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.

December 3: Last day on the Song of Songs

Hi everyone - I hope you've all had a Happy Thanksgiving!  Looking forward to our next meeting, which is THIS TUESDAY, December 3 from 7-9 at the Johnsons'. 

After a fascinating conversation with Rabbi Ita, I think we're ready to return to the beautiful poem that comes at the end of Song of Songs 8: 6-14 and reflect together about what this study is teaching us about the story of Scripture and the love of God.  I say a little about this in a blog I've posted on Episcopal cafe.  and will probably put up on my own poetproph blog, too.   But I'm hoping that we can look again at the poetry we've been reading over the course of this fall and also make some connections to the season of Advent and Christmas that we are moving into now.   

Joel is cooking  (Thanks Joel).  Hope to see everyone Tuesday night.

A couple of reminders about upcoming matters:  December 17 will be our Christmas potluck and party, and our last meeting at the Johnsons' home.

Then, beginning after the New Year, we will be meeting, not at the Johnsons' but at Vienna Baptist church,  on first and third MONDAY nights. More on this soon, but please mark your calendars and spread the word! 

KATHY

November 19 Meeting features Rabbi Ita Paskind on "The Song of Songs"

Hi everyone! We've talked a little about Rabbi Akiba who used the phrase "Song of Songs" for the book of the Bible we've been studying -- with the same kind of implication we would have if we said "this is the book of all books,  or the "Lord of Lords".  To my delight, Rabbi Ita Paskind of Congregation Olam Tikvah in Vienna has agreed to come to our next meeting to talk about the text of the Song of Songs and its importance in Judaism.   Rabbi Paskind was with us several years ago and we had a great time learning from her and talking with her.  I am really looking forward to this and hope you'll make a point of coming if you can.  It should be a real treat.