It's time for this week's Bible in 90 Days update. We're now on the downhill slide in the Old Testament. We finished Isaiah, Jeremiah and are heading through Lamentations, Ezekiel and Daniel before meeting the Minor Prophets. Most of us are looking forward to those shorter books. You feel that you are making quick progress when you finish more than one book a day!
But the books of the prophets are tough. Except for Isaiah and Jeremiah, who are echoed in the New Testament, they are unfamiliar to the average mainline Protestant. We don't know what to make of these weird guys who kept making dire prophecies to the powerful of their time and then suffered the consequences of "speaking truth to power" themselves. If the prophets were the people God liked the best--then God please don't like me too much.
Another problem is that when you read them in the order in which they are arranged in the Old Testament the chronology of events is all mixed up. For a history major like myself, this is maddening--I'm spending some time looking up timelines and trying to sort out the prophets accordingly so I can understand them better. And what to make of those visions? When you read straight through as we do in this course, they tend to get all mushed together. The dry bones rattle around the wheel within a wheel inside the firey furnace.
I think many of us in the course are interested doing some real study of these books, to understand them better and try to learn what God is telling us in them. I'm sure I won't figure that out in this type of quick survey course.
Tonight's dinner for our BIND classes featured six different soups and stews contributed by choir members. Our Marvelous Martha who coordinates the meals even presented everyone at the end of the evening with the recipe for the chicken soup that drew raves. How's that for hospitality? We are so blessed, so I am sharing it with you since it's now soup weather--
CHEESY CHICKEN CHOWDER
4 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups diced potatoes
1 cup diced celery
1 cup diced carrots
1/2 cup diced onion
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups milk
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 (8oz) loaf processed cheese spread, cubed (e.g. Velveeta)
2 cups chopped cooked chicken
Combine first 5 ingredients in a large saucepan; cover and cook over medium heat 15 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Melt butter over low heat, add flour stirring until smooth. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Gradually stir in milk; cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened and bubbly. Gradually stir in vegetable mixture, soy sauce, cheese and chicken. Cook until cheese melts and mixture is throughly heated.
You can top this with bacon bits if you like (most people do). Being the South Texas girl that I am I would be tempted to use the Velveeta cheese with jalapenos. But that's me....Bon Apetit!
But the books of the prophets are tough. Except for Isaiah and Jeremiah, who are echoed in the New Testament, they are unfamiliar to the average mainline Protestant. We don't know what to make of these weird guys who kept making dire prophecies to the powerful of their time and then suffered the consequences of "speaking truth to power" themselves. If the prophets were the people God liked the best--then God please don't like me too much.
Another problem is that when you read them in the order in which they are arranged in the Old Testament the chronology of events is all mixed up. For a history major like myself, this is maddening--I'm spending some time looking up timelines and trying to sort out the prophets accordingly so I can understand them better. And what to make of those visions? When you read straight through as we do in this course, they tend to get all mushed together. The dry bones rattle around the wheel within a wheel inside the firey furnace.
I think many of us in the course are interested doing some real study of these books, to understand them better and try to learn what God is telling us in them. I'm sure I won't figure that out in this type of quick survey course.
Tonight's dinner for our BIND classes featured six different soups and stews contributed by choir members. Our Marvelous Martha who coordinates the meals even presented everyone at the end of the evening with the recipe for the chicken soup that drew raves. How's that for hospitality? We are so blessed, so I am sharing it with you since it's now soup weather--
CHEESY CHICKEN CHOWDER
4 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups diced potatoes
1 cup diced celery
1 cup diced carrots
1/2 cup diced onion
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups milk
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 (8oz) loaf processed cheese spread, cubed (e.g. Velveeta)
2 cups chopped cooked chicken
Combine first 5 ingredients in a large saucepan; cover and cook over medium heat 15 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Melt butter over low heat, add flour stirring until smooth. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Gradually stir in milk; cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened and bubbly. Gradually stir in vegetable mixture, soy sauce, cheese and chicken. Cook until cheese melts and mixture is throughly heated.
You can top this with bacon bits if you like (most people do). Being the South Texas girl that I am I would be tempted to use the Velveeta cheese with jalapenos. But that's me....Bon Apetit!
5 comments:
That sounds divine!!!
I'm with you on the jalapeno cheese, my south Texas sister!
Ever hear that song by Greg Brown? "Smells like winter at our house/smells like winter at our house/smells like winter at our house/winter smells like soup!";-)
We have been studying the prophets in my lay ministry classes. It's so much more helpful to read them in their appropriate historical and other contexts. I think this is one of my frustrations in the Church: That sort of two-tiered Scriptural education level, where most of the people have only the most cursory knowledge of Scripture and tend to read it in an almost oracular fashion, ripping verses out of their contexts...and then the more engaged laypeople and clergypeople. My pastor told me, "Wouldn't it be great if everyone in our congregation could go through lay ministry training?" Yes; yes, it would. Except there are a lot of laypeople who, frankly, wouldn't want to do that. [rueful smile]
We call that "proof-texting"--using a text to prove your position without regard to the context. It is frustrating.
Now that I have a group of laypeople who seem interested in an in-depth Bible study, I'm looking for good materials. What are you using in your law ministry class?
Sounds wonderful :)
there is a Bible that is arranged chronolically. NOt on line though I'm afraid. It might help - not that you've got much time to look elsewhere me thinks.
great round up on Rev Gals btw - it's really helpful to have it done occasionally. You always spot good things I've missed :)
Oh, yum. Bacon and Velveeta. Can't get much better than that. Unless you smear it on a biscuit.
Post a Comment