Hi everyone - looking forward to seeing you Monday May 19 7-9 at Caffee Amouri.  We'll be looking at some stories in Mark 14 and also brainstorming a bit about the rest of the spring and plans for the summer.

We'll be reflecting on 3 stories in this part of Mark's gospel:  The anointing of Jesus by an unnamed woman;  Jesus' relationship with his disciples the night before he dies (especially in the garden of Gethsemane) and Peter's denial of Jesus.  Familiar stories to some of us, new to others -- and we'll talk together about what Mark's take on them is, and how they speak to us now.

Hope to see you all Monday night!

 

Caffe Amouri - our new venue for the spring

Hi everyone. We will be meeting this Monday March 5, 7-9, at Caffee Amouri.  We all really enjoyed hanging out there last time, and talking about the resurrection.  This week we'll flip back to Mark 11-12, Jesus' comments about Caesar, the temple, and authority -- a chance to reflect on what this gospel might have to say to us about authority structures we live with in our own time.

Hoping you can join us!  

Post-Easter Meeting at Caffee Amouri Monday April 21

Hi everyone. This week we'll be meeting at a different venue - we thought we'd try Caffe Amouri at 107 Church St. in Vienna.  Let's meet up there at 7 Monday night April 21st.  I checked the last Monday I was in Vienna and it looked pretty quiet in the evening hours so we'll find a quiet corner for visiting. Our theme for the evening, as I imagine it is "What just happened?" - a chance to talk a little about the Easter story in Mark - how it compares to the other versions of the story - -how each of us reacts to the story as we have just heard it wherever we were worshipping on Easter Day.
(There's also a gathering for dinner on Thursday April 17 at Amphora in Vienna at 7PM.  Cameron is coordinating that -- you can connect with her via me, at the email on this website,  or just show up at 7 Thursday night).

I hope to see many of you at Caffe Amouri on Monday. In the meantime, everyone have a great Easter!

Getting back on track - meeting March 24

Hi everyone - well, the snow day interfered once again with our meeting - twice in a row!  Some of us met for dinner tonight (St. Patrick's Day) and agreed we'd like to schedule an "extra" meeting next week, March 24, to pick up where we left off on Bible Study.   Here's the new schedule, which should help us get into our Bible study  the way we hoped to before all the snow came!

Dinner at 7 - study starting around 8 - sometimes a little earlier, followed by prayers. We finish by 9.

Mach 24:       Reading:  Selections from Mark 4-7:  parables and challenges in Jesus' teaching and actions,  The disciples who don't "get it" in Mark's gospel. 

April  7:          Reading: Mark 8: 27-9:1   (Ch 7 in commentary):  "Who do you say that I am?

April 21:         Reading: Mark 15-16 (Ch 13 in commentary):  "What just happened?"  Three versions of the Easter Story in Mark 

May     5:         Reading:  Mark  11-12 (Ch 9 in commentary):  Caesar, God and the Temple -- how to live faithfully amid so many authority structures.  

                        

May  19:          Reading:  Mark 14:  (Ch 11 in commentary) Jesus' death as a clue to the meaning of the gospel. 

June 2:            Reading:  Mark 15-16    (Ch 12 and 13 in commentary) – Review and celebration, and looking ahead to next year. 

Other events in June TBD

Parables - and plans for the semester

Hi Everyone
Hoping you are planning to join us this Monday to continue our study of the Gospel of Mark.  We will continue the good conversation we started last time by looking especially at Mark 4: 1-20,  where Jesus tells the "parable of the sower."  This will be a great chance to talk about what parables are and where they take us when we read the Bible.  Also to explore this language about the "kingdom of God" and what that might mean for us, and how we might express it differently in our time.  And of course we can start with any questions you may be bringing about the gospel of Mark, or our approach to Bible Study, or really anything.

Here’s a list of what we’re going to be doing and when.   The commentary is the Journey Through the Bible commentary on Mark (available from me or here.  I still have a couple of copies available to lend or sell.   Dinner is at 7 and we try to start our study time around 7:45/8:00 and go 'til 9. 

March 3:          Reading:   Focus on Mark 4, esp. 1-20 (Ch 3 in commentary)

                     

March 17;       Reading:    Focus on Mark 6 esp. 6b-56  (Ch 5 in commentary)

                       

April  7:          Reading: Mark 8: 27-91   (Ch 7 in commentary)

                      

April 21:     (the day after Easter, so we’re skipping ahead to the Easter story &          doubling back)  Reading :  Mark 15:42-16:20  (Ch 13 in commentary)

                       

May     5:         Reading:  Mark  11: 1-12:24  (Ch 9 in commentary)

                       

May  19:       Reading:  Mark  14: 1-72  (Ch. 11 in commentary)

June 2:           Reading:  Mark 15-16    (Ch 12 and 13 in commentary) – Review and celebration, and looking ahead to next year. 

OTHER EVENTS IN JUNE TBD. . . . .

February 3: Getting into our study of the gospel of Mark

  Hi everyone:

We've had some good times the last couple of meetings, celebrating life events and honoring our move to our new location, meeting at Vienna Baptist in the church parlor going forward.

We will begin to focus a little more this week on our study of the gospel of Mark. I'll be drawing on the approach in the commentary in the Journey through the Bible series, and I'll have copies for people who want them and also a few just for reference when we gather.  Do bring your favorite Bible when you come.


This week we'll be looking at the first big story in Mark, the story of Jesus exorcising the demon in Mark 1:21-28,  and talking about what we do with that, what it means in its context, what it means to us, what it tells us about who Jesus is, who God is,  and what is going on here -- and whatever else people want to talk about!

The commentary is not required;  neither is homework.  But on the other hand, if you want to try a daily Bible reading practice connecting to our study, I will be making some suggestions about how to go about that.  And we will eat together, pray together.  Do come -- check us out,  bring a friend.  Explore with us what the gospel is saying to us now, in our time and culture.


Looking forward to seeing everyone on February 3, 7:00-9:00  at VBC -- or as soon as you can get there!

First Meeting of the New Year - January 6, 2014 at VBC

Happy New Year, everyone!  Just a reminder to all that we have a new time, venue and topic to begin the new year.  Our first meeting will be Monday January 6 at Vienna Baptist, in the lounge on the main floor, next to the office. I (Kathy) will bring dinner and we can sign up for the rest of the semester's dinners. January 6 will be social time, mainly, with a look ahead to our spring study topic, which will be the Gospel of Mark.

Looking forward to seeing everyone. If you're new, please feel free to get in touch with me (Kathy) or call Ginny Richardson at VBC.   Please note that even though we are meeting at Vienna Baptist, the group includes people from a number of different denominations and church-going (or not) habits -- all are welcome!

Looking forward to seeing everyone soon.