Severn Vineyard's All You Can Eat Buffet Severn Vineyard

Bern Leckie and Owen Lynch share thoughts and feelings about the first book of Samuel, chapters 1 to 20.
What sort of kingdom did God want to build, and how was this shown when it worked well, and not so well? 
The rules had been set about who was meant to do what, but Samuel was a surprising addition to the line of priests who would mediate between people and God. Born of faith and dedicated in faithfulness, Samuel listened and was responsive to God, so under his leadership, people could know what God’s leadership was like.
In contrast, Israel’s next leader was a strong man, loved for his appearance and for getting things done, but more likely to do things his own way than God’s way.
What can we learn from these people? Who do we really want to be our leaders, and how do we want to live in God’s kingdom ourselves?
The next part of our boxset will look at the rest of 1 Samuel as well as 2 Samuel chapters 1 to 10. Listen along at your own pace at severnvineyard.org/bible.

What is hell, and where have we got our ideas about this from? Claire Lynch looks at the stories and images in the Bible that relate to this, and how people in the Bible, including Jesus, communicated by referring to concepts that were meaningful and resonant with their audience. These included ideas drawn from Hebrew and neighbouring cultures, and were quite different from the imagery which became common to describe hell much later in western culture.
Could the ideas of eternal, conscious torment and separation from God be based on misunderstandings or misapplications of the Bible? If so, what can we learn from the Bible, its prophecies, teachings and the words of Jesus to give us a better understanding of what God might do with us when we die?

Bern Leckie and Owen Lynch share thoughts and feelings about the books of Ruth and Esther, as well as Proverbs chapters 10 to 18.
What does it mean to be Jewish, or part of any meaningful group? The stories of Ruth and Esther are perspectives on this, both celebrated for what they can show us about faith, courage, loss and redemption, but differing in emphasis and perhaps what people might conclude from them.
Esther’s story was shared when Jewish people were scattered across the ancient world and needed reminding and encouraging about their shared identity and specialness. Others posed threats to their existence, but they could still prevail and thrive as a people, and remember this in the annual celebration of Purim.
Ruth’s story has a different perspective on the role of outsiders, demonstrating how a foreigner who shared the Jewish values of loyalty and love could find themselves grafted into the family tree. What happened with Ruth would lead to descendants King David, who would show what closeness to God looked like in worship, and Jesus, who would bring God’s kingdom close enough for everyone to grasp.
Can engaging with these stories, along with the Proverbs, highlight where we might be struggling with fear, loss or division between people, and encourage us to seek God’s perspective?
The next part of our boxset will look at the book 1 Samuel, chapters 1 to 20. Listen along at your own pace at severnvineyard.org/bible.

Bern Leckie and Owen Lynch share thoughts and feelings about the book of Judges.
There are lots of gory stories which aren’t suitable for Sunday School (Bern shares an embarrassing Dad moment…) and it’s hard to find good role models, but perhaps Gideon comes close in the way he consults and responds to God, ready to do surprising things with humility when asked.
In contrast, Samson looks like the kind of “strong man” leader who makes the most of their God-given blessings and look like they’re good at getting things done, but turn out to be fatally flawed. Does he remind us of anyone?
It can be tragic when we have God in our culture but not in our hearts. How much more can we expect from ourselves, each other and our leaders if we can really be guided by God and not misuse his culture, name, power, and the opportunities he’s given us?
The next part of our boxset will look at the books of Ruth and Esther, as well as Proverbs chapters 10 to 18. Listen along at your own pace at severnvineyard.org/bible.

How far would this revolution go? Owen Lynch looks at the way scattered believers in the early days of the church encountered new believers who looked like they would not fit in. While the law, as people understood it, seemed to put them on the margins or outside the boundaries of acceptability, an African eunuch had not only found status in a royal household, but also found scripture which pointed them to Jesus. Why was their baptism so remarkable? How could it revolutionise religious people’s understanding - and ours - of the Kingdom of God?

Bern Leckie and Owen Lynch share thoughts and feelings about the book of Joshua.
At face value, this story of the establishment of Israel in its promised land is a combination of glory and horror - there is new life for God’s people, but a lot of death for almost everyone else.
It’s important to consider how people at the time would have heard and understood these stories, which don’t fit together in a way which allows anyone to take them too literally. Scholars differ in their interpretations, but there is a strong case for finding the truth in the meaning of what is shared through symbols and hyperbole.
What does it mean that God was credited for bringing people across the river and acting decisively in battle? What difference does it make that this was not a kingdom being established by human effort but by God? And what difference would it make to us today if we recognised that what we thought was ours really belongs to God, and that we can trust him to guide us?
The next part of our boxset will look at the book of Judges. Listen along at your own pace at severnvineyard.org/bible.