Eastern North Dakota Synod

Book of Faith Resources

Coming soon to the resource center is Book of Faith Course I. Watch too for a Lenten resource called 40 Days with the Book of Faith. A set of CDs by John Shea focusing on the gospels, Gospel Food for Hungry Christians: Images and Reflections from the Gospels by John Shea provides stimulating insights into  Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.  (CDs 37, 38, 39, 40)

A newly revised DVD by Mark Allen Powell, How Lutherans Interpret the Bible is a seven session introduction to basic issues of biblical interpretation.  Titles include The Word of God, What Lutherans Say About the Bible, Where the Bible Comes From, Interpreting the Bible in Context, Determining Right from Wrong, The Many Meanings of the Bible, and Devotional Bible Reading.  (DVD228)

Romans: Living Faithfully is a twelve session DVD course for exploring the great themes in Romans.  Participants will experience an overview of this important letter and basic insights into what Paul meant by the bad news of human sin and the good news of justification.  Presented by Walter Taylor, Professor of New Testament at Trinity Lutheran Seminary.  (DVD225)

Another helpful New Testament resource is David Rhoad’s Dramatic Presentation of Paul’s Letter to the Galatians.  This dramatic reading of the epistle to the  Galatians illustrates the power of the spoken word.  It also includes background on the church at Galatia and a feature on justification.  (DVD227)

The Gospel of John is a new six session overview of the structure and theology of John’s gospel. Presentations are by Robert Kysar.  (DVD226)

Craig Koester’s The Death of Jesus in the Gospel of John could serve as an additional look at John’s account of Jesus’ arrest and trial including four different perspectives on the meaning of the crucifixion.  Three lectures and a comprehensive study guide.  (DVD229)

Encountering God in Scripture: Finding Yourself in the Story of God includes ten 5-minute sessions on “the big questions about the Bible.”  Five short bible studies and a study guide are also included.  (DVD201)

Opening the Book of Faith: Lutheran Insights for Bible Study is a must have.  This basic introduction to bible study by Diane Jacobson, Mark Allan Powell, and Stanley Olson.  Four sample studies are included.

Additional resources for the Book of Faith can be found in “Biblical Resources for Congregational Life,” a Recommended Resource Collection from the resource center, as well as in the Topic: ELCA Book of Faith section of this website.

New from Rob Bell

If you’ve not had a chance to view the Nooma films by Rob Bell, you might like to take at the newest Nooma films:  Nooma: She on feminine language and imagery for God and Nooma: Open on prayer.  These short (10-12 minutes) films address questions of faith and life in deeply meaningful ways.

Exploration of Faith and Emerging Church Resources

Many new resources on the topic of the emerging church are available.  The downloadable Recommended Resource Sheet entitled “Being Church in the 21st Century: Themes from the Emerging Church” is a good place to start.

The Present Future: Six Tough Questions for the Church is a ten-session DVD curriculum by Reggie McNeal.  It’s meant to help participants recognize six important realities church leaders must face if they are to move beyond “churchianity” to a more authentic, missional faith.  (Leader and participant guide) (DVD202)

Logos Productions is highlighting a recent book by Marcus Borg, The Heart of Christianity together with two very interesting companion resources:

1. Experiencing the Heart of Christianity is a twelve session program for small groups led by Tim Scorer and Borg (accompanying DVD) divided into two main parts: Seeing the Christian Tradition Again and Seeing the Christian Life Again.  (B3435)
2. Living the Heart of Christianity -also a companion to Borg’s book- is a guide for putting faith into action.  (B3434)

Tom Wright, whose New Testament work continues to enrich Christian life and study, has recently produced Simply Christian: Why Christianity Makes Sense. He offers a fresh  presentation of the timeless truths of Christianity making the case that faith is reasonable and rewarding for us today.  In this ten session course, Wright expands on the themes of his acclaimed book “Simply Christian” in video-based lessons.  (DVD186)