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Complete Adult Formation Kit
The Following are Samples of the offerings
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Since the 1990s, I have led an Adult Education, or Formation, class most Sundays at Christ Episcopal Church in Little Rock, Arkansas. Years ago, I began using PowerPoint presentations for lectionary and Bible study materials because it was hard to know how many paper copies we would need. PowerPoint also made it easy to include art, sta
Since the 1990s, I have led an Adult Education, or Formation, class most Sundays at Christ Episcopal Church in Little Rock, Arkansas. Years ago, I began using PowerPoint presentations for lectionary and Bible study materials because it was hard to know how many paper copies we would need. PowerPoint also made it easy to include art, stained glass images, maps, and other visual aids—the kind of resources once found on Sunday school flip charts.
Some churches already have everything required for this kind of setup. For those that do not, the “How to” section offers practical instructions to help any congregation create an engaging adult formation space on a budget.
$200.00 Budget
The class materials here are free - I enjoyed making them and presenting them. I want you to enjoy them as well. You can do every course here for one initial investment of less than $200.00. If you are lucky enough to have a class space already equipped for PowerPoint, then you would have no cost.
Take the Plunge
Take the Plunge
Explore the samples and instruction videos to see what is possible—and to be reminded that you can answer your call to formation. Technology can feel intimidating at first, but it can also open the door to richer study, deeper conversation, and a wider range of resources. My hope is to help adults in the Episcopal Church become more fam
Explore the samples and instruction videos to see what is possible—and to be reminded that you can answer your call to formation. Technology can feel intimidating at first, but it can also open the door to richer study, deeper conversation, and a wider range of resources. My hope is to help adults in the Episcopal Church become more familiar with the Bible: what it actually says, rather than only what others insist it must say.
With a little study, you may discover that the Gospel is truly good news—not merely somewhat good news. The Lord loves you, will never abandon you, and is there when you look.
Invitation to Sunday Lectionary Class
The link below is to a regular Sunday session of the Lectionary Class held each Sunday at 9:00 AM U S Central Standard Time. The class uses a Microsoft Teams format. No download is needed beyond clicking the Link and following the on screen directions.
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+1 501-295-7463 United States, Little Rock (Toll)
Conference ID: 969 280 966#
Local numbers | Reset PIN | Learn more about Teams | Meeting options
Files coming soon.
Proper 15 RCL A
Sample of a Genesis Bible Study
Nicene Creed
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If you have questions about the opportunities available to you in our programs, feel free to send us a message. We will get back to you as soon as possible. Our hope is to help Episcopal Churches with Bible oriented Adult Education.
Proper 15 RCL A
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The Collect Proper 15 Almighty God, you have given your only Son to be for us a sacrifice for sin, and also an example of godly life: Give us grace to receive thankfully the fruits of his redeeming work, and to follow daily in the blessed steps of his most holy life; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. THE COLLECT Proper 15 The collect for Proper 15 reminds us that redemption comes from God, and that one may respond in thanks by trying to follow God’s call to follow daily His example. That example is the life that Jesus showed us. In RCL A the call of Isaiah is that God’s salvation is near at hand and will include even foreigners. In Romans we are reminded that we are saved despite our shortcomings. Matthew’s Gospel gives us the story of the foreign woman who persisted even when Jesus seemed to refuse her. THE COLLECT Proper 15 In RCL B Solomon made a wise choice that brought the Lord’s blessing, conditioned on Solomon continuing to follow