In August, we take a deep dive into the story of Esther, a young Jewish woman pulled into political intrigue and court politics, asked to step up and save her people from death. It’s a gripping drama about resistance, hope, identity, and courage. It is also a basis for the Jewish festival of Purim.
Many readers have interpreted this book in a lot of different ways. Is the story of Esther a love story? Is it about survival as a minority group in a larger culture? Is it about how to resist power and be courageous to save the lives of others? Where is God in all of it?
Through this series, we’ll look and listen for courage from Queen Vashti and Esther, and we’ll look at ways to make the sermons interactive with your questions and input.
Here are a few more questions we will consider:
- Why does the Book of Esther not mention God?
- Why is there another version of the Book of Esther in the Apocrypha? What even is the Apocrypha?
- Who is Queen Vashti, and how does her story foreshadow Esther?
- What can we learn from the celebration of Purim as a Christian church?
Sunday, August 10: Esther 1:1-4, 10-12, 19-22: Queen Vashti Says No
Sunday, August 17: Esther 2:5-11, 16-18, 3:7-11: Esther Becomes Queen in Perilous Times
Sunday, August 24: Esther 4:1-4, 10-16, 7:1-5: Esther Risks Everything to Save Her People