Sunday School for adults at St Marc’s
September 19th, 2011 | Published in Comment, Features, Life & Culture
Sunday school
Vickie Allen shares her experiences of a rentrée of a different kind at St Marc’s English Speaking Church, Grenoble.
Last week children donned their cartables as the mass rentrée began. Schools and universities across France once again filled with students of all ages, embarking on the new academic year. Some approached the gates with a little anticipation, I’m sure, but all the students crossed the threshold with the knowledge that ahead of them lay new skills, new insights, new friends and a new, increased understanding of how the world works. But it wasn’t just full-time students who were digging out their cahiers and stylos.
Sunday morning marked a return to the classroom of the Adult Sunday School at St Marc’s English Speaking Church, Grenoble. I joined the class last spring, keen to gain a more in-depth understanding of the Bible, a more intellectual understanding of my faith. A small class of just four, we found the discussions of the Gospels inspiring and informative.
Lead by the pastor, Stephen Coffin, classes centred on a reading from the Gospels, putting them in their the socio-historical context as well as exploring the descriptions of Jesus and his life from our basis of faith. As last term came to an end, we prayed for a larger class that could enjoy the teaching as much as we did, and would enable some more lively and varied discussions. Our prayers were answered and on Sunday morning we were a group of nine.
The first day of school is often spent easing students back into study and it was no different for us at the Adult Sunday School. The new term’s theme is the letters of the New Testament, many (but not all, as we learned) written by Paul. We looked at the social history of the time, the way letters were written, how they were carried and the language used. I was fascinated to learn that Paul wrote his letters in an everyday, colloquial Greek rather than the formal Greek more often used by those educated enough to be able to write. This simple language was more effective in reaching the audience and reminded me of the first published translation of the Bible from Latin by Martin Luther in the 16th century. We also discussed Paul’s travels in and around the Mediterranean, looking at maps of the familiar landmasses, marked with the ancient cities of Thessalonica, Antioch and Corinth.
As the lesson came to a close we were given our homework; to read Thessalonians I and II. With the historical and social context fresh in our minds, these letters will spring to life for us as we start to delve into Paul’s message to Christians throughout time. We’re still a small group and would love you to join us and gain a greater understanding of the Bible.
The Adult Sunday School at St Marc’s English Speaking Church meets at 9.30am every Sunday morning and is conducted in English. Services (which follow the Anglican format) start at 10.45am during which there is also Sunday School for children aged 2-11 and a youth group. The congregation typically swells at this time of year as families return from their summer holidays and students arrive. For more information, visit St Marc’s.
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