When the Spirit Gives a Helping Hand (Ireland)

More than a Show for Russian Actors Russia)

First Children’s Scripture in Chuvash (Russia)

Orphans Receive Children’s Bibles (Russia)

DUBLIN, Ireland — Seeking with . . . the Spirit is the title of a new Bible study guide produced by the National Bible Society of Ireland in response to a papal call for the church to prepare for the new millennium by meditating on the three persons of the Trinity.

Seeking with . . . the Spirit, which is the second book in the series of three, was successfully launched on March 23, 1998, with various church and secular dignitaries which included the primate of the Church of Ireland, Archbishop Walton Empey, and representatives of the Roman Catholic and Protestant Churches.

Too English

The booklet contains no Scriptures, but rather references to the Bible, and readers are advised to use the guide with the Bible to hand. Some years ago, when the churches, and particularly the Catholic Church, wanted to develop the use of Bible study materials, it was felt that what was then available was either too English or too American: there was a need for something with a new and socially relevant approach that would also appeal to young people and to people not used to reading or studying. That is the reason why each of the booklet’s six sections begins with a short, true-life story, an experience that ties in with the study following it.

Heals us

The booklet aims to encourage group or individual Bible study, and to raise challenging questions pointing to biblical answers which can be discussed. The first booklet in the series entitled Seeking with . . . the Son was published last year and presents the reader with different aspects of Jesus Christ: responsive, inclusive, teacher and guide, one who values and heals us, and his Lordship.

This has already proved to be inspirational in motivating group Bible studies organised by Protestant and Catholic churches. Next year the third title in the series, Seeking with . . . the Father, will be produced. The substance of the booklets is prepared by a panel consisting of representatives from the Bible Society, the Catholic and Protestant Churches and the academic world.

Seeking with . . . the Spirit considers the gift of the Holy Spirit, and then the purpose of the Spirit in calling the individual, in overcoming confusion, in bringing about reconciliation, in creative and renewing power, and in the inspiration of worship. It is hoped that these will be used by churches in the build-up to Pentecost. More than half of the 2,500 produced have been distributed since the day of the launch.

Important step

The booklets represent an important step in cooperation between the Bible Society and the Catholic Church, which is Ireland’s main church. Seeking with . . . the Spirit has been approved by the Bishops’ Millennium Progress Committee, and the Coordinator of this Committee, Father Martin Tierney, suggested that the Bible Society should do some training and presentation days to show clergy and lay Bible Study leaders just how the booklet should be used.

So far, training sessions have been held in the north, in Dublin, where up to 60 church leaders attended, in Cork, and in Limerick where William Walsh, Bishop of Killaloe, attended in person. Following these successful training sessions there was a request by the Archbishop of Cashel to put on a training session in his rural diocese, and between 150 and 175 clergy attended.

The series is receiving an “excellent response” according to Susan Thom, Bible Promotions Officer, who also helped to compile the study guides. Bible Society board Chairperson Mrs Clare O’Mahony said that the series was conceived in response to requests from several Roman Catholics: “Help us to open the Bible,” they asked the Bible Society. “This started as a bit of an experiment in providing a tool that could be used by both Protestants and Catholics,” said Mrs O’Mahony.

“Now that it has the approval of the church hierarchy, and with the training sessions, the booklet is already being widely used, and where the concept of Bible study might previously have been novel we can see study groups sprouting up. These people often have a freshness as if they are coming to the Bible for the first time,” she said.

Hunger for spirituality

The series is also meant for people who know very little about the Bible, and may not even have read any of it before. “People are looking for something today,” said Mrs O’Mahony. “Life has failed to produce the answers, and that is where the Word of God is beginning to have an effect upon their lives.

“There is a hunger for spirituality, and a return to our Celtic spiritual roots. Bookshops are inundated with requests for books that might shed light on the spiritual side of things. Many people are searching for meaning, and often have a deep sense of faith without having any direction for it.

“Added to this, people no longer see the church as essential to a real relationship with God, and we find prayer and Bible study groups are becoming more and more popular. You can find these groups meeting on housing estates and often led by lay people as well as by clergy or nuns,” she added.

Ms Thom said that an unusual occurrence had marked the final preparations for Seeking with . . . the Spirit. “We have followed the practice of taking two days out of our ordinary schedule, drawing apart as a group and considering material to be included in the booklet,” she said. “Most of the material for Seeking with . . . the Spirit had been prepared but still needed refining and we decided to have a final retreat to tidy things up.

“Towards the end of this time we realised that we had been forced to leave out quite a few references to Peter, the Apostle, which would have been appropriate but could not be included because of space. However, we began to feel uneasy about leaving these references out. No conclusion had been planned as part of the booklet, but it became apparent that we were being led to gather all these references and form them into a conclusion.