God’s law as his father David had. In RCL C the reminder from Hebrews that we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses in the departed saints. The desire to follow God’s call follows, and does not precede, redemption. God’s call is hard to see through the fog of life, and then only with the help of the Holy Spirit. Genesis 45:1-15 Joseph could no longer control himself before all those who stood by him, and he cried out, "Send everyone away from me." So no one stayed with him when Joseph made himself known to his brothers. And he wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard it, and the household of Pharaoh heard it. Joseph said to his brothers, "I am Joseph. Is my father still alive?" But his brothers could not answer him, so dismayed were they at his presence. Genesis 45:1-15 Then Joseph said to his brothers, "Come closer to me." And they came closer. He said, "I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. And now do not be distressed, or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life. For the famine has been in the land these two years; and there are five more years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvest. God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth, and to keep alive for you Genesis 45:1-15 many survivors. So it was not you who sent me here, but God; he has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house and ruler over all the land of Egypt. Hurry and go up to my father and say to him, `Thus says your son Joseph, God has made me lord of all Egypt; come down to me, do not delay. You shall settle in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near me, you and your children and your children's children, as well as your flocks, your herds, and all that you have. I will provide Genesis 45:1-15 for you there-- since there are five more years of famine to come-- so that you and your household, and all that you have, will not come to poverty.' And now your eyes and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see that it is my own mouth that speaks to you. You must tell my father how greatly I am honored in Egypt, and all that you have seen. Hurry and bring my father down here." Then he fell upon his brother Benjamin's neck and wept, while Benjamin wept upon his neck. And he kissed all his brothers and wept upon them; and after that his brothers talked with him. The Joseph Saga The reading for today skips forward through the Joseph Saga to the end. The story of Judah and Tamar is skipped. So are Potiphar’s wife and the imprisonment, the dream interpretations – first for the prisoners and later for Pharaoh – and the rise of Joseph to power. The brothers have travelled back and forth, first without and then with hostages. The Revelation At last Joseph reveals himself. The brothers are dismayed! But Joseph, like Esau, forgives them, and perhaps as a mature man he more fully appreciates the value of family, even when it has behaved badly. Last week’s story was about “bad things” – this week’s is about the good that came from an act meant for evil. The Reading This passage sets forth the central theme of the Joseph story: God graciously contrives to bring good out of evil; for the brothers, in selling Joseph into slavery, had unwittingly carried out God’s will. Through Joseph, God acted to preserve life – not only the life of famine-stricken Egyptians, but also that of a remnant, that is, the family which is the bearer of the promise given to Abraham. According to Egyptian sources, it was not unusual for Pharaoh to permit Asiatic peoples to settle in his country in time of famine. Human Perception It is hard to conceive a worse crime – to kill one’s brother, or to sell him into slavery. A bad situation that goes on seeming bad for some time would, at least to a human, be perceived as BAD. What about the brothers – Should they be condemned and cast out? Congratulated for helping to save Egypt and Israel? Or . . . . Scholars At one level the story of Joseph explains how Israel got to Egypt. On a deeper level, the chapters tell movingly how God kept a disintegrating family united by the repentance and restraint of its members. The lesson is an important one for Israel, because its unity was often threatened by the claims of one tribe against another. Jacopo Pontormo, Joseph in Egypt, c. 1518. Oil on wood.
