News:

Read through the letter and see whether you think the quotes are from William Shakespeare or the Bible – and where they come from. Turn to page ** to see if you were right!

We have just come back from a few days in Stratford, and to having the opportunity to eat, drink and be merry,¹ enjoy the sunshine and, as good luck would have it²,  go to the theatre – twice! It was right up my street, proving that you can(‘t) have too much of a good thing!³

Both plays were written over 400 years ago, and yet their interpretation was bang up to date, performed and watched by young, energetic enthusiastic men and women.  How amazing that using only 26 letters in a variety of different combinations, the authors could create such wonderful and emotionally charged dialogue. No one could accuse these productions as having seen better days⁴. Neither did I mutter, ‘It’s all Greek to me!’⁵.

And that got me thinking about another book, written a long time ago. The Bible – a library of 66 books covering all genre: history, poetry (love is blind)⁶, Knock, knock! Who’s there?⁷ humour (take the plank from your own eye, before you remove the speck from your brother’s eye)⁸, love and passion (Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth. For your love is better than wine..)⁹ , wisdom (A leopard cannot change its spots)¹⁰, wild and surreal imaginings (The Land of Nod)¹¹, stories and eye witness accounts. All of which have been translated from the Hebrew, Greek and Aramaic into the 26 letters of our English alphabet – and still prove to be, even in our cynical, sceptical and agnostic age – the world-wide, best-selling book of all time.

So how much do you know about the Bible – I mean REALLY know? This Autumn, which will be here in the twinkling of an eye¹², we are planning to put on, ‘The Bible Course’, which is produced by ‘The Bible Society’. It covers the Bible’s Big themes and its overriding stories, authors and styles. It is accessible and open to everyone: those who wish to study further, those who are curious, those who think it’s nonsense - and everyone in between. It’s so easy to dismiss the Bible – without actually knowing what’s in it – and this is an ideal opportunity to know a little more.

Oh - and I’d love to know how you did in the quiz!

Steph

The Answers: 1. Bible, Ecclesiastes 8:5. 2. Shakespeare, W. Merry Wives of Windsor Act III Sc V. 3. Shakespeare, W. As You Like It Act 1V Sc 1. 4. Shakespeare, W. As You Like It Act II Sc VII. 5. Shakespeare, W. Julius Caesar Act I Sc II. 6. Shakespeare, W. Merchant of Venice Act II Sc VI. 7. Shakespeare, W Macbeth Act II Sc III. 8. Bible, Matthew 7: 5. 9. Bible, Song of Solomon 1: 1. 10. Bible, Jeremiah 13: 23. 11. Bible, Genesis 4:6. 12. Bible, 1 Corinthians 15: 52

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