Virtual Lenten Bible Study: Healing and Understanding the Suicidal Crisis

Monday, February 27, 2023, 6:30 PM

Escaping the Whale, Queen, and Valley:
Healing and Understanding the Suicidal Crisis
A Virtual Lenten Bible Study

Mondays in Lent / 6:30 - 8 p.m. (Central Time)

• February 27
• March 6
• March 13
• March 20
• March 27
• April 3

A Virtual Lenten Bible Study
Come experience this new Bible study! Developed to address questions around suicide in the Bible and our Christian response to survivors.

Register for the Bible Study. All those who register will receive reminders and materials. Because of the sensitive nature of the conversation, these sessions will not be recorded. Come when you are able to participate in this new resource.

Preview Night!
Monday, Feb. 13, 2023
6:30 p.m. CT

Not sure what this event is or if you'd like to participate? Attend our Preview Night, meet the instructors, and learn a bit more about this resource.

Simply click here to join this 30-45 minute event.

Description
What if we told you that the usual thinking about suicide in the Bible is wrong? This six-part Bible study will dive deep into several classic Hebrew Scripture events to uncover an innovative approach to suicide ideation and crisis. Using the stories from Jonah, Elijah, Ezekiel, and the Psalms, we will see the lives of these crucial individuals anew when they were in despair and darkness. We will also discover how God returned them to a place of light, love, and hope.

With the support of a dedicated website, you will engage the text in compelling ways. Each session will explore a biblical text. Afterward, we will engage in a lively discussion, allowing you to ask relevant questions and consider new ways to help people amid mental health crises. By the end of our study, you will be armed with biblical texts and tools to reframe your thoughts about suicide and the Bible.

Creators
Stephen L. Cook is the Catherine N. McBurney Professor of Old Testament Language and Literature at Virginia Theological Seminary, the largest seminary in the worldwide Anglican Communion. He has been a Bible professor for three decades. He is the author or editor of a dozen books, including an Anchor Yale Bible Commentary on Ezekiel's Apocalypse and Utopian Vision of a New Temple and Land. He is a co-author of a new Fortress Press textbook: The Prophets: Introducing Israel’s Prophetic Writings ( Fortress, 2022). Stephen has served in several capacities as an officer of the Society of Biblical Literature (SBL), including as a Regional Coordinator for the guild and as the Program Unit Chair of SBL sections. You can learn more at drstephenlcook.com

Robert D. Flanagan has been a priest in the Diocese of New York for two decades, serving large and small congregations and helping parishes with their priestly transitions. Bob is also Chaplain at General Theological Seminary and Dean’s Advisor and Teaching Fellow at Virginia Theological Seminary. He is an author of books on spirituality and mental health and the mystical writings in First and Second Peter. In addition, Bob has also been a volunteer for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, where he has served on local boards, been a legislative advocate at the local, state, and national levels, and has been an advisor on religious programs.