The National Gallery, London. This work depicts the most significant episodes of Joseph’s reunion with his family of origin. The painting is divided into four distinct zones. In the left foreground Joseph presents his family, whom he invited to move to Egypt, to the pharaoh. On the right, Joseph is seen sitting on a triumphal cart pulled by three putti; hoisting himself up with his left arm and clutching firmly onto a putto with the other, he bends toward a kneeling figure who is presenting him a petition or reading him a message; a fifth putto, wrapped in a piece of cloth blown by the wind, dominates the scene from the top of a column, appearing to mime the gesture of one of the two half-living statues represented at the top left and centre of the painting. A restless crowd, curious to see what is going on, throngs the adjacent space between the two buildings in the background. Other mysterious figures, resting against one of the large boulders that dominate the landscape, turn their attention toward the action in the foreground. On the unrailed staircase of the imposing cylindrical building to the right, Joseph takes one of his children by the hand; higher up, the other is greeted affectionately by his mother. Lastly, Joseph and his sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, are portrayed inside the room at the top of the building, where Jacob, now old and near to death, imparts his paternal blessing. Description adapted from the catalogue entry for Jacopo Pontormo, Joseph in Egypt, The National Gallery, London. Psalm 133 Ecce, quam bonum! 1 Oh, how good and pleasant it is, *
when brethren live together in unity! 2 It is like fine oil upon the head *
that runs down upon the beard, 3 Upon the beard of Aaron, *
and runs down upon the collar of his robe. 4 It is like the dew of Hermon *
that falls upon the hills of Zion. 5 For there the LORD has ordained the blessing: * life for evermore. Psalm 133 The Blessedness of Unity A Song of Ascents. The psalm celebrates the joys of harmony in the family. The choice for this last part of the Joseph Saga is both obvious and ironic. Isaiah 56:1,6-8 Thus says the LORD: Maintain justice, and do what is right, for soon my salvation will come, and my deliverance be revealed. And the foreigners who join themselves to the LORD, to minister to him, to love the name of the LORD, and to be his servants, all who keep the Sabbath, and do not profane it, and hold fast my covenant-- these I will bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer; their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on my altarIsaiah 56:1,6-8 for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples. Thus says the Lord GOD, who gathers the outcasts of Israel, I will gather others to them besides those already gathered. Third Isaiah This is part of the final section of Isaiah. There are two concepts here. The first is a theme common in the NT: that one never knows when God will come. The second is also an NT theme: that all who have faith may be saved, not just the descendants of Abraham. Hold that last thought! Psalm 67 Deus misereatur 1 May God be merciful to us and bless us, *
show us the light of his countenance and come to us. 2 Let your ways be known upon earth, *
your saving health among all nations. 3 Let the peoples praise you, O God; *
let all the peoples praise you. 4 Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, *
for you judge the peoples with equity
and guide all the nations upon earth. Psalm 67 Deus misereatur 5 Let the peoples praise you, O God; *
let all the peoples praise you. 6 The earth has brought forth her increase; *
may God, our own God, give us his blessing. 7 May God give us his blessing, *
and may all the ends of the earth stand in awe of him. Psalm 67 Entitled: The Nations Called to Praise God Superscription: To the leader: with stringed instruments. A Psalm. A Song. This is thought to be a thanksgiving for a good harvest. Romans 11:1-2a, 29-32 I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin. God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew. For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. Just as you were once disobedient to God but have now received mercy because of their disobedience, so Romans 11:1-2a, 29-32 they have now been disobedient in order that, by the mercy shown to you, they too may now receive mercy. For God has imprisoned all in disobedience so that he may be merciful to all. Omitted Material The reading skips a large section of text. The skipped material includes a number of quotations from the OT. Notably, last week’s alternate reading from 1 Kings is one of the direct quotations – concerning the seven thousand who did not bow the knee to Baal (1 Kings 19:18; quoted at Romans 11:4). The Argument Turns Paul has now convinced his readers that salvation has come to those “outside” the covenant relationship – that is to say, Gentiles. The Jewish rejection of Jesus is not, in Paul’s view, an indication that God has turned against them, but rather served to allow those outside to be brought into the fold. Now he warns that those “outside” have a new duty to bring the Jews into the fold. Old and New A common theme of the readings from the OT – both alternates – and from Romans is God’s call and reaching out to all faithful people. Joseph saved Egypt and Israel. Isaiah: ‘a house of prayer for all peoples.’ Romans: an elaborate extension to the Gentiles. Keep that thought, and the Isaiah thought…. Matthew 15: (10-20), 21-28 [Jesus called the crowd to him and said to them, "Listen and understand: it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but it is what comes out of the mouth that defiles." Then the disciples approached and said to him, "Do you know that the Pharisees took offense when they heard what you said?" He answered, "Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. Matthew 15: (10-20), 21-28 Let them alone; they are blind guides of the blind. And if one blind person guides another, both will fall into a pit." But Peter said to him, "Explain this parable to us." Then he said, "Are you also still without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth enters the stomach, and goes out into the sewer? But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart Matthew 15: (10-20), 21-28 and this is what defiles. For out of the heart come evil intentions, murder, adultery, fornication, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile.”] Matthew 15: (10-20), 21-28 Jesus left Gennesaret and went away to the district of Tyre and Sidon. Just then a Canaanite woman from that region came out and started shouting, "Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is tormented by a demon." But he did not answer her at all. And his disciples came and urged him, saying, "Send her away, for she keeps shouting after us." He answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." But she came and knelt before him, saying, Matthew 15: (10-20), 21-28 "Lord, help me." He answered, "It is not fair to take the children's food and throw it to the dogs." She said, "Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table." Then Jesus answered her, "Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish." And her daughter was healed instantly. A conundrum Paul has just completed his longest argument and created a “salvation history” in which the Word is for all, and not only for the Jews. And today Jesus seems to shoot that argument down completely. A similar story is told in Mark 7:24-30. Is Jesus throwing us a curve ball? The Text Verses 15.10-20 are the first part of the reading. The reading concerns a principle in the ‘Law’ that certain physical conditions can and do render an individual unfit to share in the worship of the community. Jesus turns this inside out. The Text again – the Footnotes Verses 15.21-28: The Canaanite woman. The direction of travel was northwesterly from upper Galilee into Phoenicia. The woman, though a Gentile, speaks to Jesus as the Jewish Messiah. Jesus consistently said that his primary mission was to call Jews back to God. The Gentile woman’s claim must be based on her own personal acceptance of his message. The distinction is between his mission and his willingness to respond to faith wherever found. The woman accepts Jesus’ mission and, as a Gentile, asks his help. Notes on Matthew 15.21-28 in The New Oxford Annotated Bible, 3rd ed. (New York: Oxford University Press, 1996). The ‘story line’ In Matt 13 Jesus returns to his hometown and is rejected [Matt 13:53-58]. Jesus then learns of the death of John the Baptist. Jesus withdraws – then feeds the five thousand, walks on water and heals people… next In Matt 15:1-9 he is confronted by “Pharisees and scribes” about violations of the tradition of the elders…. hand washing before meals….. Jesus then leaves his native area and is met not with rejection but with ACCEPTANCE by a foreigner! 40+ Miles ‘just then….’ Figure of Speech Is it possible that Jesus is expressing frustration with his followers, who again ‘don’t understand,’ rather than rejecting Gentiles? We know that Jesus has just been rejected in his hometown and challenged by the religious authorities… despite some spectacular miracles. Despite the annotation in The New Oxford Annotated Bible – did Jesus deliberately leave His native area just to find someone to mistreat? Action vs. Words His followers urge Him to send her away. We do not ‘hear’ the tone of voice used…. But His ultimate action is the opposite of His words – Jesus accepts her faith…. Could this passage mean just the opposite of what it seems? Or did the human side of Jesus simply have a change of heart, through this meeting and this acceptance by an insistent foreign woman, in contrast to the rejection by His own people? Jesus certainly went a long way to find her…. Consistent theme OT/NT The lessons from Genesis, Isaiah, Paul and Matthew may share a common theme. There is a place in salvation for all – God can use Egyptians, wayward brothers, foreigners, Gentiles, Jews, Christians and persistent foreign women in His plan of salvation. Limbourg Brothers, The Canaanite Woman
Les Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry, fol. 164r, c. 1411-1416.
Musée Condé, Chantilly. Pieter van der Heyden (Flemish, 1530-1576), The Blind Leading the Blind, after Hieronymus Bosch (Netherlandish, c. 1450-1516).
Engraving, first state of five, published by Hieronymus Cock, c. 1561. New York Public Library. Pieter Bruegel the Elder, The Parable of the Blind, 1568. Tempera on canvas.
Museo di Capodimonte, Naples.
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