Pre-gathering Bible Study

Participants in this morning’s Bible study, led by Diaconal Ministers Kathy Garrison and Wayne Ralston, looked at Scripture that examines the Assembly’s theme and that addresses the question: ITALICS How are we perceived when people come to visit our congregation? A person’s perception is his/her reality.

Participants split up into groups of three or four. Each group examined an Old or New Testament story and the perceptions among the various actors in the story – how one group or person saw another and how this affected their relationships. These perceptions were applied to the present day in our congregations.

One thing that was noted about all the readings was that they address the difference between love and fear – fear of the other (someone not like us) vs. accepting someone unconditionally.

One of the passages that a group examined had come up before – it was the same one that was used yesterday in the presentation of the keynote speaker.