On Wednesday afternoons at 1:00 we gather together for Bible study led by Pastor Matthew.  This group has explored many books of the Bible including Psalms, Galatians, Romans, Genesis, as well as a series on women of the Bible, and similarly to the Sunday Forum, we spent a year looking at the way Lutheran’s read the Bible using materials from the Book of Faith Bible Studies from Augsburg Fortress.  Lately we’re reading the Book of Genesis.   But the real reason this group gets together is for the coffee and the treats!   There is always coffee, and every week somebody brings cookies or coffee cake.

This is a supportive group that shares the struggles and joys of their life with each other, and welcomes newcomers with a natural grace.  One of the strengths of this group is that as older and younger men and women meet together there is some kind of faith or wisdom that gets transferred through the presence and conversation with each other.  Those who have been through it all and seen everything give quiet encouragement to those who are still trying to find their way.  And those who are struggling tend to ask questions that get the rest of the group looking deeper into life’s mysteries.  Through all of this, there is God’s grace.  This isn’t part of the program, and there is no planned way that this happens.  There is just some kind of strength being passed along in this group that maybe we can call the Holy Spirit.