I'm finding that all my mental creativity is getting poured out at work; trying to figure out ways to make the new software do what we need it to do while I simultaneously teach the procedures to folks who also need to know how to use it.
I really, really enjoy work like this; I just wish I had time to work through the processes before I had to go live with them. Fortunately I figured out a way to give myself mulligans...i.e, that didn't work, so label it a false start and try again.
But, what all that means is that the blog is languishing for lack of creative energy. The Siesta Scripture Memory Team has given me some blog material when I haven't had time to develop my own thoughts, and I've been working on memorizing the verses, even if I don't make it to the conference event.
Then, today I found another source for discussion. I did all seven years of Bible Study Fellowship some time ago (there may be more than 7 now; I've heard rumors of new studies), and for six of those seven years my teaching leader was Suzanne Matthews. Suzanne has a real desire to dig deep and a real gift of communication.
Not too long ago, I discovered Suzanne's Blog (Coffee, Tea & Thee, on the sidebar). Now she has announced that she's going to do an online study of the book of Hebrews, and I decided to join in.
She put up the first post in the study today, listing six reasons to study Hebrews, then asked her readers 1) which of those six reasons tugs at the heart and 2) why would each individual personally need to study Hebrews.
And she assigned us to read Chapter 1.
So, true to the 'I really need to post something now and again' mode in which I seem to be operating for at least a little while more, I'm going to participate. And you, my faithful friends and family (Hi, Mom and Aunt Linda!) are invited to come along. You can click through and leave comments on Suzanne's blog, or, if you've got your own bloggy space, write it up over there and leave a link.
Anyway, that's a lot of introduction. I first decided to use my ESV edition, since I wanted to get the fresh perspective of unfamiliar wording, but I could. NOT. find. it. And I had it just a couple of days ago; I've no clue where I put it. Not in any of the usual places.
I sighed and pulled out the NIV. But, since this Bible is less than a year old, it's not marked up yet. So I will have a bit of a new perspective after all...
So. Question One.
Of the six reasons Suzanne listed, the one that stood out the most to me was reason number 5:
5.
It was written because Jesus is the answer to every. human. need.
Hebrews is the clearest and most systematic presentation in the entire
Bible of the Lord Jesus Christ. - See more at:
http://ctandthee.com/blog/#sthash.cKikTVLr.dpuf
It was written because Jesus is the answer to every. human. need. Hebrews is clearest and most systematic presentation in the entire Bible of the Lord Jesus Christ.Hebrews has always intrigued me because the author so plainly links Jesus to the Old Testament. Which would be necessary, of course, if he (she? ;-) ) were writing to a predominately Jewish audience. So I will enjoy exploring that.
But I need to study Hebrews (Question 2) because I need to be reminded of everything Christ is, and therefore who I am in Christ. The year the BSF class did 'Acts of the Apostles' (which included a look at a number of the epistles those apostles wrote, including Hebrews), my 'Wow!' revelation for the year came from Hebrews.
I'm sure I'll mention it when we get there. ;-)
Chapter one is an amazing logical argument for the superiority of Christ, based on Old Testament scripture.
It has really only been fairly recently that it struck me that every OT verse cited in the NT was written from memory. The only copies of those priceless scriptures were in the synagogues, not in the libraries of the common folks. Not counting the ESV that I seem to have mislaid, I could grab about 6 different translations from various bookshelves about the house. If I want to quote a verse, I can pull out the book itself and look it up by chapter and verse.
The NT authors had nothing more than their memory. Which makes me want to work a little harder on those SSMT verses...
5.
It was written because Jesus is the answer to every. human. need.
Hebrews is the clearest and most systematic presentation in the entire
Bible of the Lord Jesus Christ. - See more at:
http://ctandthee.com/blog/#sthash.cKikTVLr.dpuf
5.
It was written because Jesus is the answer to every. human. need.
Hebrews is the clearest and most systematic presentation in the entire
Bible of the Lord Jesus Christ. - See more at:
http://ctandthee.com/blog/#sthash.cKikTVLr.dpuf
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