Are you looking for intentional reading of the Bible together, regularly, and in community? Then plan to participate in our next Bible Conversations series! We are almost done with Reading the Bible in Community with the book of Lamentations. We started on November 8th, meeting every Friday for one hour, and are still going! We finish on the 3rd of January with Summaries & Goodbye’s.

Next up is the book of Amos!

Sign up here by completing this survey! https://forms.gle/tEgZwwkXZ5HHsTYeA

A popular verse out of Amos is Amos 5:24 (NIV) which says,

“But let justice roll on like a river,
    righteousness like a never-failing stream!

What if we slowed down enough to listen deeply to what God might be trying to show us from this text as we spend time reading through this book together, chapter by chapter, and week by week? Amos is divided into 9 chapters so this time our discussion schedule will be more condensed. But don’t worry, each week will have less than 30 verses to read and digest throughout the week. This leaves us time to wrap up our 6 weeks together with Summaries (our best dishes) and Goodbye’s on 28 February (to begin the season of Lent the following week). See the calendar below.

Will you make time to contribute each week?

Starting Friday, January 24th 2025, 5:30pmCDT (1 hour) via Zoom.

You can read about the inspiration for this series here or here for original video invite (7 min) below and (another video (5 min) recorded Jan 18th for last call!)
Here’s what you should know:

• Everyone reads the chapter in advance and comes with something to share with the group. You can go as deep as you like in your personal study! Personally, I receive accountability from our time of being together.
• Everyone gives something and receives something from others as they share what stood out to them. Most appreciated from our Lamentations group was how people came together from diverse backgrounds and from various locations in our world to talk about the Bible!
• We listen, consider one another’s points, learn and grow together in community. This group prioritizes sharing space for each person to contribute.
• We also briefly take time to pray for one another as we meet weekly – as we are in a virtual community together.
• We meet one week at a time, one hour at a time, one share at a time. May the Spirit of God enliven and equip us to grow spiritually and relationally for the benefit of the glory of God and the benefit of all people for whom the Lord loves.

Calendar Friday’s 1 hour a week starting 24 Jan 2025, 5:30pm – 6:30pm CDT via Zoom

Download this calendar here.

Dramatized audio reading of Amos is here (NIV).

• 24 Jan – Introductions & Sharing from Amos 1* (adjusted)
• 31 Jan – Sharing from Amos 2
  
• 7 Feb – Sharing from Amos 3
  
• 14 Feb – Sharing from Amos 4
  
• 21 Feb – Sharing from Amos 5
  
• 28 Feb – break
  
• 7 March – Sharing from Amos 6
  
• 14 March – Sharing from Amos 7
  
• 21 March – Sharing from Amos 8
• 28 March – Sharing from Amos 9
  
• 4 April – Summary Your Best Dishes/Main Points from Amos & this group experience, Prayer, Goodbye for those not continuing.
• THE SEASON OF LENT! (I plan on reading Kathy Escobar’s new book called “Turning Over Tables: A lenten call for disrupting power.” Let me know if you’re interested in reading this with me! It’s set up to read something each day starting on Ash Wednesday, 5 March, 2025.  I am also planning to engage the 2025 Emmanuel McCall Lenten Devotional Series. (I’m one of the contributors for 2025!) SIGN UP HERE! https://cbf.net/congregational-ministries/racial-justice/ . Last year’s copy is here.)

Let me know if you have any questions by emailing me at sejanashines@gmail.com or type in a response below.

However, if you are ready to commit, sign up here by completing this survey! https://forms.gle/tEgZwwkXZ5HHsTYeA

I’m already looking forward to sharing this 6 week experience of reading through Amos in community together with you. Be sure to pre-read Amos Chapters 1 & 2 before our first gathering so you can have something to share with us! The Bible Project has a 7 minute video overview of the entire book here– but I’d like to hear what stood out for you in your time of reading with God when we meet together each week.

Please share this blog today with others who might be a great fit for this virtual community Bible reading experience starting Friday, 24 January 2025! It will be here before you know it!

Thank you,

Sejana