Encounter with God: January–March 2022

By Ray Porter, Mark Keown, David Firth and 3 more

Encounter with God is Scripture Union's daily Bible reading guide designed to lead you to a deeper understanding about what God is saying to you and to his world today. You'll find its thorough and energetic investigation of the whole Bible inspiring and stimulating. And you'll discover that its biblical exposition is complemented by pastoral warmth from a strong field of writers and contributors. As well as daily content, feature articles provide insights into Christian spirituality, tackle contemporary issues, and profile teachers who inspire.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Scripture Union
• Release date: Sep 17, 2021
• ISBN: 9781785068621

Ray Porter

Ray Porter is an Anglican minister living in Cambridgeshire. He is a retired member of OMF International and a visiting lecturer at Oak Hill College.

Book preview

Cover: Encounter with God January to March 2022 by Eric Gaudion, Elaine Storkey, David Smith, David Firth, Mark Keown, Ray Porter and Sally Nelson

Contents

Editorial: Name Above All Names

The Writers

SU article: Nurturing Young Faith

Using this Guide

Matthew 19–23; Psalms 27,28,29 Mark Keown

Numbers 3–19; Psalms 30,31,32 Ray Porter

Revelation 1–11; Psalms 33,34,35 David Smith

Bible Unpacked: Reading the Psalms David Firth

Job 22–42; Psalms 36,37,38,39 Eric Gaudion

Matthew 24,25 Elaine Storkey

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ISBN 978 1 78506 862 1 (epub)

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About Scripture Union

Scripture Union is a Christian charity, inviting children and young people to explore the difference Jesus can make to the challenges and adventures of life.

Through a wide range of activities and initiatives, we provide opportunities for young people to explore the Bible, respond to Jesus and grow in faith. Having been established in England over 150 years ago, Scripture Union is now a global movement active in over 120 countries.

We believe every child should have the chance to discover Jesus. And, with an estimated 95% of children in England and Wales not part of a church, we’re working harder than ever to take the good news of Jesus beyond the church in exciting and culturally relevant ways.

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Editorial

Name Above All Names

My name might seem like something that is ‘mine’, but it was first a gift from those who loved me, and says something about the community to which I belong.

Names are powerful in Scripture. The name of God (I

am

) is deliberately mysterious, since we can never know him fully. The names of Bible characters are also full of meaning and are sometimes changed to signify a new calling.

Ray Porter, in his introduction to Numbers, makes a comment about names that set me thinking about the experiences of the pandemic:

‘We will pass over most of the lists of names in this book. It is important, however, that we recognise why they are included. The God of Israel is also the God of individuals …’

This idea, that we are individuals in community, feels important. At the time of writing, our news is dominated by numbers: of those infected by COVID-19. One year into the pandemic, we are acutely aware of the overwhelming numbers of people whose lives have been lost. I heard a radio broadcast in which listeners could call in with the name of someone who had died, which was then read out. This public litany of names, of people I did not know, was profoundly moving. Numbers became people, and knowing their names powerfully underlined the sense of human loss.

We are each called by name and known to God. Every one of us is a part of the body of Christ, and if one part is either hurting or full of joy, then the whole body is affected. We all matter, and we treasure one another for the sake of him who bears the Name above all names.

Sally Nelson

Editor

Angela Grigson

Senior Content Manager

ON THE COVER: ‘Jesus explains that many things can threaten the development of a spiritual seed into a mature plant of faith.’

Image credit: iStock David Ziegler

The Writers

MARK KEOWN is the Senior Lecturer of New Testament at Laidlaw College, New Zealand, and a Presbyterian minister. Mark has published a number of books and articles, including the EEC commentary on Philippians, Jesus in a World of Colliding Empires and Discovering the New Testament.

RAY PORTER is a retired member of OMF International and lecturer at Oak Hill College. He is an Anglican minister living in Cambridgeshire, UK.

DAVID SMITH is engaged in international ministry in Asia and Africa. He continues writing – his most recent book is Stumbling Toward Zion on the importance of the biblical tradition of lament. He lives in Scotland.

ERIC GAUDION lives in Guernsey and is married to Diane. He has served as a pastor in the UK and as a missionary in the Seychelles and Zimbabwe. His latest book is Through the Storms; a manual for when life hurts.

ELAINE STORKEY is an academic theologian and social scientist, living in Cambridgeshire, UK, who has served as theological adviser to bishops and archbishops in the Church of England. A writer, broadcaster and much-travelled public speaker, she also served as President of Tearfund from 1996 to 2013.

