Digging Deeper into the Bible

Shirley McLaren recently attended the “Introduction to the Bible” course at Sandy Saulteaux.  The first time Shirley took a course at SSSC it was for credit in her Designated Lay Ministry program.  This time it was for continuing education.  Here is Shirley’s review of the biblical learning:

The Introduction to the Bible week at Sandy Saulteaux Spiritual Centre was very interesting.  It is a great learning atmosphere as well as a sacred space.  All people are respectful of one another and can enter into discussion freely.

I enjoyed the Bible Studies which allows participants to dig deeper into their thoughts as well as listen to other’s opinions on the same passage of scripture.  It was a new learning for me how different cultures could interpret scriptures differently based on their experiences in life.

I was reminded of the themes that weave throughout the Bible.  Some of these include creation, liberation, land and people, and covenants.  As I read scripture now, I can see these themes and how they relate to other stories on the same theme.

The Bible is made up of stories.  The elders relate stories to Aboriginal people.  In my mind, these two connect.  Our Bible is like stories that are passed down from people who lived generations before us.  In the gospels, stories are told up to four times but each time a bit different.  I often question what the truth is and not take the story for its worth.  Truth or fiction?   It doesn’t matter, as long as I understand the lesson from the story.  The Bible is not made up of answers.

The Bible and Original Instructions go hand in hand and actually overlap.  All people can learn from both of them.  They both teach about life and not so much about law.  It is important that I take the stories from the Bible and make them fit situations in my community and church.

The hand-outs that we received in this course were very valuable.  They offer a useful resource for finding information very quickly. 

Thank you for another interesting week of continuing education.  To be in community in this Aboriginal Learning Circle is valuable in itself.  It is about building relationships, being in community and understanding what it is like to be the minority in a group.  These lessons are invaluable to me and only help to make me more understanding and a better person.

 – Shirley McLaren