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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#
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Files coming soon.
Proper 16 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 16 RCL A
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THE COLLECT Proper 16 Grant, O merciful God, that your Church, being gathered together in unity by your Holy Spirit, may show forth your power among all peoples, to the glory of your Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. The Collect for Proper 16 The topic of the Proper 16 collect is the Church gathered together in unity by the Holy Spirit. Given the divisions in the world today, this is a goal much to be desired. The themes of unity, and of Israel's role as a beacon to the world, are familiar ones in the Old Testament. The collect has the usual observation-and-petition form, but the petition concerns us not as individuals but as members of the Church as a whole. The Collect for Proper 16 The Old Testament lessons for RCL Years A, B, and C all describe times of unity. In Year B, Solomon assembles the elders of Israel; in the Year B alternate, Joshua leads a unifying reaffirmation of loyalty to God. The Year C reading from Isaiah speaks of rebuilding the nation, and in Year A the birth story of Moses introduces the leader who would unite the whole people. All of them sound the theme of unity. The Collect for Proper 16 Year A meets this collect head on, with Paul's observation in Romans that the Church is one body with many members. The passage in Matthew's Gospel that names Peter as the rock on which the Church is to be built speaks mightily to both the collect's theme of unity and the Church as a beacon to the world. In a time when the Christian Church is so divided, a call for unity can seem far from possible. But the Holy Spirit can work miracles. Leaders Today's readings all describe leaders in some way: Moses in Exodus Abraham and Sarah in the Isaiah reading God in the Psalm In Romans, Paul sets out the qualities of leadership In Matthew, Peter is given the “keys of the kingdom” Exodus 1:8-2:10 Now a new king arose over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. He said to his people, "Look, the Israelite people are more numerous and more powerful than we. Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, or they will increase and, in the event of war, join our enemies and fight against us and escape from the land." Therefore they set taskmasters over them to oppress them with forced labor. Exodus 1:8-2:10 They built supply cities, Pithom and Rameses, for Pharaoh. But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread, so that the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites. The Egyptians became ruthless in imposing tasks on the Israelites, and made their lives bitter with hard service in mortar and brick and in every kind of field labor. They were ruthless in all the tasks that they imposed on them. Exodus 1:8-2:10 The king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah and the other Puah, "When you act as midwives to the Hebrew women, and see them on the birthstool, if it is a boy, kill him; but if it is a girl, she shall live." But the midwives feared God; they did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but they let the boys live. So the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and said to them, "Why have you done this, and allowed the boys to live?" Exodus 1:8-2:10 The midwives said to Pharaoh, "Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women; for they are vigorous and give birth before the midwife comes to them." So God dealt well with the midwives; and the people multiplied and became very strong. And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families. Then Pharaoh commanded all his people, "Every boy that is born to the Hebrews you shall throw into the Nile, but you shall let every girl live." Exodus 1:8-2:10 Now a man from the house of Levi went and married a Levite woman. The woman conceived and bore a son; and when she saw that he was a fine baby, she hid him three months. When she could hide him no longer she got a papyrus basket for him, and plastered it with bitumen and pitch; she put the child in it and placed it among the reeds on the bank of the river. His sister stood at a distance, to see what would happen to him. Exodus 1:8-2:10 The daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river, while her attendants walked beside the river. