Holy Curiosity: Wisdom Stories

July 3: Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 For Everything There is a Season

 Reflect: Ecclesiastes is described by many as pragmatic advice, yet this is a beautiful and poetic description of life. What strikes you as realistic about how life unfolds? This passage is frequently read at funeral services. How does this description of life give you hope?

Connect 

Think about the seasons of life mentioned (birth, death, sowing, reaping). Identify times in your life when each of these seasons seemed to dominate your experience.  How did you experience the presence of God differently in these different seasons?  How did your experience of God remain the same?

Act

Who comes to mind when you think of a person of wisdom? Set up a phone call or get together to share with them about why you think they are wise and ask them about the experiences that led to that. 

Digging Deeper

Context matters when we read scripture.  It can be helpful to consider the historical/cultural context of how the original audience might have heard the passage.  It is also helpful to pay attention to the literary context… how does this passage fit into the larger message of the book? Watch this 7 minute animated video (https://bibleproject.com/explore/video/wisdom-ecclesiastes/) to learn more.  How does this help you better understand the passage?

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