospel the dominant thread of God's mercy and desire for wholeness and reconciliation.
I found a third book quite by accident. I was doing some research on another topic and found some interesting references to Dennis J. Billy, CSsR. After an online search, I found a book that I found engaging and very informative. In Eucharist, Exploring the Diamond of Our Faith (Twenty-Third Publications, 2004), Fr. Billy explores some of the biblical foundations for our understanding of the Eucharist. Each chapter is fairly succinct and includes four to six reflection questions to help readers digest what they are learning.
Cackie Upchurch
In these past months I have been struck by the sheer power of nature and governments, and the utter courage of ordinary people who deal with both. Whether from government oppression and revolt in Libya, peaceful overthrow in Egypt, or the violence of nature in Japan and the tornado-ravaged sections of the U.S., there are numerous lessons for us about the human spirit and a very clear call to be informed and engaged in our world.
Perhaps I'm "preaching to the choir" but I want to encourage you in your LRSS groups to support one another in efforts to connect with people in crisis around the world. First, try to learn their stories. We can find all sorts of resources for learning the facts or some version of the facts, but learning the stories of individuals is what bonds us to one another. There are numerous ways (explore internet sites for Catholic Relief Services for example) to find the stories of survivors in Japan, or those on the front lines of change in Egypt. In your own cities and towns, it can be as simple as walking into a damaged neighborhood and sitting on the front porch to find out what happened during the latest storm.
Second, get involved in whatever way is possible for you. Cook a meal for a neighbor; show up to cut up a downed tree or help fill sand bags. Donate to international relief efforts that are helping to rebuild communities in crisis.
Third, remember to pray. Pray for those who need courage, those who need healing, and those who desire true freedom. Pray for those who make it their life's work to help those in need. Pray for sound government decisions that can alleviate suffering. Pray for openness to God's Spirit to direct your efforts and those of your Scripture study groups.
The Little Rock Catholic Study Bible is now available! The Bible, the work of well-respected scholars and edited by Cackie Upchurch, Irene Nowell, OSB, and Ronald D. Witherup, SS, is designed with busy adults in mind. This will be a wonderful resource for individuals and parish groups. Consult this site. . . for excerpts and bulk pricing.
Our new study, Spirituality of the Gospels, will be available in August. The commentary, Exploring the Spirituality of the Gospels, was written by Patrick Hartin, PhD; study guide by Clifford M. Yeary. The lectures for the 7 sessions will be provided by John Hall, Cackie Upchurch, Karen Wenzel, Gregory Wolfe, and Clifford M. Yeary.
Revised editions of Genesis and Exodus will be available in December 2011, with more Old Testament revisions to follow in the coming seasons.
A new series of articles, "Surrounded by a Cloud of Witnesses" begins in late June. This 13-article series will focus monthly on a biblical character's relationship with God and their witness for future generations. Writers are Clifford M. Yeary and Catherine (Cackie) Upchurch. These articles will be available on the Little Rock diocesan and LRSS websites for free use in both English and Spanish.
Cackie Upchurch was invited to accompany a group of pilgrims to the Holy Land as part of their centennial celebration of Arkansas Catholic, the Little Rock diocesan newspaper. She worked with Bishop Taylor, Malea Hargett (the editor of Arkansas Catholic), and the pilgrimage company to present teachings and reflections while on the pilgrimage as well as leading all music at daily Masses. The pilgrimage included 136 people and took place from March 17–28, 2011.
Informational and Enrichment Workshops offer clear information, hands-on experience, and practical tips for establishing and growing Bible study using LRSS materials and methods. For very little expense, a diocese can arrange to host a workshop that will benefit parishes throughout the diocese. For more information, contact: Susan McCarthy, RDC, P.O. Box 7565, Little Rock, AR 72217; (501) 664-6102 or (501) 366-5691; or by email at smccarthy@dolr.org.
June 25, 2011
New York Catholic Bible Summit
New York, NY
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