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her maid to bring it. When she opened it, she saw the child. He was crying, and she took pity on him, "This must be one of the Hebrews' children," she said. Then his sister said to Pharaoh's daughter, "Shall I go and get you a nurse from the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you?" Exodus 1:8-2:10 Pharaoh's daughter said to her, "Yes." So the girl went and called the child's mother. Pharaoh's daughter said to her, "Take this child and nurse it for me, and I will give you your wages." So the woman took the child and nursed it. When the child grew up, she brought him to Pharaoh's daughter, and she took him as her son. She named him Moses, "because," she said, "I drew him out of the water." Exodus For Israel the two crucial “root experiences” were the exodus from Egypt and the revelation at Mount Sinai, as related in the book of Exodus. Egyptian records make no reference to the flight of slaves into the wilderness, but there is little doubt that the story rests on actual historical occurrences. Scholars place these events in the 19th Dynasty (Oxford: about 1350–1200 B.C.; current chronologies: about 1292–1189 B.C.). At the center stands Moses, in whose name the final edition of the account was issued. Moses is credited with laying down the Law from God on which later generations built. Great religious reforms were regarded as a return to the Mosaic source of Israel's faith. Source: The New Oxford Annotated Bible (1996). The Text The “new king” probably refers to the new regime of the 19th Dynasty under Seti I and Rameses II (Oxford: 1308–1290 and 1290–1224 B.C.; current chronologies: c. 1294–1279 and 1279–1213 B.C.). These pharaohs moved their capital from Thebes, where it had been during the 18th Dynasty, to the Delta. The new capital, Rameses (Zoan), was the former Hyksos capital of Avaris, also known as Tanis. “Supply cities” alludes to the fortification of the area. “Hebrew,” older and broader than “Israelite,” was often used when foreigners spoke of Abraham's people. Source: The New Oxford Annotated Bible (1996), notes on Exodus 1:8–15. The infancy of Moses This story parallels the legends of other national heroes — for example, Sargon of Akkad, who in infancy was saved by being placed in a basket of rushes sealed with pitch and set afloat on the river. (Sargon reigned about 2334–2279 B.C.) The name “Moses” comes from an Egyptian word meaning “to beget a child,” as in “Thut-mose.” Good From Evil The narrator sees divine providence at work, causing the evil design of Pharaoh to serve God's purpose. This, like the episode that brought Israel into Egypt, begins with evil acts — enslavement and the killing of infants. As with the Joseph story, the situation looked evil for a very long time — four hundred years in Genesis 15:13, four hundred thirty in Exodus 12:40 — before the good purpose of God began to appear. Paolo Veronese, The Finding of Moses, c. 1580
Oil on canvas, 50 x 30 cm, Museo del Prado, Madrid Veronese was a late Renaissance artist working in Venice and northern Italy. The costumes are those that would have been worn by Venetian aristocrats of the era. The bridge and city are reminiscent of Verona. Nicolas Poussin, The Finding of Moses, 1651
Oil on canvas, 116 x 178 cm
National Gallery, London Nicolas Poussin was a leading French painter of the 17th century, mostly working in Rome, and very much inspired by antique sculpture. The baby on whom Pharaoh's daughter has taken pity resembles the Christ Child blessing the Magi or the shepherds in a scene of the Adoration. In the background on the left an Egyptian priest worships the dog-shaped god Anubis (barely visible now that the surface paint has grown thin and transparent). We know we are in Egypt because on the rock above the main scene a river god, symbolizing the Nile, embraces a sphinx, palm trees stand on the shore and an obelisk rises up behind a stately temple. (continued….) The main interest and beauty of the painting is in the wonderful grouping of the figures, all women to contrast with an analogous group of men in Christ healing the Blind Man, painted for the same patron the year before. Each plays her role in the dramatic tale, the princess generous and commanding, the maids curious and delighted. The humbler figure in a white shift at Moses' head may be his sister who watched from nearby to see what would happen to him, and recommended their mother to Pharaoh's daughter as a wet nurse. Perhaps the brilliant draperies are a compliment to Poussin's patron, a Lyon silk merchant named Reynon. The picture is both solemn and joyful, suitable for a scene in which a child is rescued from death, and through him an entire people is saved. Psalm 124 Nisi quia Dominus 1 If the LORD had not been on our side, *
let Israel now say; 2 If the LORD had not been on our side, *
when enemies rose up against us; 3 Then would they have swallowed us up alive *
in their fierce anger toward us; 4 Then would the waters have overwhelmed us *
and the torrent gone over us; Psalm 124 Nisi quia Dominus 5 Then would the raging waters *
have gone right over us. 6 Blessed be the LORD! *
he has not given us over to be a prey for their teeth. 7 We have escaped like a bird from the snare of the fowler; *
