Saturday Bible Study

For many years, I have been spending my Saturday mornings between 8:30 and 9:30 in the St. Paul’s lounge participating in the Saturday Bible Study. This activity, which has been going on for many years, doesn’t get much attention. It is run by laypeople and has never had regular clergy participation. It was once called Men’s Bible Study, but we have long since opened the group to women as well.

An invitation and a disclaimer

Our Saturday morning group is small, but lively, and I invite you to join us. We have no official leader, but we take turns bringing breakfast, usually pastries or bagels. We meet almost every week, though we sometimes cancel if too many people will be out of town or if the lounge is needed for another purpose.

I should warn you that anyone showing up with a Bible in hand is usually disappointed. Over the years, the group has, from time to time, done something like regular Bible study, but, more often than not, we have read and discussed other Christian literature or books about our Christian heritage. Recently, we have been viewing half-hour lectures on DVDs of college-level courses on the Bible, the early church, or other religious topics. The remaining half hour is spent in fellowship and conversation. That conversation usually focuses on the lecture, but it often moves to discussions about St. Paul’s, the diocese, the wider church, or even current events.

Regular attendees have learned a lot about our Christian heritage and had a lot of fun doing it. At the moment, we are working our way through a 36-lecture course on mysticism in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. This is an eye-opening, though somewhat weird, experience.

If you’re shy, Saturday Bible Study may not be for you. The conversation can be lively, and we encourage everyone to jump in. Of course, some people just like to listen. In any case, consider joining us some Saturday. You may find that you want to keep coming back.