This September in the 3 churches in the benefice we’re going to be starting a hop, skip and a jump through the whole Bible that will take us through to May 2014. It will be hold on to your seatbelts stuff, but the aim is to provide us with a deeper understanding of how all the stories of the Bible fit into an over-riding narrative about God and his relationship with people. And central to our understanding is the beginning.

The first 11 chapters of Genesis show us what the world was made to be like and why it isn’t such a perfect paradise today. They show us how God made us to be in relationship with himself, but that starting with Adam and Eve we’ve inherited a condition called sin. Effectively saying “Shove off God, I’m in control, No to your commands.” They show us how God started again with the best man he could find – Noah, but that even Noah wasn’t all that hot when it came to valuing his relationship with God. The final act of this beginning scene sees people trying to build a tower to God – aiming to make a name for themselves as opposed to building a relationship with God and cherishing him. As a result God executes his judgement by scattering them and confusing their common language.

The end of the opening scene of the Bible leaves us wondering if it will ever be possible for people to have an unimpeded relationship with God again…but for the answer you’ll need to join us as we see the rest of the Story unfold!

And I hope you will as we trace through this most exciting of stories and see not only how God provides a solution to the problem but also how He has an important role for each one of us to play – if only we’d be willing!

We begin on Sunday 8th September!