the snare is broken, and we have escaped. 8 Our help is in the Name of the LORD, *
the maker of heaven and earth. Psalm 124 This is styled as a Thanksgiving for Israel’s Deliverance. The Psalm is further described as a “Song of Ascents” and is attributed to David. Isaiah 51:1-6 Thus says the Lord: "Listen to me, you that pursue righteousness, you that seek the LORD. Look to the rock from which you were hewn, and to the quarry from which you were dug. Look to Abraham your father and to Sarah who bore you; for he was but one when I called him, but I blessed him and made him many. For the LORD will comfort Zion; he will comfort all her waste places, and will make her wilderness like Eden, her Isaiah 51:1-6 desert like the garden of the LORD; joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and the voice of song. Listen to me, my people, and give heed to me, my nation; for a teaching will go out from me, and my justice for a light to the peoples. I will bring near my deliverance swiftly, my salvation has gone out and my arms will rule the peoples; the coastlands wait for me, and for my arm they hope. Isaiah 51:1-6Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look at the earth beneath; for the heavens will vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like a garment, and those who live on it will die like gnats; but my salvation will be forever, and my deliverance will never be ended." Introduction to Isaiah Isaiah of Jerusalem was active from 742 until 701 B.C., a critical period in which the Northern Kingdom was annexed by Assyria and Judah survived uneasily as a tributary. Only Isaiah 1–39 can be assigned to that period, and even those chapters contain later material. Isaiah 40–66 is generally dated to the time of Cyrus of Persia (539 B.C.) and later: chapters 40–55 are known as Second Isaiah, chapters 56–66 as Third Isaiah. Book of the Consolation of Israel The reading falls within the section headed “Salvation for Abraham's children” (Isaiah 51:1–16). Here God promises to fulfill the salvation of Zion. The image of the rock and the quarry is a symbol of Israel's solidarity — its common descent from Abraham and Sarah. Isaiah 51:2 is the only reference to Sarah in the Old Testament outside Genesis. Eden is a frequent symbol of the new age, a return to ideal conditions (compare Ezekiel 36:35; 47:1–12). Sarah The wife of Abraham and mother of Isaac. Before Genesis 17:15 she is called Sarai; both forms of the name mean “princess.” Genesis describes her as famously beautiful. When famine drove them into Egypt, Abraham asked her to say she was his sister; she was taken into Pharaoh's house, and for her sake Abraham prospered. When her true identity was revealed, Pharaoh ordered Abraham to be gone with his wife and all his possessions (Genesis 12:10–20). At ninety Sarah bore Isaac, fulfilling the divine promise (Genesis 17:17; 21:1–7). Isaiah 51:2 names Sarah as the great mother of the nation. Psalm 138 Page 793, BCP Confitebor tibi 1 I will give thanks to you, O LORD, with my whole heart; *
before the gods I will sing your praise. 2 I will bow down toward your holy temple
and praise your Name, *
because of your love and faithfulness; 3 For you have glorified your Name *
and your word above all things. Psalm 138 Page 793, BCP Confitebor tibi 4 When I called, you answered me; *
you increased my strength within me. 5 All the kings of the earth will praise you, O LORD, *
when they have heard the words of your mouth. 6 They will sing of the ways of the LORD, *
that great is the glory of the LORD. 7 Though the LORD be high, he cares for the lowly; *
he perceives the haughty from afar. Psalm 138 Page 793, BCP Confitebor tibi 8 Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you keep me safe; *
you stretch forth your hand against the fury of my enemies; your right hand shall save me. 9 The LORD will make good his purpose for me; *
O LORD, your love endures for ever;
do not abandon the works of your hands. Psalm 138: Thanksgiving for deliverance from trouble. Little is known about this psalm; it appears to be a short liturgy. It divides into an approach in the temple court, the psalmist's trouble, a hymn of praise, and an expression of faith. Like many psalms, it is attributed to David. Romans 12:1-8 I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God-- what is good and acceptable and perfect. For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each Romans 12:1-8 according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. For as in one body we have many members, and not all the members have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another. We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us: prophecy, in proportion to faith; ministry, in ministering; the teacher, in teaching; the exhorter, in exhortation; the giver, in generosity; the leader, in diligence; the compassionate, in cheerfulness. We have come round a corner in Romans In recent weeks