Note Taking - Reprise

I posted an audio-visual file on Saturday regarding some note taking ideas. I hated it. So I deleted it and decided that I will stick with writing for now. If I try a video again I will find a way to record my face while I am talking. My hypothesis is that my face might distract you from the boring drone of my voice. But that is an experiment for another day. For now let us focus on the experiment of organizing Genesis. (Note: you can click on the images to make them larger.)

What you are currently looking at is my attempt to make some sense of Genesis. As you will notice, I have divided my observations into three different categories to help make as many internal connections as possible. Each of these green squares opens up to reveal different categories. I will share two of the most fruitful ones with you.

"These are the generations"... proved to be a very interesting way to make connections in the book of Genesis. It divides the book into nice chunks and gives me easy landmarks to recognize and organize the book.

Looking at common words in Genesis is not so much a way to structure the book into large chunks as it is a way of making connections throughout the book. Looking for key words is an excellent way to connect one story with another as a way of committing the stories to memory. For example, in my notes, you will notice that the yellow bubbles record God's blessings to people, places, or things whereas the purple records people blessing other people (the red one is a curious use of the word for blessing that I will not go into here). One link that I had never made before is the blessing of God given to Laban's household and Potiphar's--the Egyptian's--household. What connects these two things is that, in both cases, God blesses the households because of his relationship with Jacob or Joseph respectively. Now, whenever I think of the Laban story I will think of Joseph in Potiphar's house and vice versa; it is an excellent way to commit things to memory!

These are just a few examples of how you might go about taking notes. However, do not feel pressure to make them so detailed. In this read through, you should just be making some rudimentary connections.

Here is the one thing that I want you to do: after you finish Genesis tomorrow, complete this sentence, "I think Genesis is about...". I want you to give a hypothesis of what you think Genesis is about and here is why. When you approach a book with an idea of what it is trying to communicate, it changes the way you read; it gives you a strategy. My hope is that, after we have completed one cycle, we can all take someone's hypothesis that we find intriguing and use it as a tool to read Genesis the next time through, noting weaknesses and strengths as we go. Having this kind thing to focus on will really help you when you start to get into the last half of Exodus and Leviticus, trust me.

So after tomorrow, respond to this post with your hypotheses and we will see what happens.

The Many Hagars and Some Rehashing

I have a few logistical things to get out of the way today and some fun items:

First, I have decided that I will hold back on my note-taking example until the first reflection day on the schedule. Trust me, it just makes more sense this way.

Second, it was also brought to my attention that I should direct everyone to the original instructions and schedule from earlier just in case someone new might be picking this up. So here are the schedule and the instructions for the first read through.

Third, another quick piece of advice: When and if you are taking notes as you read, just jot down important phrases, words, and themes, do not get too detailed or you will get bogged down. You are trying to catch the larger sweeps of the story. Also, think about the flow of the story as you go. Once you get to a reflection day, you should start thinking about how to organize the reading you have done to that point. If you try to organize the sections day by day, you will not end up with a large section, but several micro-sections. So do not be too eager to create an outline just yet. If you are struggling with what to do exactly, just keep reading and I will demonstrate how to take notes and synthesize them on the first reflection day.

Finally, as I was putting this blog together, I thought I would give Hagar her 15 minutes and post a picture of her. I was pleasantly surprised and reminded that there is more than one Hagar in our culture. (PS Hagar was not a Caucasian woman; nor was the angel a Caucasian person).

I hope you are enjoying the exploits of Abram/Abraham today. And once again, feel free to post any questions that pop up and I will do my best to answer them.

A Quick Note on Day One

IT HAS BEGUN!!!

This is just a quick note to let you all know that I have not forgotten the beginning of our reading cycle. I spent all day flying from California to Missouri and this is the first chance I have had to get to my computer.

This first day starts us off with a mild taste of narrative, poetry, and genealogy. If you have a moment, just try to get a sense of the progression of the story thus far as you reflect. Though more detailed and formal reflection will come on Day 7, it does not hurt to start thinking ahead.

I will post something more extensive tomorrow with some examples of notes that I have taken in regard to these first five chapters to give you a jump start if you need it. Otherwise, I am happy to address any questions that popped up while you read.

