My workshop is entitled Apocalypse Now! and is described as follows: Exploring apocalyptic literature: scriptural and beyond. How should we read the apocalyptic passages and books of the Bible? What do they reveal to us of God's workings and God’s realm? And where has the line of this style of writing continued - through beyond the solely scriptural? Come with eyes wide open to the possible and the remarkable.
The theme of the day is ‘In the beginning...’ - Well loved opening words for the final reading at the Christmas Carol Service, perhaps. Or words used in the telling again at the Easter Vigil of the events surrounding the creation of our beautiful world - events that recall God’s creative impulse and enjoyment of all that was brought into being - all that was beheld as ‘good.’
Some love the King James Version, others The Message. Some like the settings of the Psalms in the NIV but prefer Mark as found in the NRSV. And what if you don’t know what any of these letters mean?!
This year’s Exploring Spirituality Day is all about the Word - in whatever translation suits you, and in the different ways in which we experience it. This year’s Workshops will afford an opportunity to explore and encounter the Word of God in ways that are new and unusual to some, as well as familiar and comfortable for others.
The gift of God’s Word is just that, gift. This year we celebrate 400 years of the King James Bible - but loving the beautiful Shakespearian quality of this particular text does not mean there is no space for anything more contemporary. We do well to enquire as to how God has continued to inspire Biblical Scholars to craft phrases that are useful and reflective of our age but that also retain depth of meaning and inspiration in purpose.
The Very Reverend Jeffrey John is keynote speaker for the day. Jeffrey is noted by many as a gifted Scholar and Preacher. For the past seven years he has served as Dean of St Albans, previously serving at Southwark Cathedral as Canon Chancellor.
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Kirk Whalum - It's What I Do.
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