“For some of us, this was the first time we had experienced the practical guidance of the Holy Spirit, and it was exciting to realise that God himself was so closely involved in our efforts.” (WR 331/10 - 6.98)

Actors Evgeny Lazarev and Boris Plotnikov helped record the Faith Comes by Hearing cassettes in Russian. Below, they talk about their experience of the Bible.

MOSCOW, Russia — “It was providential,” said Evgeny Lazarev. “The writings of Russian Christian authors such as Mikhail Bulgakov directed me to the Bible. As I began to read it, I sensed that a new understanding and insight was entering my life.

“The first part I read was the Book of Revelation, then I went back to Proverbs, followed by the Gospel of Matthew. Next I read everything in order, and then everything again from the beginning. Later, when I was in the West, I was given a diglot Russian-English Bible, and now I also have a copy of the King James Version.

“On reflection, I can see clearly the ways in which the Bible has changed my life – changed my home, changed my relationship with my family, who have all been baptised, and changed the way I relate to my students.

“At the age of 30, I started studying English, and during a visit to the West I was given a copy of the English version of Stanislavsky’s ‘My Life in Art’. So I began reading in English a book I had been familiar with in Russian since my student days. But suddenly I noticed something wonderfully different about it: the last phrase of the book said, ‘And may the Lord help me in carrying out my work.’ No mention is made of this in the Russian version. Instead, in Russian it says that ‘new generations of directors and actors will arise’ – which is the almost-generic Soviet ending to the book.

“That was when I decided to re-read the whole book, to compare both versions side by side. And in doing so I realised that the English version of Stanislavsky’s work, without the Soviet censorship, was a different book altogether. There were many references to God, an acknowledgement that his creative work had been placed upon him like a mission by God. The life of the Spirit, which Stanislavsky talks about, is not some kind of mysterious life of the human spirit: on the contrary, there are holy moments during the performance, similar to what happens in church. Stanislavsky also drew his inspiration from the Bible and it has given lasting value to his work.

“Through the Soviet era, classical Russian literature and the theatre were the only ways to exert a spiritual influence on people; people were not allowed to read the Bible – they had no access to it, nor to the church, and neither did they hear any Christian preaching. For decades, the Christian church in Russia was a small group of people, who were persecuted for their faith, and whose suffering can be compared to that of the early church.”

Eternal

According to Boris Plotnikov, “The texts of the Bible are precious, they have eternal significance. People have read and lived according to the principles of the Bible for 2,000 years, whatever persecutions have been heaped on them as a result.

“Our approach to reading the Bible depends on our personal spiritual experience,” he continued. “The books have been written and compiled in such a way that they allow for many different levels of understanding. Whatever our intellectual capacity, the Bible speaks clearly to those who are prepared to listen.

“Although I am an actor by profession, working with the writings of the New Testament is very different from working on fictional material. I know that the actors who have agreed to work on this project are approaching it as more than just another acting job. Of course, whatever acting experience I have gained during my nearly 30-year career will help me express the Scripture texts. And if we are able to convey the true meaning of the Bible texts, so that the listeners are moved even a small way towards faith in God, then that would be truly invaluable.” (WR 331/11 - 6.98)
 

Bible Society of Russia...
 

CHEBOKSARY, Russia — The Chuvash Republic has been provided with 5,000 copies of a Children’s Bible in Chuvash prepared by the Bible Society in Russia (BSR). The presentation, on March 12, 1998, took place at the National Library of the Chuvash Republic, which is the largest in the Russian Federation, and the books were accepted by the Deputy Director, Irina Balkova.

“This is the first Children’s Bible in the Chuvash language and the greatest gift we have received in recent years,” she said. Also attending the presentation ceremony were representatives from the Chuvash Ministry of Culture, directors of other major libraries, Chuvash writers, and journalists representing Chuvash newspapers, radio and television, and from Moscow radio.

The Children’s Bible in Chuvash is made up of Bible stories originally compiled in Denmark and illustrated by Danish artist E Kristensen. Chuvash writer Yeva Lisina, well known for her children’s books, translated the text from the Russian – the Russian version of this Children’s Bible has been available for several years. Now the BSR wants to make copies available in some of the federation’s 100 minority languages. The Chuvash edition was prepared by the St Petersburg branch of the BSR.

It is intended that this Children’s Bible will be made available through libraries in towns and villages across the Chuvash Republic and in Chuvash communities in Russia.

In a letter received by the BSR, Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Culture of the Chuvash Republic, N Sakharov, said: “We are glad that you have revived the long-standing tradition of promoting spiritual literature. This Children’s Bible is a soul-saving book that will be of interest and use for children and adults. It fascinates you with its fairy-like beauty, it guides you on your way and in your attitude to God and people.”

He commended the author, illustrator, translator and publishers for such a high-quality book and said how deeply grateful they were to have such a gift: “This is an unprecedented charity event. We were deeply moved by this large gift . . . and we appreciate that this work has been made available in Chuvash. It is so natural to begin learning about world culture in one’s mother tongue,” he wrote. (WR 331/12 - 6.98) [PHOTOS]