I am missing our Wednesday morning Bible study this week. Until a year or two ago, a small group of us would get together on Wednesdays to dwell in the upcoming week’s readings while sipping hot coffee and eating cookies. The texts, while often familiar, would offer new insights and emotions depending on what was happening in the world at the time.
Wednesday morning regular Helen Klanderud arrived each Wednesday with her good friend Chris. She entered the room in her pink sweater, and she walked intentionally, with the assistance of a steady walker (often with Security Director Dwayne Wright) by her side. She would read the Scripture verses in her beautiful “teacher reading” voice, and together we would unpack what the writers were trying to tell us.
If I’m honest, I could use the collective insight of the Wednesday morning Bible study group this week. Our Gospel invites us to consider questions asked of Jesus by the religious elite as they are growing more and more concerned about his authority and purpose. Tensions are escalating, and Jesus continues to teach in parables, stories that invite careful thought about God, God’s people, and the relationships that both connect and divide us.
As I think about dear Helen and her response to the questions asked in this week’s Gospel, I have to wonder whether she would have responded decisively or with just another question to this complex text. The great gift of Wednesday morning Bible study was never about coming up with the right answer. It was always the conversation – the insights, the curiosity, and the questions.
And maybe that’s what Jesus intends for us too.
See you in church,
Pastor Stephanie