Teaching a class of Sunday School students many years ago, I asked my little scholars to look up and say the first book of the Bible. An energetic young boy found the page and yelled, “Preface!”
One of my relatives, (then age four), upon learning that Noah lived to be 950 years old told his Sunday School teacher, “I don’t think that’s true.”
Another time I wrote the name of the book Exodus on the chalkboard using a cursive capital E. A little first-grade girl put her head on the table and began to sob saying, “I don’t know any words that start with the letter three.”
One time, as we studied the story of Elizabeth, who was barren and could have no children, I asked, “Does anyone know what barren is?” One child replied enthusiastically, “A lady with no clothes!”
My all-time favorite memory is the time I was teaching a class that included a child who had never heard a Bible story before. She leaned forward after the story and asked, “Is this true?”
It was my delight to say, “Yes. Yes it is.”
But of course, these are amusing anecdotes from Sunday School. Here are a few adult stumpers.
Q: What kind of whale swallowed Jonah?
A: The Bible says Jonah was swallowed by a great fish, not necessarily a whale.
Q: Why did Eve take a bite from the apple?
A: She didn’t. The Bible says Eve ate from a fruit tree but never identifies the kind of fruit.
Q: What song did the angels sing to the shepherds keeping sheep in the fields near Bethlehem?
A: They didn’t sing. Luke 2:13-14 says, “Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
I read a book earlier this summer called “Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus.” What impressed me about the author’s devout Muslim family was its devotion to their holy book, the Koran.
Children memorize huge portions of the Koran. Mullah’s and other devout Muslims memorize the whole thing. They study it every day.
Sometimes people say, “If I were stranded on a desert island, the only book I would need to read is the Bible.” But do they read it now? If you are a Christian, when is the last time you opened and read your holy book?
Which brings me to my shameless plug for my favorite organization.
Bible Study Fellowship is a worldwide Bible study organization with more than 1,500 classes in cities and towns all over the world — including Luverne. A class for women began meeting here last fall and will resume meeting in the evenings on Tues., Sept. 13. A class for men has also been added. The classes meet from September to the first week in May. This year’s 28-week study is on the Book of John.
Last year more than 50 women from 12 area churches, and many women with no church affiliation, joined the study. One of the things they liked the most was meeting each other outside of class and being able to connect on a deeper level in the grocery store, at work or at football games.
Class members ranged in age from 25 to 87 and their Bible knowledge ranged from “none” to “scholar.”
So ... if you think the first book of the Bible is Preface, or if you still display your 1969 “Bible drill champion” pin from Sunday school, come and join us.
It will give you a chance to open your holy book and see what it says.
For more information about the women’s or the men’s class, you can email the author at brenda@myhrestudio.com.