{Lost Women} something new...

I'm really excited to announce something new... Mustard Seed Tales is going to host an online book group/Bible study!

The idea arose out of several conversations I’ve had over the last few months with friends, Christian women of different ages and walks of life. In fact, it was like I was having the same conversation several times over – each friend felt ‘lost’, not in terms of salvation, but rather unsure what she was meant to be doing, insecure about her impact in the grand scheme of things, and though each was often surrounded by people, they had a sense of not quite fitting into their church, and of loneliness. And I could totally relate!

I was reminded of a book I’d picked up a while back, Lost Women of the Bible by Carolyn Custis James. In it, James explores the lives of ‘lost’ women in the Bible, seeking “strength and significance” through the insights she uncovered.

My vision is to have a group of us reading this book, and ‘discussing’ it chapter by chapter on my blog. Ideally, we'd meet in my livingroom over coffee and cake, and have these heart-to-hearts in person. Unfortunately, scattered as we are all over the globe, this blog is going to have to be the (less-than-ideal) medium for us to communicate our ideas.

I don’t envisage reading this book will magically turn around our lives or situations. I do, however, hope that it can be a catalyst for wrestling with some of the false beliefs we have about God, ourselves and our situation, that it would encourage us, and maybe even engender a source of community.

The study officially begins on Thursday, 25th of March, so that should give you enough time to pick up a copy of the book and to read the introduction and chapter 1, should you wish to.

Do check back to follow the discussion, and maybe even participate if you feel you'd like to. I do ask that you read the appropriate chapter beforehand if you feel you want to comment, just so we all stay on the same track. Hope this becomes a blessing to you!

By the way, see the 'Lost Women' icon on the sidebar? Click on it to find all the reading group posts in one handy menu. Also, I've noticed that for some reason the two editions of Lost Women of the Bible have different subheadings, Finding Strength & Significance Through Their Stories and The Women We Thought We Knew. Fear not, the contents are still the same.