A renowned biblical scholar drew good crowds Friday night and Saturday morning at the Episcopal Church of the Nativity.
Dr. Walter Brueggemann concludes his visit with a 10:30 a.m. sermon today at the church.
Brueggemann primarily focuses on the Old Testament, the prophets and the Psalms.
“It was absolutely inspiring,” said Dr. Anita Batman, a member of Nativity who attended both programs.
“He did a comparison of debt based on poverty, the extraction of other people’s work product so that a few people are wealthy,” Batman said. “He contrasted that with Christianity, which is a economy based on abundance — based on sharing and gratitude.”
She said both programs drew large crowds.
Saturday’s program ended with a panel discussion featuring Brueggemann; the Rev. Giulianna Gray, priest-in-charge of St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Indianola; the Rev. Calvin Collins, pastor of New Zion Missionary Baptist Church of Greenwood; and the Rev. Carol Mead, rector of St. Peter’s By the Lake Church of Brandon.
The program was instructive, said Deborah Hanson of Jackson.
“Dr. Brueggemann is talking about how throughout the Bible there is an economy of extraction, where the powerful extract wealth from the vulnerable,” she said.
Hanson said Christians are called by Jesus Christ to “practice an economy of abundance — to love our neighbor and to share what we have with one another.”
Hank Lamb, another Nativity member, said Brueggemann touched on recurring themes in the Bible dealing with the pharoahs, Solomon up through the Roman Empire.
Nativity member Bob Provine said he found the entire program informative and thought Brueggemann was a very entertaining speaker.
“I thoroughly enjoyed it,” he said.
•Contact Bob Darden at 581-7239 or bdarden@gwcommonwealth.com.