Believe it or not, if you stick with this reading schedule, you will have read through Genesis 34 by Friday, having worked through Noah, Abraham, Isaac,  and Jacob to Dinah, who, contrary to the song, will not be rowing any sort of boats ashore.

A Tale of Two Lamechs

 “Lamech said to his wives, ‘Adah and Zillah, listen to my voice; wives of Lamech, pay attention to my words: I killed a man for wounding me, a boy for striking me; so Cain will be paid back seven times and Lamech seventy-seven times.” Genesis 4:23-24 (CEB)

I am on vacation. A vacation is a wonderful time to gear up for coming challenges. And, when I was not in an Emergency Room for a random infection procured by a bug bite (a bug that was, no doubt, a colossal, blood sucking monstrosity of nature that came in the middle of the night to claim my life but was thwarted by my insurmountable will to live), I was determined to do just that. The challenge: this Torah study. The preparation: I decided to do a dry run. This “dry run” has included reading Genesis in the last two days. Given the task that is to come, I thought I would share an insight/connection that has had some influence on how I understand the book.

This insight is imbedded in the genealogies of chapters 4 and 5. After Cain murders Abel and is ejected from the stability of his household to fend for himself, Genesis gives us a brief list of Cain’s descendants, who are a fairly technologically advanced group (4:21-23). But I want to focus in on one person in particular. A majority of this genealogical text is devoted to Lamech and his famous, irascible declaration in 4:23-24. Misunderstanding the function of the protection given to Cain by God, Lamech thinks he can manipulate this protective blessing and use it to further the damage his ancestor, Cain, had wrought. Lamech arrogantly assumes that he has the right to take the life of any who oppose him, a clear distortion of the purpose of the protection that was offered to Cain.

This strange aside makes for a welcome departure from a “boring” genealogy. However, its theological/thematic importance is discovered, in my opinion, when seen beside the genealogy in chapter 5. Curiously enough, there are a number of similar or identical names between Cain and Shem’s genealogies. We see the counterpart to Cain’s Lamech in 5:28-31. Let us note the similar, yet importantly different detail: Cain’s Lamech overcomes the curse of the land by developing advanced tools and forceful rule over his enemies; Shem’s Lamech names his son Noah in hope that he will be the one to give them relief from the curse.

This interesting comparison provides a significant theological insight for us as readers. These parallel families are functioning by very different paradigms. One family group takes matters into its own hands: killing, oppressing, subverting, demanding, and developing tools to aid in these tasks. The other dwells in the same world under a similar curse, working to live, but all the while maintaining a link to their strained relationship with the God who created their ancestors, Adam and Eve. Their most notable characteristics lie in their relationship to this God, not in their ingenuity. The tale of two Lamech’s casts a vision and a theme that permeates the book of Genesis and the Bible as a whole.

Who says that genealogies are boring?

A (Not So) Subtle Jab

Well, the day approaches! This morning, on my way to completing my six-month "read through the Bible" program, I read through the Letter to the Hebrews. As I finished the letter, I was reminded of a wonderful statement that should confront all of us before we begin this little endeavor.

A quick explanation: I find myself apologizing to quite a few people that this will indeed be a lot of reading each day. But, I want to take a moment to assert a very important addendum to this phrase for all those who have bemoaned the reading. The word is: Relatively!  So, from now on, if someone says, "Wow, Derek, that is a lot of reading." I will respond, "Yes, RELATIVELY, it is a lot of reading."

Why, you might ask, have I decided to add this word to my response? Because as I finished Hebrews this morning I was emboldened by 13:22, "I urge you, brothers and sisters, to put up with this message of encouragement, since I've only written a short letter to you!" (CEB). Honestly, who among us would read all 13 chapters of Hebrews and say, "My goodness, that was quite a short letter. I wish you would have explained a bit more, author of Hebrews."

The answer is: No one.

Thus, though this may seem like a lot of reading, I submit to you that it is in fact a reasonable amount of reading, but we have become a lazy and complacent people in regard to study.

