Extra Credit

By steve DoRmeR

My wife and I moved to East Tennessee three years ago. Prior to our move, we had lived in Northern New Jersey in the same house for thirty years and raised our children there. We were active in our town and in our Church. Among our various activities, we attended Bible Studies at our Church and elsewhere.

As a somewhat new pilgrim to Eastern Tennessee, I have observed that Bible Studies are front-and-center in the culture and daily conversation. East Tennesseans are among the most gracious and open people I have ever met. Most are eager to share their life stories and those stories very often include their Church and frequently their Bible Studies. I come from a culture that is reticent about that kind of sharing so I, perhaps, find this more amazing than do native-born folks.

Most faiths have traditions that include studying the documents sacred to the faith. Christians learned the practice from their Jewish forbearers, and it has been a practice in most denominations for centuries. I know that it is common practice in many countries, and in most parts of our country, but I believe that the American South leads the pack.

The notable thing is that so many people find it so important to their lives. We attend Bible Studies, often guided by a Pastor or lay minister, to learn more of the history of our beliefs and hear “the message” from the source. The conversations that take place among the attendees often don’t have a place elsewhere in our experience. Bible Studies certainly allow us to share our beliefs but also our concerns, our grief and our joys. These study sessions are among the most intimate encounters of our day-to-day lives. We reveal ourselves to others in our discussions and in our questioning.

Moreover, we keep coming back. I’ve covered the same material multiple times in my adult life, but I am always surprised by what I learn. I am fascinated to hear what my fellow participants glean from the same verses I am reading. Garrison Keillor, the humorist, said that “no one joins the choir for the wrong reason.” I might say the same thing about participants in Bible Studies. I don’t know of any “psycho-profiles” done about Bible Study attendees, but I did come across a study that indicates that 97% of participants feel that being part of the group has helped them grow spiritually. It’s difficult to imagine any other matter in modern society that would generate 97% agreement.

At Shepherd of the Lake, Pastor Phil Vickers leads our Bible Studies, and he tends to organize them thematically. We are currently studying the Prophets. Pastor Phil discourages us from imagining the Prophets as fortune tellers but to see them more as truth tellers to a frequently unappreciative audience. In the current time, we have never been in more need of truth tellers to cut though the noise and the confrontations we are subjected to daily. Perhaps a visit to our local Bible Study group is the best place to look for guidance. It is certainly the best place to start.

Shepherd of the Lake Lutheran Church

143 Chota Center Loudon, TN 37774 865-816-4756 shepherdofthelaketn.org