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Home > Resources > Resource Review - Planning a Bible Study on "The Narratives of Jesus' Birth"
Resource Review - Planning a Bible Study on "The Narratives of Jesus' Birth"
 
Planning a Bible Study on “The Narratives of Jesus’s Birth”
submitted by Lori Stewart
As chair of the Resources Advisory Committee perhaps I am biased, but I think the Resource Centre is an invaluable place to find material for planning Bible Studies. I have used it to find information on specific topics about “sin” or “Ananias and Sapphira” for my regular study group. Recently I found some great books and a DVD there when planning an Advent Bible Study.
I began my planning with the suggestion from Bible Study participants that the virgin birth and angels might be interesting to explore. Having decided on doing the Advent Study on the “The Narratives of Jesus’s Birth” I had two choices: beg, borrow or buy the various resources I would need or go to the United Church Resource Centre at the Conference Office. I went to the Resource Centre. There I did some research and found everything I needed, namely, the following:
Borg M and Crossan J (2007) The first Christmas: what the gospels really teach about Jesus’s Birth New York: Harper One.
Newsome C and Ringe S (eds) (1992) The women’s Bible commentary London: SPCK.
Procter-Murphy J and Felten J (2006) “Jesus’ Birth: Incarnation” in Living the Questions: Saving Jesus DVD Session 5
Ranke-Heinemann U trans. Heinegg P (1994) Putting away childish things: the virgin birth, the empty tomb, and other fairy tales you don’t need to believe to have a living faith San Francisco: Harper San Francisco.
Spong J (1992) Born of a woman San Francisco: Harper San Francisco.
These resources helped to formulate and order the topics for each session.
1. Matthew’s Birth Narrative
2. Luke’s Birth Narrative
3. The Virgin Birth and Divine Conception
4. Angels and Summing Up
As I read through them I discovered that each of the books and the DVD contributed to the background content for the study and helped to provide insights into various interpretive lenses that can be brought to bear on the birth narratives. I put my notes together in a logical sequence and planned the process we would use each week.
Once the preparations were complete, the study was held over the four Sunday’s of Advent, before church. The participants represented a range of theological points of view which challenged us to question, to grapple with, and to explore the Biblical material and the scholarly commentary. Certainly each of the authors had provided a particular perspective but the variety, and the contributions of the participants themselves, was able to reveal a range of understandings. While we didn’t all end up agreeing, our open discussions did help to expand the possible meanings of the text.
It is crucial to be aware of the scholarship that makes sense of the context, history, writer, etc. It is also important in any Bible study to find there the meaning for our own context in order to live faithful lives now. These resources were invaluable in not only providing commentary but in also pointing to some of the questions that would help us all to do that.
For a complete outline of “The Narratives of Jesus Birth” study sessions, with reference to the materials – click here.
Lori Stewart is in team ministry at Sturgeon Creek United Church, Winnipeg, Manitoba and is convener of the Resources Advisory Committee.
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Posted: February 11, 2009
Expires: never
category: Resources (AVEL and Print)
keywords/tags : resource
review
bible
study
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