So here is my (not so) subtle jab. If any of us think seven chapters of daily Bible reading is excessive, then perhaps the problem is not with the amount of reading, but the amount of discipline. If the amount of reading is daunting due to our inability to concentrate or just plain laziness, then this challenge is even more important for us. Let us commit to this and see how it transforms our discipline in reading the Scriptures.

The Hiatus and Some Instructions

Let me be the first to welcome myself back. I apologize for the long hiatus. I was in a two week intensive class on the book of Revelation. I was cooped up for nine days, 4 1/2 hours per day, squirming and writhing through that wonderfully complex text.

But, I digress; it is time to unveil the instructions for the first 30 days of our six month Torah project. Without further ado, here it is:

First Read-Through: Rough Organization

              

Supplies:

1. Note-taking paraphernalia
2. Four to eight different colored highlighters 
3.  A large sheet of paper (11 x 17 should do)

Instructions:

1. Ignoring the chapter divisions and titles inserted by your translation of the Bible, divide the text into major sections and give them a name that will help you remember them 
1.  For example: Genesis 1-11 as Primeval History, Leviticus 12-15 as Purity Laws, etc.
2. Write down words that are often repeated. Record the section(s) in which they often appear. These will likely lead you to major themes of the section/book/Torah.
1. For example: Covenant is an important throughout the Torah. Deliverance is important throughout the book of Exodus. Unclean/Clean is important in Leviticus 12-17.
3. After you have separated all of the major sections with the themes that they contain, highlight each section that has several common themes with the same color.
4. Draw a basic, graphic representation of the Torah. This is a creative endeavor. It is something that you should be thinking about throughout this first reading. What is the best way to organize these sections to show their interrelatedness? How do they all tie together?

As you can see, this is fairly simple. However, the detail will increase with each subsequent reading. When we begin, I will be posting each week to show what I have been doing if anyone feels completely lost. I will also be sharing some thoughts on passages that might be difficult, providing some cultural and historical background that might shed some light on the text.

I look forward to this journey.

A Quick Note on Pentecost

As many of you are likely aware, this coming Sunday is Pentecost. On this day, we are reminded to celebrate the gracious gift of the Holy Spirit poured out on us all. I felt that I would be remiss if I did not also point out that Pentecost corresponds to the Jewish festival called Shavuot, which means "sevens" or "weeks." Thus, the festival has come to be called the Feast of Weeks. Two things are important to point out about what this feast means for the Jewish people. First, it is a celebration of the gift of Torah to the people of Israel. Second, after Passover, they beginning counting the days (50) until they will celebrate this festival in anticipation of God's revelation at Sinai. We should be excited to celebrate the revelation of the Spirit at Pentecost, realizing that God's promise, delivered through the prophet, Jeremiah, to write the Torah on our hearts was actualized on the culmination of Shavuot/Pentecost.

In modern Jewish tradition, this festival is celebrated by reading the Torah all through the night (yes, that means that they do not sleep). Since we will be reading Genesis-Deuteronomy five times before the year is out, I though we might as well make it six. It has been my plan to participate in this endeavor on Saturday night/Sunday morning this coming weekend. Will you join me? If so, here is what I plan on reading:

1. Genesis - Deuteronomy
2. Nehemiah 9 (This is a re-narration of the basic story of Torah that the Levites give to the assembled Israelites after God brought them out of captivity).
3. Acts 7 (Stephen's re-narration of the basic story of Torah given to an assembly of Jews that I think creates an interesting correlation to Nehemiah).
4. Matthew 5-7 (Jesus' exposition of the basic tenants of the Torah and how they are to be understood).

If you run out of readings before the night is up, shoot me a note on the blog, on Facebook, or on Twitter and I will recommend more.

I hope this will be fruitful for you. I know it is a lot to read. A word of advice: try doing it while you are standing or pacing the room, otherwise you will likely fall asleep. Also, try doing it in pairs to further prevent such sleeping. I think you will sense the blessing of the Spirit as you commemorate the pouring out of the Spirit on all flesh and the confirmation that the words we are reading have indeed been written on our hearts. May we hear them and respond to them.

By the way, I have also started a Twitter account to track the progress of this endeavor. You can follow me @StrategicBible. I will be posting here and there through the night using the hashtag #Shavuot and #Pentecost. Hopefully this will provide you with the community that you need to participate.