The Thursday Morning Bible Breakfast is the oldest continuous Bible study at Spring Valley United Methodist Church. It was organized by Dr. Don Benton in 1960.
This is an early morning affair. The cooks, who are members of the class, report for duty at 5:30, and the other members begin to arrive around 6:15. Breakfast is served at 6:30 sharp, and an excellent breakfast it is! Always there are pancakes, grits and gravy. Other items appear from a list that varies, but you may see some of the following: biscuits, sausage biscuits, breakfast burritos, sausages, or hash browns. All this for one dollar ($1.00).
The lesson begins whenever most of the group has finished eating, which is usually around 6:50. Someone reads the passage from Scripture which will be the first subject for consideration that morning, and then the group discusses it. Every person has a chance to voice his or her opinion regarding the interpretation of the verses that are read, and moreover to contribute observations based on actual life experiences.
The discussion goes on until 7:25, when we stop for Joys and Concerns and then have a closing prayer. The formal session is over at 7:30, although those who do not have a following appointment often stay and talk for a while.
We make no attempt to cover a lot of Biblical ground; in fact we may spend the entire session on one verse of Scripture. In its 47 years the group has been through the entire New Testament at least twice and has studied most of the books of the Old Testament as well. In 1993 we departed from the regular format and spent most of the year studying the Kingdom of God. At present we are beginning a study of the book of Titus.
Currently the class has 18 members. Average attendance is about 12-14, allowing for the fact that members are often out of town, have other commitments, or just forget to set their alarm clock the night before. Many in the church remember this as the "Men's Bible Class," but women are most welcome, and in fact on of our most loyal and regular members is a woman (who manages to knit while participating vigorously in our discussions!).
If you have it in you to get up early on Thursdays, and if you really enjoy studying Scripture with good comrades who also love the Bible, here is a wonderful way to enrich your understanding. We welcome your attendance!
