St. John XXIII
Walking in the Foot Prints of Jesus
The OLD TESTAMENT - Their Story is Our Story
The OLD TESTAMENT - Their Story is Our Story series is Part 3 of St. John XXIII’s Walking in the Foot Prints of Jesus Discipleship Journey series. We began by exploring what it means to be a disciple and how to go about developing the habits of discipleship. We then studied the qualities and characteristics of being a disciple - what does discipleship look like in the grit of everyday life – as taught in Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. We are now ready to see those qualities in action.
Discipleship has been a part of our story from the very beginning. From Adam and Eve to David to Mary, the Bible is filled with stories of the struggles and blessings that come with leading a discipleship life. Over the next nine months, we invite you to journey with us as we explore the stories of the Old Testament. We will present different characters and events, reflect on their significance, and explore their connection with our own faith experience. Their story is our story. Reflecting on the parallels enables us to more deeply connect with the foundation of our Christian faith.
The format of this series will be similar to the previous years. Each week we will meet someone who played a significant role in salvation history. The relevant Scripture passage will be cited, the story summarized, and a reflection offered. Our hope is the reflection joins our faith experience to that of the character in the story to better connect us with our heritage. Finally, a reflection question invites the reader to go deeper into the material. Due to space limitation, we aren’t able to include the entirety of the story in the reflections. However, these stories are rich in content and meaning so a link to the Scripture is provided. We encourage you click into Scripture or pull out your Bible and delve into the text. With each piece, we provide the Scriptural reference for the particular story about which we will be writing. After reading the passage and as a way to more deeply connect with its significance, place yourself into the story as if you were there. Envision yourself as one of the characters participating in the dialogue and experiencing the events as they unfold. Notice what stands out for you and spend some time reflecting and praying about it; you might be surprised at what you learn!
For those who might not be familiar with how to locate the cited Scripture passage in the Bible, we offer this brief tutorial.
The name of the book is always listed first, often in abbreviated form. Each Bible contains a list of abbreviations in its beginning pages along with the page number of where that book is located. Most Bibles list the books in the upper corners of the page to help with locating them. The next number represents the chapter number within that book, followed by a colon. The verses within the chapter are listed next. In the example above, the Scripture reference includes the range of verses from 11 through 32. If the verse numbers are separated with a comma, then the verses are taken individually.
One final suggestion before diving into the Bible stories. The Bible is a dynamic, living thing meant to be opened, read, and lived. As you read the stories, we encourage you to highlight or underline those passages that stand out or seem significant to you so that you can return to them later for deeper reflection. We may not understand in the moment why one passage sticks out more than others, but we will be led to their deeper meaning through prayer and further contemplation.
We are glad you are joining us as we continue Walking in the Foot Prints of Jesus and invite you to open your heart to receive the materials and allow the Holy Spirit to come more fully into your life.
If you would like to discuss the materials further or have any questions, please contact Kelly Lemens.
One final suggestion before diving into the Bible stories. The Bible is a dynamic, living thing meant to be opened, read, and lived. As you read the stories, we encourage you to highlight or underline those passages that stand out or seem significant to you so that you can return to them later for deeper reflection. We may not understand in the moment why one passage sticks out more than others, but we will be led to their deeper meaning through prayer and further contemplation.
We are glad you are joining us as we continue Walking in the Foot Prints of Jesus and invite you to open your heart to receive the materials and allow the Holy Spirit to come more fully into your life.
If you would like to discuss the materials further or have any questions, please contact Kelly Lemens.
