More Big Questions (about Genesis and Psalms)

It seems appropriate that Pirate Pete would introduce us to a new word: “Canon.” But wait Captain Pete, I think that your cannon has two many n’s. What’s a canon (with just one n) and what does it have to do with the Bible?

Ask this sort of question at your family dinner table. (Or wherever your family is gathered together.) Ask these questions even if you missed our video showing last weekend. Join us for another movie adventure on August 10th!

Note: To print out this particular family discussion guide, click here.
For other sets of discussion questions view here.
In the meantime…

HAVE SOME FAMILY DISCUSSION!

• The word “canon” comes from a Hebrew word which means “measuring rod.” Over time, the word canon came to refer to a norm or a standard. “Later it came to mean a rule of faith, and eventually a catalogue or list. In present usage it signifies a collection of religious writings.” [1] We came to talk about canons (not cannons!) because our big question with Buck Denver was:
  

  Who picked the books to be in the Bible?

  We got a little bit of church history in our video when we heard about how the church leaders in the 4th century picked or canonized, the books to be in the New Testament of the Bible.

• All of the books in the Bible tell us one big story. What would you say is that one big story? (Lots of answers, but the one we are focused on is that the Bible is the story of God and what he’s done for us.)
• What do you suppose God has done for us? (Lots of answers, including promising to always love us, to have a special relationship with us, and to give us second chances – i.e., grace – when we mess up.)

• God has made promises to people in the Bible. Who remembers the promises God made to Abraham? (many off-spring, & land to live on, & to be a blessing to the whole world.)

• Why do you suppose we can trust God’s promises to us? (It’s okay if we’re not sure why! It is hard, but it takes having what we call faith — believing that God will do what he says he’ll do.)
• Do: Play a rhyming game (start with “after a while crocodile… In a blizzard little lizard…”) After a bit tell everyone that in a sense, what you’ve been doing is creating poetry – a way of expressing ideas in rhyme. Did you know that the Bible has poetry in it? (Though not the rhyming type of poetry.) There is a whole book of poems; do you know which book it is? (Psalms!)
• Psalms are poems written by people expressing their feelings to God. Go on a Psalm Hunt! Open the Bible to Psalms. (Ask your 3rd grade and up child to tell you the quick way to find Psalms.) Read each Psalm and see if you can figure out which category it belongs in. (Read one a night?)

How did you do on this quiz? Check out some answers here.
It’s amazing to realize that we can tell God exactly how we are feeling!

[1] From the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia.

Photo credits:
Click here for info on banner photo (not visible in readers or email).
Other photos from the producer of our video What’s in the Bible, under a fair usage category.