Parish Bible Study
Led by parishioner Jay Blossom, Saint Mark’s Bible study meets on Thursday evenings on mostly alternating weeks (see schedule below) from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the Rectory Parlor, enter the Rectory door and climb the stairs to the second floor. Please note that for summer 2025, Bible Study shifts to Wednesday.
A normal Bible study hour at Saint Mark’s involves reading a chapter or two straight from the Bible, stopping frequently for a guided discussion of its meaning. Skeptics and believers alike are welcome, there’s no homework, and no previous experience is required! An outline of the evening is:
5:30-6:00 p.m. - (Optional) Join the parish's daily Evening Prayer service in the Church
6:00-6:15 p.m. - Gathering and conversation in the Rectory Parlor
6:15-7:05 p.m. - Bible study
7:05-7:15 p.m. - Prayer requests, Compline, departure
The primary goal of the study is increasing our familiarity the Bible as a whole, so our readings often alternate between obscure books and “greatest hits.” We never shy away from the hard parts, and we try to employ some recent critical scholarship even as we read the text in a fairly straightforward way.
Jay Blossom, who earned a graduate degree in religion from Duke University, is the convener and leader. He welcomes questions, tries to make difficult passages plain, and invites everyone to participate at whatever level they feel comfortable. Come to converse, study, or listen. For more information, text him at 215-922-6892 or email him at jsfblossom@yahoo.com.
Bible Study Schedule for Summer 2025
Wednesday, July 24. The Sermon on the Mount. Matthew 5
The "beatitudes" lay out Jesus' unconventional ethic, and he turns traditional teachings on their head. Great material for discussion.
Wednesday, August 7. The Roll Call of the Heroes of Faith. Hebrews 11-12.
The anonymous author of the Letter to the Hebrews recounts the names some of the greatest figures of the Old Testament, reframing them a exemplars of "faith," which is (in his well-known definition) "the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen."
Wednesday, August 21. Maybe the Fish Was Right. Jonah 1-4
This very short book is one of the most fascinating in all the Bible, not only because of some of its well-loved narrative elements, like the "great fish" that swallows the prophet whole. Rather, this is a book by a Hebrew writer about a Hebrew prophet nevertheless "problematizes" the entire notion of what a Hebrew prophet is and what he's supposed to do. Who is the teacher, and who is the learner? Who are the rebellious sinners and who are the god-fearers? The answers are far more complicated than they first appear. Be prepared vigorous discussion.