This Covenant experience will guide participants in a comprehensive, in-depth study of the Bible over twenty-four weeks. Unlike the learning participants may have experienced in other groups, this in-depth study of the whole Bible emphasizes the biblical concept of
covenant as a unifying pattern through all the books in the Old and New Testaments. It underscores the unique relationship that God chooses to have with us as God’s people. This relationship is grounded in the faithfulness of God’s love and on our ongoing commitment to stay in love with God while we share signs of that love with others.
The cohosts for the twenty-four video episodes are Reverend Shane Stanford, senior pastor at Christ United Methodist Church in Memphis, Tennessee, and Reverend Christine Chakoian, senior pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Lake Forest, Illinois. They will meet with a different biblical scholar in each video episode.
Each video in the coming weeks features a conversation between the hosts and a biblical scholar around the Covenant table. Their conversation is a model for the kind of learning dynamic that is central to this study.
This is Episode 11 Additional Video: David and the Peril and Promise of Faithful Leadership
We hunger for good leadership. The whole narrative of Samuel and Kings tells the tragic story of failed leadership and the consequences for the covenant people. God promises a lasting dynasty for David's house, but it doesn't end that way. At the heart of leadership is a notion of relationship and the complex consequences of our actions. Compassion is at the heart of good leadership. The story of Josiah includes the rediscovery of a sacred text that outlines the consequences of faithless, compassionless living and poor leadership. The image of hope in these stories comes from Josiah's rediscovery of scriptural texts and his willingness to make a change, removing the competing idolatrous shrines and focusing temple worship on Yahweh in Jerusalem. Compassion and love for God and neighbor is the wisdom found in these stories. This is seen clearly in David's compassion for Mephibosheth, a descendant of Saul and possible competitor to the throne.
Running time: 7:59
More Questions? Visit http://covenantbiblestudy.com/ for more information.