The Old Testament: What it is it and what does it contain?

The Old Testament is a witness to the relationship of God to his people – a relationship which is expressed through Vocation (Call) and Covenant (Promise).
God calls creation into being and calls a people to be his own. He promises that they will be his people and he will be their God. Time and again in the Old Testament God seeks to renew his promise as time and again those he has chosen fall short of their calling. God gives the Law in order to provide order based on his will – it is his gift for the faithful living out of the Covenant. ( Texts:  Genesis 17:5, 22:17 & Exodus 6:7)

The Books of the Old Testament

The Old Testament is a collection of books written over a long period of time. The books are very different in content and style, but each relates in some way to the Jewish people and their covenant with God.

The Old Testament: Prediction of a Messiah

As time went on the Jewish people grew to expect the intervention of a Messiah (the “Anointed One”) to be God’s vindication of his chosen people – setting them free from oppression. The prophets, in particular, looked forward to the one who was to come. The final prophet was John the Baptist – whom some saw as the fulfilment of the prophecy in Isaiah 40:3

The New Testament:  Who is Jesus Christ?

If we had seen Jesus during his ministry, we would have been able to keep a log book – a journal of all that he said and did. This would make fascinating reading, but it would only tell us what Jesus did, not who he is.
Jesus described himself as “the Way, the Truth and the Life”. He calls us into God’s kingdom and brings about the New Covenant – which promises eternal life. Through Jesus we are reconciled to the Father.

The significance of the death and resurrection of Jesus.

Jesus gives us his life and shares his Spirit. In his death and resurrection we are re-created. The finality of death and evil is destroyed and we are invited into a new universal covenant.

Who wrote the Gospels and what were they for?

All four Gospels bear witness to the Good News of Jesus Christ – but each Gospel is different. These differences are because none of them are intended to be simply a biography of Jesus. Each Gospel is written for a different group of readers and each evangelist arranges his source material differently.

The Church and the Holy Spirit

In the Acts of the Apostles we see the early church growing and becoming distinct from Judaism. The Holy Spirit is the soul of the church, enabling us to pray for our wounded world.

The Holiness of the Church

The holiness of the church is the holiness of Jesus Christ and is offered to all in the church – a gift freely given through the power of the Holy Spirit and expressed in lives of love and service . The church continues the redeeming work of Jesus.

Mary and the Church

Mary as Mother of God, attentive in prayer, is the pattern for every Christian.

The Communion of Saints

Looking at some of the key themes surrounding the Church’s teaching on what happens when we die – judgement, “purgatory”, the Communion of Saints.

The Church & The Holy Trinity

What is the Doctrine of the Holy Trinity and how did it come to be defined?

The Creative Spirit: The Sacrament of Baptism

Baptism is our proof and the confirmation of our Creative God – a God who in his love and longing to be one with us, reaches out and invites us to join him in a life-long pilgrimage of faith.

The Living Spirit: The Sacrament of Confirmation

Confirmation is a continuance of what has begun at our baptism – a continuance of the developing awareness and reality of faith and the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Our Confirmation is the unfolding of what our baptism means.

The Nurturing Spirit: The Sacrament of the Eucharist

In the Eucharist we find all that we need in life – unity with others, guidance from our heavenly Father, food for the journey and confirmation of the promise which was given to us by Jesus Christ. The Eucharist is a “holy exchange of gifts” in which we give ourselves to God, and he gives himself to us. It is also a “Zikaron” (Anamnesis) – so that when we celebrate the Eucharist we have been gathered together by the Lord to share that same supper with him and his first disciples within the upper room in Jerusalem.

The Trusting Spirit: The Sacrament of Holy Orders

There are many “ministries” recognised within the church, but the “ordained” ministries are those of the Diaconate, Priesthood and Episcopate, and are only exercised by those who have received the Sacrament of Holy Orders.

The Sharing Spirit: The Sacrament of Marriage.

In one important respect, the Sacrament of Marriage is different from the other six sacraments, in that, unlike the others, marriage is also recognised as an essential part of secular society.  But Christians see the Sacrament of Marriage essentially as an important sign in the world of God’s love – a means by which God offers us his own supreme love to strengthen and sustain us and make perfect love possible.

The Healing Spirit: The Sacrament of Reconciliation.

Through this Sacrament (sometimes referred to as “Confession”) we are renewed and recommitted to being open to the action of the Holy Spirit in helping us to become more fully human, and so be more effective in reflecting Christ in our lives. The words of forgiveness that the priest offers comes from Jesus himself, and so have a wonderful and healing effect upon the penitent.

The Saving Spirit – The Sacrament of the Sick

The Anointing of the Sick is the ultimate healing sacrament, available whenever our health is seriously impaired by sickness or injury or old age. God is always with us in our illness, loving us into health of mind, body and soul. Through our faith we know that we will have life for ever.

"Love your neighbour as yourself"

Living as a Christian in the world

An introduction to the principles with which we can approach moral and ethical dilemas from a Christian perspective.

Human dignity and the right to life

We shall explore the commandment “You shall not kill” and consider whether there are any circumstances – e.g. war, capital punishment, euthanasia – where killing is legitimate.

The beginning of human life

We shall continue exploring the right to life and the question of when life begins, considering the issues surrounding abortion and use of embryos in research.

You shall not steal; you shall not covet

We shall consider questions concerning ownership of property, how the earth’s resources should be distributed, and how we should regard the poor.

“You shall love the Lord your God”

The life of prayer

We cannot love God without having a relationship with him. Prayer is an expression of that relationship and a vital means for building it up. In the last two sessions we explore the very broad topic of prayer and some different approaches to it.