we have worked through an elaborate argument about salvation for both Gentiles and Jews. If all are saved, and by grace alone, how then should we respond? What is a proper response? Humbleness Paul first calls on believers to be humble. Humility is not the quality Paul is best known for. Paul also notes that faith is given in differing measure. It almost sounds as if Paul is saying that we should “cut people some slack” when judging their behavior. Gifts again? In contrast to the “gifts” that result in ecstatic speech, Paul now deals with practical gifts: Prophecy Ministry Teaching Exhortation Giving Leading The list Note that leaders are listed last. The leader is also called to diligence — in contrast to leaders who simply tell others what to be diligent about. Paul is also describing, in broad terms, the Church Universal, with the understanding that all the parts, leaders and followers alike, are important and should be humble — hold that thought. Sound Familiar? Romans 12:1–8 appears several times in The Book of Common Prayer (1979): Eucharistic Prayer II, An Alternative Form of the Great Thanksgiving, p. 336 Eucharistic Prayer D, p. 373 Celebration of a New Ministry, p. 557 Not part of the daily round, but heard often. “We, who are many, are one body in Christ” is used in commissioning lay ministers. The Gospel is Matthew 16:13-20 The text contains the declaration that Peter is to be the rock on which the Church is to be built, and the famous delivery of the keys of the kingdom to Peter. Pietro Perugino, Christ Handing the Keys to St Peter, 1481-82 Fresco, 335 x 550 cm, Cappella Sistina, Vatican The fresco is from the cycle of the life of Christ in the Sistine Chapel. Likely in charge of the entire project of the fresco decoration on the walls of the Sistine Chapel, Pietro Perugino retained for himself not only representations on the altar wall (which eventually were replaced by Michelangelo's Last Judgment) but also other significant scenes, such as Christ Handing the Keys to St Peter, a most fitting subject for Pope Sixtus' chapel. The fresco is located in the fifth compartment on the north wall. Pietro Perugino, Christ Handing the Keys to St Peter, 1481-82 Fresco, 335 x 550 cm, Cappella Sistina, Vatican Perugino is known for the elegance and gracefulness of his figures. Portraits of various important people, in contemporary costume, stand behind the disciples, who wear classical dress. The fifth figure from the right is said to be a self-portrait. The structure in the background is meant to be the Temple of Solomon; it resembles the Baptistery in Florence, then thought to be a Roman building, combined with the relatively new dome of Florence Cathedral. The work is a good example of the then fairly new technique of one-point linear perspective. Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, Jesus Returning the Keys to St. Peter, 1820, Oil on canvas,
9'3" x 7'2", Montauban, France: Musée Ingres Ingres (pronounced “Ang-re”) was a leading neo-classical painter of the first half of the 19th century in France. His models were artists like Raphael (whose teacher was Perugino) and Poussin. His version has figures in Roman costumes, with Jesus in the posture of a Roman emperor, everything carefully drawn, typical of the neo-classical style. He also employs theatrical gestures found in 18th and early 19thcentury art. Matthew 16:13-20 When Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?" And they said, "Some say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Simon Peter answered, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God." And Jesus answered him, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! Matthew 16:13-20 For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." Then he sternly ordered the disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah. Peter’s Confession The keys of the kingdom are a symbol of Peter's authority as leader of the church. “Bind” and “loose” are technical rabbinic terms meaning to “forbid” and to “permit” some action about which a question has arisen. The same authority of binding and loosing is later conferred on the wider community of disciples (Matthew 18:18). Power This passage from Matthew has been used as the basis of the much later claim by the See of Rome to leadership of the Church Universal. That the same authority was ultimately given to all the apostles is generally underplayed. Peter, remembered as the first bishop of Rome, is credited with that leadership. Binding and Loosing Binding and loosing is the authority to decide a question when one arises; it has a judicial quality. Henry Chadwick, in The Early Church, describes a tradition that developed in Rome of rendering careful theological decisions whenever a controversy arose in other sees. This helped establish Rome as the leading church and the source of final appeal.
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