(March) Session one—Bread, vine and light: Abiding with us (John 6, 8 and 15)
We begin this session by rooting and grounding ourselves in the story of Moses at the Burning Bush, learning about God’s holy name, I AM—a name that holds all of time and space, all that was and all that is and all that will be, past, present and future.
From there, we will explore three of Jesus’s “I AM” statements: “I am the bread of life;” “I am the true vine,” and “I am the light of the world.” Each of these declarations bring to the fore the ways that God, whose name is “I AM,” abides with God’s people, providing, nurturing and sustaining us in day-to-day life.
(April) Session two—Gate and shepherd: Guiding and protecting us (John 10)
Session two builds on the theme of God’s abiding love as we explore another dimension of I AM, God’s holy name and promise: God’s guidance and protection. Guidance and protection are the major themes of the famous “Good Shepherd” discourse in John 10, in which Jesus declares that he is both the good shepherd and the gate for the sheep. Our God who abides with us is also a God who moves with us—who knows us, protects us and leads us through the ups and downs of life.
(May) Session three: Resurrection and life: Leading us into abundant life (John 11 and 14)
This final session revolves around the third dimension of I AM: God’s promise to lead God’s people into abundant life. From before creation to the time of Moses to today, this is God’s enduring promise to God’s people. In declaring that he is “the resurrection and the life,” and “the way, the truth, and the life,” Jesus is stepping into this grand tradition, reminding God’s people to cling to God’s promise, God’s very holy name: I AM. God has promised to be with God’s people—to abide with us, to guide us, to protect us, and to lead us into abundant life, now and forever.