Reading the Bible with Jesus
“For me, it was a journey of discovery – seeing the Bible in a fresh way. Bryan is an engaging and interactive guide. My rating – the full five stars.” Lori Guenther-Reesor.
Bryan Moyer Suderman has spent the past 25 years finding creative ways to engage all ages in the scriptural drama of God’s love for the world. Since 2011 Bryan has been engaged in focused research, writing, and teaching about Jesus’ use of Scripture as portrayed in the Gospels.
How do the Gospels depict Jesus as interpreter of Scripture as he interacts with others about the debates and controversies they faced? What might we learn from Jesus’ example as we interpret Scripture amidst our debates and controversies today?
“As a pastor, I struggle to find ways to motivate people to read the Bible and to really think deeply about what it says to us today. Bryan expresses such a passion for studying scripture that people are drawn in to deeper discussions before they realize it! When he teaches about the way Jesus creatively used scripture, Bryan models that same approach for us.” – Cameron Kaufman-Frey, pastor
Throughout 2014-15, in partnership with Mennonite Church Eastern Canada, Bryan led a series of weekend workshops, exploring Jesus as interpreter of Scripture in each of the four Gospels. Bryan was the primary speaker on this theme at the “Pastors Week” at Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary in Elkhart, Indiana, January 25-28, 2016 (see this article from The Mennonite), and in Kolkata, India in February 2016. Bryan also spoke on this theme at the annual gathering of Hispanic leaders of Mennonite Church USA (June 11-13, 2016) Goshen College, Indiana), and continues to facilitate “Reading the Bible With Jesus” experiences in a variety of congregational, retreat, and conference settings.
These experiences are now being made available to churches through The Church Leadership Center of Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary:
1. “Scribes Trained for the Kingdom” – Jesus as Interpreter of Scripture in Matthew’s Gospel
2. “Have You Never Read?” – Jesus as Interpreter of Scripture in Mark’s Gospel
3. “If You Believed Moses, You Would Believe Me” – Jesus as Interpreter of Scripture in John’s Gospel
4. “All That the Prophets Have Declared” – Jesus as Interpreter of Scripture in Luke’s Gospel
“Bryan is a gentle teacher who allows the participants space to think individually and then draws them out to share communally. Reading the Bible with Jesus helps to ground the text in Biblical scholarship which brings important understanding of how and why Jesus taught as he did. Truly a good way to ‘dust off the Bible’ for our Mennonite communities.” Doug Amstutz, pastor
Bryan’s new CD “I’m Glad You’r Here” also includes songs that specifically relate to (and are used in) these RTBWJ experiences.
“I have appreciated Bryan’s engaging leadership in many settings. He’s a gifted teacher of all ages with his inviting spirit and thoughtful biblical and theological engagement. “Reading the Bible with Jesus” explores the many-layered way our scriptures must be read and understood for today, and is an invigorating experience of Bible study to inspire the Church.” Alissa Bender, pastor
Click here to inquire about inviting Bryan to lead a weekend, or series of weekends, of “Reading the Bible With Jesus” in your community.