Let’s Read the Bible this Summer
Let’s read the whole Bible together, cover-to-cover! It may sound intimidating, but it’s just 12 pages a day. Sign up today to join the St. Peter’s 90-day Bible Challenge.
Education
An Invitation to Parish-wide Lenten Devotional Reading
This year the Adult Education Committee is offering an alternative way of joining together with your St. Peter’s community during Lent. “Between Midnight and Dawn” is a handbook of reflections for Lent, Holy Week, and Eastertide. It offers brief passages of classic and contemporary literature, as well as scripture and prayers, in a week-by-week devotional …
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Encounter with Wild Things
This blog post was written by Rachel Field, a student in the Master of Divinity Program at Berkeley Divinity School, Yale University. “How many are your works, Lord! In wisdom you made them all; The earth is full of your creatures.” Psalm 104 vv. 24 The scientific and political attention to the current climate crisis has …
Lesser-Known Women: Phoebe
Where do we find her in the Bible? Romans 16:1-2 “I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a deacon of the church at Cenchreae,2so that you may welcome her in the Lord as is fitting for the saints, and help her in whatever she may require from you, for she has been a benefactor of …
Lesser-Known Women: Sapphira
Where do we find her in the Bible? A background passage: Acts 2:42-47 Her story: Acts 4:32-5:11 Who was she? A member (with her husband, Ananias) of the Early Church at Jerusalem (soon after Pentecost) Ananias and Sapphira were (probably fairly wealthy) landowners. Their names are Greek, so they may have been diaspora Jews (like …
Lesser-Known Women: The Woman of Samaria
Where do we find her in the Bible? The story of her encounter with Jesus is in John 4. Who was she? This is one of the longest stories of Jesus’ being in conversation with a woman. In it, he upsets all sorts of conventions: He is a Jew; she is a Samaritan. The Jews …
Lesser-Known Women: Esther
Where do we find her in the Bible? The entire book of Esther is her story. Who was she? A young Israelite woman living in the Persian capital of Susa. Since she was an orphan, her uncle Mordecai adopted her as his own daughter. “Esther” is a Persian name; her Hebrew name was “Hadassah.” Vashti, the …
Lesser-Known Women: Abigail
Where do we find her in the Bible? Her life story: 1 Samuel 25 Other references 2 Samuel 2:2 – She is listed as one of David’s wives 2 Samuel 3:3 – Her son, Chileab, was David’s second son 1 Chronicles 3:1 – Her son is named as “Samuel” Who was she? David’s second wife, after Michal, the …
Deborah
Where do we find her in the Bible? Her life story Judges 4 Judges 5 Who was she? The only woman acclaimed as a Judge (probably a tribal chieftain or warrior ruler who led the Israelites in fighting oppressive enemies). ((The New Interpreter’s Bible, volume 2, accessed 6/24/2014.)) Even though she was female, there is …
Rahab, the Prostitute
Where do we find her in the Bible? Her life story Joshua 2 Joshua 6:15-27 (esp. vv. 17-25) Other references Matthew 1:5 (She is an ancestor of Jesus, but see comment below) Hebrews 11:31 (She is a person who demonstrates faith) James 2:24-26 (esp. v. 25, where she is justified by her act [work] of …