An initiative in which Chester Cathedral and Church House collaborated has led to hundreds studying the Bible and engaging in discussion. The project was the brainchild of Canon Jane Brooke, Vice-Dean of the Cathedral. She says: "I wanted to offer the Cathedral Bible study to a wider audience and Covid stimulated the first online series, ‘Read Mark,’ which was very well received. It is wonderful to be able to work with the Director of Studies for Readers in order to enrich the training of Readers."
Since September 2020, the partnership has delivered sessions on issues of social justice and a longer study on Luke’s Gospel.
“Being on Zoom has enabled us to hear from a wide spread of speakers,” says Liz Shercliff, the other half of the partnership, “one of our contributors was in a holiday home in Aberdeen when she spoke to us.”
Zoom has also made it possible for a wider group to learn together, particularly since the time of the sessions coincides with lunchtime for many.
Regular attendee and Reader in training, Nigel James, says: '"Come and be Revived' and 'Living Luke' have been truly stimulating sessions. It has been wonderful to consider how scripture speaks to various social justice matters, to healing and reconciliation and how the Church must be inclusive of children."
Each online session is recorded and added to the Cathedral’s youtube channel, which allows many others to enjoy them. The courses also form part of diocesan Reader training, giving a wider perspective on biblical interpretation and theological perspectives.
Since ‘Read Mark’ there has been a series called ‘Come and Be Revived’, which had sessions on the climate crisis, Black Lives Matter, and social justice among other topics. The current series is 'Living Luke', which you can view below.
Up next is a short series based on the book Being Interrupted, by Al Barrett and Ruth Harley, followed by a course introducing different approaches to theology. Already booked to speak are Al Barrett, Anthony Reddie, and Nicola Slee.
If you wish to attend a lunchtime session online, please contact deansoffice@chestercathedral.com and you will be sent the details of future courses.
Life Beginnings┃Living Luke | Chester Cathedral
How do you decide what’s right? | Living Luke┃Session 2┃Chester Cathedral
Does God Heal Today?┃Living Luke | Session 3 | Chester Cathedral
How Good was the Good Samaritan?┃Living Luke | Session 4 | Chester Cathedral
Are Children Welcome in Church? | Living Luke┃Session 5┃Chester Cathedral
What Would Jesus Say?┃Living Luke┃Session 6┃Chester Cathedral
Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People?┃Living Luke | Session 7 | Chester Cathedral