DAVID FIRTH is an Old Testament Tutor and Academic Dean at Trinity College Bristol.

SALLY NELSON is the Dean of Baptist Formation at St Hild College, Yorkshire, UK, where she also teaches Christian doctrine and pastoral care. She is a Baptist minister and has been the commissioning editor for Encounter with God since 2015.

SU ARTICLE

NURTURING YOUNG FAITH

Children and young people who aren’t in church need support, not just to explore faith but to respond and grow, too. Faith Guides and Grow Communities play a vital role in this process. SU Mission Enabler Neil Jackson, himself a Faith Guide, tells us more.

In the parable of the sower, Jesus explains that many things can threaten the development of a spiritual seed into a mature plant of faith. In the same way, if we introduce children and young people to Jesus but don’t nurture and encourage them on their spiritual journey, they may falter before faith has the opportunity to develop.

That’s what happened with Francesca* – her family don’t go to church, but she knew a bit about Jesus and Christian faith because she went to a Church of England primary school. Every Wednesday, a teacher would read a Bible story to the class and Francesca really enjoyed it. But when she moved on to secondary school, that Christian input ceased and so did her spiritual development.

Then she happened to meet my daughter, Millie, who had just joined the same school. The two of them had lots of shared interests – art, drama, film – and quickly became firm friends. At Millie’s invitation, Francesca started coming to Recharge, a monthly youth club I’d set up as a volunteer and Faith Guide with my church. It’s aimed at young people without church backgrounds, so there are lots of activities for them to enjoy and a light touch of spiritual content. Millie planned to go on SU’s Quantum holiday the following summer, and asked Francesca if she’d like to accompany her. Francesca was keen, so off the two of them went for a few days of fun and faith exploration.

A few years ago, young people often had negative perceptions of Christianity, but that’s all changed now. Faith is an unknown quantity, and so they are really open to investigating it. That was certainly the case with Francesca; at Quantum she had a real curiosity to learn more, enjoyed Bible study time and didn’t hesitate to ask the holiday leaders and Millie lots of questions! When they returned home, Francesca and Millie started reading and discussing the Bible together every week.

* Name and image have been changed

Grow Communities – a place for faith to develop and mature

Francesca continued coming to Recharge. A few months later, we added an extra session, Precharge, which Francesca joined. In the language of SU’s new mission framework, Precharge is what we call a Grow Community. It’s run and shaped by the young people themselves. Guided by adults, they explore and grow in faith in a setting and manner that works for them, rather than us expecting them to adapt to the very alien culture of formal church services. We’ve been using SU’s Rooted resources, focusing on issues that are important to young people as a basis for discussion and Bible exploration.

Guided by adults, they explore and grow in faith in a setting and manner that works for them

Recently, I asked Francesca to tell me more about her thoughts on spirituality and the Christian faith. She said, ‘I’ve believed in God from a young age. I’ve always tried to act as best I can towards others and to be kind. But it’s only more recently through Recharge and Precharge that I’ve understood things like that God and Jesus are separate but also one. And that Christianity isn’t just about knowledge, it’s about having faith. It surprised me a bit and I started asking questions.

‘I enjoy reading the Bible because it tells me more about life, history and how I should live. After I went on SU’s Quantum holiday, I was reading it every week and really enjoyed discussing it with Millie. Now I read it once every couple of months but want to read it more often. I was given a Good News Bible as a leaver’s gift by my primary school, and I use that.

‘I like to pray – I try to pray every night before bed. I whisper rather than pray in my head, as it helps me to focus. I’m a bit in awe of God, like I would be of someone famous or important, but I also talk to him as a friend. I’m mostly open with him; I tell him what’s on my mind. I pray about family and friends – I might ask God to bless them, or for help with specific things. And I tell him what I’m thankful for.’

Faith Guides – providing direction and support

It’s great that the groups I’ve helped to run, and SU’s Quantum holiday, have developed Francesca’s interest in reading the Bible and praying. But what’s most revealing is her discovery that being a Christian isn’t just knowing about Jesus in your head, it’s about believing in him in your heart. If her faith journey had ended when primary school did, she might never have discovered that important truth for herself.

That’s why Scripture Union is looking for volunteers to become Faith Guides, to walk with children and young people on their journey. You don’t need to be a professional youth or children’s worker to be a Faith Guide, and you can play an active part in helping the next generation to discover Jesus, explore faith and develop in their spiritual understanding.

Scripture Union provides you with resources and training. Our Mission Enablers will mentor