After a three-week break I went back to small group (aka “Smallies” or “Alone Together: The People Love Forgot,” the latter an in-joke I’ll be happy to explain at a later date).

Having finished a study of Randy Alcorn’s The Treasure Principle (a book I hated, for which I promised a commentary, which is hopefully forthcoming), we’ve moved on to other studies.

I thought Alcorn was bad.

I want it to be known that I appreciate all the work our group leader puts into our meetings. I really, really, do. But last week’s study was seriously lacking and I immediately wanted to blog about how I disliked it and exactly why I disliked it. But then I thought, “Bitch, if you’re going to the trouble of writing out a snarky critique for your blog you should get your ass to write a thoughtful critique to provide to the leader, who puts so much work into these things. Also, you shouldn’t talk shit on the internet.”

So I compromised. Here is the text of the missive, which I might probably will will send to the leader. With some bracketed comments for your eyes only. (And by “your” I mean “the entire internet’s.”)

I wanted to give you some feedback on the Bible study we did this week. You might have gathered that I didn’t find it particularly engaging [My lolling about discussing Battlestar Galactica while the rest of my group was dutifully noting their answers on their homework-like sheets was probably the first indication], but I wanted to outline why.

All of the following is my perspective; I realize that not all of our group will share it and I don’t pretend these opinions are anyone’s but mine. [And maybe my brother’s. Actually, I can pretty confidently say the opinions are shared by my brother. But he wasn’t there on Sunday.]

The study begins, “The following verses are reflective of the life philosophy of a Christ follower. What do these verses say to you?”

Here, the answer is provided before the question is asked. It automatically narrows the focus of the study — essentially, we are provided with a thesis and asked to show how the scripture references support it. This is, to my mind, theologically questionable. It also prevents any actual learning or illumination of the text. [What I really want to write here is “PLZ TO NOT BE LEADING THE WITNESS OMG.” But I’m a good girl.]

Now I’ll talk about the text selections. I have a general bias against discrete verses studied out of their contexts, and especially so when there’s a big ol’ list of them. Studying discrete verses is a practice that, in my experience, only results in the student’s cultural perspective/paradigm/framework being erroneously applied to the text. Indeed, in doing this study, I felt I learned more about the person who wrote the study than I did about the text.

The opening statement of the study said that the verses listed were “reflective of the life philosophy of a Christ-follower.” Then, we’re presented with a list of exclusively old testament references. Let me be clear that I fully support and am interested in the study of the psalter and Proverbs and the other old testament texts. And I’m quite convinced that an understanding of Jewish history, religion and worldview is essential to an understanding of the gospels and the rest of the new testament. And I definitely believe that the Tanakh reveals facets of God. This study wasn’t about that, though.

Embedded within the study we did was a great question, though. What is the life philosophy of a Christ follower? This is an essential query, and an extremely challenging one. And I would love to do a study about it.

So what would that study look like? Well, ideally it would start with the question. Pose it to the group, maybe give everyone some time to think about it. Share the answers, but challenge the stock answers, the Sunday school scripts.

As for the text — well, I don’t know what it would be. [I seriously don’t. I don’t come up with the Bible studies, I just critique them.] But it would probably be out of the gospels, the part of the Bible where Jesus actually appears. [And probably the Pauline books, too, since rumour has it all this grace stuff is all Paul anyway.] I’d want them to be substantial chunks, too, and I’d want supporting material to help us interpret them. That means some theological texts. I realize not everyone feels as comfortable with academia as I do, but there are plenty of writers doing accessible, understandable theology, and I would love for our group to read some of it. In my own personal studies, I’ve found such writings invaluable for challenging my assumptions about the scriptures.

So, while I was disappointed with the study on Sunday, I could see a great study underneath, waiting to break out.

Aren’t you proud of me? See, I’m not misanthropic and bad-tempered all the time.

(Then again, I showed it to Brother Mark and he thought certain paragraphs were a bit “harsh.” Don’t mind him, he’s nice and Jesus-filled.)

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